The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-27
How the Newspapers are Subsidized by
the Public Money.
FIFTY PER CENT OveRcRARGeo FOR PRINTING.
THE REPUBLICAN, PLUMBER.
Testimony Of Tom Ford and John
ID. Dufrees.
CURIOUS DEVELOPMENTS,
&c, &c., &c.

In the House to day Mr. Haskn. from the Committee
On Public Expenditures submitted the folio wing majority
report % the public printing
The Committee on Pub c Expenditures under the reso
iutio6s ADOPTED By the Ho De OF Rep esepves the
9th and l3h OF February, 1850, nssruc,us them "
Qure INTO the price ii the puonc pnatog, and TO report
due regard for rigid economy shall oistse; and also
the laws Teisaon 10 the public printing
Tor the House o r. presensves the duties of the puoc
printer and 70 rel change
improvement they may deem advisable, Deg leave to
make The following report
unoer The sptnory specially delegated TO Them have
given the subject referred to them that full and CON
piee examination which the House ana the country de-
nano. Win u view ol obtaining q thorough knosledge
OF the sings OF pr ystem ana the changes,
ooiDcA ioLs necessary, tue committee took
the e o, si,one Of public officials engaged by
errme the execution and superinendshce OF tue
public printing, from toe superintendent OF the Pubic
Printing bimre down 20 the foreman employed 10 the
alb ~hefe that prnaog has been done for the
past yese ana also OF certain repu able prascal
printer great AND ability their pro ession.
From their exanio alton, tue commit
jasaaed satbg hat the xsvagaut PROFITS sccrupg
from the pubic riu,ns under the Law OF 1881 nos in
IL, &C. have proved PandorAs box, and viii prove sch
i~ the hApcs o. any party poser. Evtteoce OF this
fact eoBaueo In the testimony taken before the com
mee eno~ tug Wepne, the printer dc fdcto Of the
last PAID harris and Seoman the printers d.
1urs houses $751; % tor the privilege Of
coli z the sors ana ina Geo W. Bowman, the present
Senate aud Executive printer, pays Jno. Rives, who
actually does the work. sixty SIX ana loiros per eent
for doIg H. rsetvDg To himself clear profit OF thirty
VII, m,pt If The senate Executive pcinupg amounts
10 the aggregate much this Congress as ud the
Thirty so gress MIR Bowman VII receive from the
government oity Odd Thousand dollars for doing
spoiutey Iotnpg The system demands instant reform,
change, correction OF the abuses existing under II
In the Congress IL relation 10 pubnc printing,
three dterepts have occupied its stten,ou aud the
pr, rs Of ,be country thoroughly discussed the al
vantsgts or disadvantages Of each,
/ The contract BY stem.
2. A nation al or government printing olce.
3. The pres.Dt By elem.
Vas.~ n. rata n Ada n
the Senate as far back 1872 bv Hon. Mr.. Wilson,
prascN pin and dsupglsned Senator In Congress
IRON New jersey In which be briefly but comprehensivety
explained de-, Of each OF the three aie
rent the OF the existing stem
communics'ed 70 the se1ate feo ~ lei9 Mr. Wilson,
Ing folio wing report TO the eena c. that regard
ing the subject committed 70 them as connected win the
OF the MEMBERS the information OF the com
mun,y the economy Of time and money ana the chsrsc
ter OF the 0uptFy, they have gwen all the consioera
lion which tteir other permitted that tn
oerens moo. Of procuring the printing Of Congress- %
be executed have undergone their discussion and de6era
tioo: first, Offering the work by advertisement as at
present, 10 the lowest bidder. On this mole
the committee ark that. although the Grst
glance il may strike the mind as the most
prove il so. Competitors for the work underbid
each other until is undertaken lower than Il
css DC Afforded, and too small an establishment and
too few worknen are consequently employed to
execute the printing with the necessary pro p;,.ude
Hence, both houses have frequently to wait long for
resting and important comm unicstons from The Presi
dent heacs Of departments reports bills resoustoas
&C upon which they called aud the Toss OF
time thus incurred coz Steering TIE daily expense
which Congress sits costs the nation much than the
dincreoce b tween the present pr,ce liberal ALLOW
which would justify the Application OF greater ,pt
tai 10 insure the despatch OF the work Another tsad
vantage ae nd the present mode is that the rcorced
price OF the work prevents that from
being bestowed on which " necessary to s reatness
and accuracy nnd documents not only Distributed
through this nation, but dispersed through Europe,
which are executed in such an ineeeant and
incorrect manner must bring disgrace aud ridf-
cue on the literature and press OF our couotry.
Thai the present price OF printing is too low would be
fact that no other printer in the district could be fund
by the Secretary the Clerk who wout execute the work
at the contract prices, must satisfy the mind OF every
gentle OF the truth OF hat tho committee have
t.d How far IS reputable tor Congress TO endeayot
to have their work below fair price,
may I've matter Of doubt hut IL not admit OF
question that the cowpen ought TO be adequate
to the object OF procuring that work be done at
per time and In suitable mspner SecondA second mode
suggested 10 and considered by the committee was tue
establishment o. O Rational printing olice, with
bBaery and stationery annexed. which should
execute the work OF Congress while In session. and
that Of the various Departments OF government onrog
the ard ehoui do ali the bndi aud furnish tue
sisoDtry for the well as for Congress-
to the amount expenditures OF these Objects
nqu les were ADDRESSED by the commltee to the heads
OF cepsImenis Attorney General ana Postmaster Gene
raj received from each Some OF the reports
wee made in such manner as not to enable the Com
ittee " separate tue for plsiog from those
Tor binding and slAuonefy but the who'll amount exceeds
forty thousand collars Add to the expenditures
OF the senate AID House OF representatives. the
objects viztbe former $500 sud the latter SIS ,e
and the Aggregate cot OF The public printing sta
onery e about SOS coo year, OF which probably ouc-
bali IL Tor printing sid this will De remembered does
include the great variety number Of blanks else
where than at the government from copies
nshed by the departments OF the Treasury. War &c
which might be done here at much lss expense
were national printing ofhce established. The
committee are Of opinion that such establishment,
the supeintendcLce OF OF activity Integrity
ana oecrsfiop would De likely produce promptu1e,
uniformity Accuracy aud elegance execution Of the
public printing; and they are not certain that woai
tionery, already suggested be found the
cal But ss the focipie somewhat no eel ana the de-
tails vood require ZONE elaboration, the committee
have ceemec advisable, at this late pero or the
sesson, and amidst the pressure which both hous's
perence from The accumulation OF business imoortaut
the Interesting to iDdiytuais 10 submit pro
position en- xh ch there would probably be considerable
division o. opoiou AID consumption OF time ThirdUnfcr
all circumstance the committee have deemed their duty
commend that tariff OF prices fer every kind OF
printing required to be ne for Congress be Fixed By
ont OF the houses continue force FOR
PEARS. and hat before the close OF the present
sion each bouse make choice By ballot OF printer
ecute ia osn ~ork during the next Congress Inc price
shooc BE- adequate to the employ nsnt OF Sufficient capt
tai and wo kmf TO perform the work expediousiy,
to insure such aud attention shalt give
degree OF accuracy and elegance shall dshopor
iter sture and typography OF the county With former
contracts before and with the professional wedge
which NAY be called in aid difficulty would occur 10
forps The tar sude to on principles al once liberal 10
the printer 10 Congress on the 60
lection OF s printer eaci House would doubtless take
special 10 choose man OF capacity prooty, aud
required cf them for the faithful performance
Of their obligation provision might be added, tina, In
case Of An Delay other person might be
employ do the work at such price the Secretary
or Clerk might be able to get done for, and thai the
public pr,nie' 5, pecivey be responsible for any d
feren &c between the allowed them aud that which 1t
might be pecsssary give him 10 this connection, your
com Deg leave TO refer TO an elaborate report
made ourpg the iAt Congress upon the subject Of the
pubic prt rg, engraving and binding Il was made from
select committee Of the douee by the Hon Ge, Taylor,
Of New York and contained much statistical In orrnAon
and many impottans suggestions regard to the suoecs
under consideration. (See report $50, volume 2d,
pcyts Of committees let session 35d Congress, the wit
essrs and their testimony Among the urss aud most
instructive OF the witnesevs examined before your COM
mee was the superintendent Of the pubic printing, Jno
Heart Ea, appointed by the President, aud recently
cooasrped BY tho Senate lie testified tnat under the
pYesert eyaem unjust and excessive prods made,
that the pice DOW paid ought TO be reduced least
afy cent? ON be d,ar He also testi1ed to the
pete failure OF the contract system, and