The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-06
Public Printing.

from the Tribune. t U.s.. t.t 81
The House of Representatives, on Monday, on
motion of Mr.. Grinnell of Iowa,
Resolved, That the Committee on Printing be re;
Quested 10 report to this House what reforms II
any are needed the purchase of paper, the order-
ing OF books documents, bills, and other matters
Of the Printing Office, for the COLLECTION and sale of
the paper either at said office or in any other
place under the eS6'T9 M tne o Of Sspep 0r
and the purchase OF the and, to ibis end they
are hereby, empowered to send lor persons, books
and papers, ana 10 make sucn examin auon az SNAIL
in hefr lud6ment, be necessary 10 attain the end
hereby sought with authority TO SIT curing the ses
Pi0ns0f the House.
we do not believe there is any need of send
ing for persons or papers, nor of making any
elaborate inquiry Mr.. Deirees, who superin
tends the public printing, is honest, capable,
and faithful; and there is, in short nobody to
blame but Congress itself. And its fault is just
this-it interferes with the business of supply.
ing the public with reading matter, to the great
injury and wrong of those who laudably seek to
live by doing that very same.
Suppose Congress should buy up one-twelfth
of all the leather In the country, and proceed
TO transform it into boots and shoes, and DIS
tribute those boots and shoes gratis among their
constituents at the public cost, who would not
realize that this was a gross wrong first to the
people, whose money was lavished in making
Pratuilies to a small portion of their numbers
next 10 all who are engaged in the boot and
shoe business, which would be thus deranged
and debauched?
Yet this is exactly what Congress persistentlY
does to our business, deyn9 our protests and
mocking our complaints. We gave our best
years to learning how to supply the public need
of useful information All our living and our
savings have beer gained by it. The business
suits us, and we are not skilled in any other.
We can do well by it il Congress will only let
us. But Congress viii not let us 1t persists
IN raising the price of paper on us by buying up
with public money one-twellth of all paper
made in the country, printing 1t at the public
cost and then sending IT all over the country
by still further pull at the treasury. Is this
fair? Congress calls on us for many thousand
dollars per annum in taxes. Why won't it give
us decent chance to earn them?
One of our specialites is furnishing agricul-
tural knowledge to farmers and we can beat
at it all the Government pap-suckers in the
country; but, when we have to compete in the
business with rivals who are not only salariel
1Iom the Treasury, but have their paper print
ing, mailing, and transportation paid for out of
the Treasury also-our product being taxed to
help pay the cost of supplying the competing
article Tor nothing-we can't help saying we
don't like it. Is that too harsh?
What Congress should do is to stop the whole
business of printing matter for public inorma-
tion, Let it print what is required for its own
Information, and then supply at cost all who
want extra copies. We are willing to pay a
by Congress, and pay the regular postage on It's
transmission to us; and we are quite willing
that every one else who chooses should be sup
pied on the same terms; but against all print
ing OF documents tor gratuitous diffusion we
most earnestly protest, now and evermore.