The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-11
TIE Government Printing.

TON--WiAT 1T IS ANB WHAT 1T COSTS.
The Washington correspondent of the Clever
land Leader gives long and interesting ac-
count of the Government Printing Office. In
1860 Cornelius Wendell sold this establish
ment to the United States for Sl35 900, aud it
is now the largest printing Office in the world.
Among the public printers have been Gales Il
Seaton Jonathan Elliott, Armstrong of Ten
nessee, Duff Green, Blair &c Rives, Cornelius
Wendell, and at last John ID. Defrees who
has held the position since 1851.
Last year one hundred aud tifty-six separate
books and documents were turned out at this
ofice-s variety of work which was not probs-
bly, equalled by the Harpers, Appletons, lip
pincotts Fields, and soribners together. The
entire nnalbsr of copies printed was not far
from nine hundred thousand. Mr.. Seward
had an Appendix to his diplomatic correspond
ence prepared at cost Of S29 600. The
book msde seven hundred aud fity-four
pages, and there were twenty-five thousand
copies priuted. The diplomatic correspond
ence, In two volumes, attached to President
Johnsons messages for 1867, made also
about twenty-five hundred pages, costing
$35 000.
MIR. Stewards annual International CONNER
cisl report msde $50 pages, and cost $40, 900,
There were also report on Southern railroads,
1860 pages Report on Delano and Morgan,
1904 pages. Report of Hogan contssung
Piles seat, 632 pages. Report of the COn-
Dictionary OF Congress, 6l0 pages A select
COMMITTEES report on tbs Indians, 544 pages.
SmithsCnian annual report, 472 pages Conf
dental communications from the President S72
pages. Three Army Registers, l404 pages. Ben
Wade's r. port ON the conduct of the war--sup-
plement 10 it, 1869 pages. Laws of the United
States, 7sS pages. Report of the Commission
er OF the Land Office lin English, French, Ger
man, and nwedish, BAG pages. This is the
most practical and valuable report issued.
Agricultural report, 6l2 pages. This is a
very expensive book, printed TO the amount of
l66, 600 copies, at cost of Sl44, 900. The
Agricultural Department is a candidate for
10000 more copies of it's report. The Paten.
Office people want q 900 copies extra; aud
there is book on the death of Mr.. Lincoln,
which is the most costly book probably ever
issued in the United States This is the sp-
pendx to Mr.. Stewards diplomatic cores
pondence containing expre ssi0ns of sympathy
and coincidence with the nation on the fate of
Abraham Lincoln. The cost price of proiuc-
ing the book will be SIS 200, or more than six
dollars a copy, while the bindings on some
special copies ordered for the crowned heads,
ETC.. abroad will probably bring them up to
twenty or twenty five dollars q copy.
OF the Agricultural Report the extraordinary
number OF two hundred and twenty thousand
copies have been ordered for last year, at 8 cost
of $50, 600, or about eighty-ive cents copy.
This COSTS enough to pay the President, Vice
President, all the Cabinet officers, the Speaker
of the House, and two thirds of the first-class
foreign ministers. In these reports there are
four hundred and fifty Thousand pounds of
paper, or two hundred and twenty Ave tons
enough to take two hundred and twenty-five
double horse wagons to pull them.
At this moment there are eight hundred
thousand copies of the reports for various
years lying in the vaults of the Patent Office
building, being the quantity annually printed
in excess of the demands even of extravaganza.
These copies represent $4,000 of the peoples
money invested in waste paper.
In one year new type ADDED cost of 81 s, S04
printing ink, $l9,7l7; coal, seven hundred
tons; new machinery, $4,000.
In the bindery four thousand Russian leather
skins were used, seven hundred and sixty
packs OF gold leaf Costing nearly $700O),
nearly $4,000 worth Of twine and as much
glue. Paper for Post Office blanks alone cost
S48, 600. The binding of books consumed
$73, 000 and binding materials $ll3, 900. Eu-
craving and lithographing cost Sill 900.
The paper that runs this huge printing Office
comes from various manufacturers, and it is
not ordered by the Congressional printer, but
by joint committee OF Congress. 1t is ordered
in reams OF five bundled sheets, and sometimes
paid for by the pound. In the latter case from
| twenty TO thirty cents is commonly paid, and
by the ream the prices vary from eight dollars
( and half 10 thirteen dollars. Three thousand
J feamS came from baltimore, Diu6Le0u CnOuSauu
reams and also twenty thousand pounds came
from Manchester, Connecticut, four thousand
reams from Boston, four thousand from Ian
caster, Penpsy lvania, one thousand from
Philadelphia, exclusive of one hundred
and sxty-eight thousand four hundred
pounds and twenty Thousand reams
came from New York. The manufacturers
furnishing the bulk OF the paper were Jessup,
J Keeney, Magarge, Warren, and Baer. The
cost OF all this paper was $685. 600, considera-
bly, past half million, yet this was less than
the sum paid for five preceding years, the cost
of the paper being in 1865 more than mil
lion and a qparter of dollars, and averaging
for five years about $500 600. At the end OF
this economic al year about S22S, 600 worth OF
paper remained in storage. Government never
insures its property, and this immense amount
of infammable matter is stored in sheds ad
jacent to the printing Office anu guarded by
watchmen,
The printing for the Executive Department
of the Government costs nearly as much
money as the total work done for Congress
The executive departments, with the courts
required in 1867 about $757 600 worth o
printing, while the House of Representative
ran mp a bill of $454,O0o aud the Senate
/ $1S6 600. In addition to this, acts of Congress
warranted about 1888 600 additional of worl
done for miscellaneous objects. The Supreme
Court and its satellites take nearly SIS, 900
The Agricultural Department, with its hug
reports, passes $32 600. The Treasury lead
with nearly $500 coo, and the War Depart
ment follows it with $l4S, 600. Next come
the Post Office, Navy, and Interior Depart
Il ments ranging from SIS, 600 to S52, 600.
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