New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-20
PUBLIC PRINTING AND THE CONGRESSIONAL
GLOBE.

PUBLIC PRINTING A " o TIE CONGRESSIONAL
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The Joint Committee
on Public Printing submitted an interesting report to-
day, embodyng review Of Congressional printing from
the establishment OF the Government down to the present
time At the first Congress held in the City Of NewYork
the estimates Government printing placed at
$500 for the Senate and 1857 for the House. and these
sums were considered amply sufficient TO all
penses including stationery and bookbnding The cost
OF the printing for the first session of the first Congress
was not over $1,000 and the paper was far superior to the
paper used in public documents The printing both
In NewYork and Philadelphia was done by the publish
ers Of newspapers In the city in which the sessions were
held selected at the beginning Of each session but after
tho removal Of the National Legislature to
tSe caSto in facilities Of every fnd
Sn esc4 r c s 20 THIS
tnued up to 1872 the printing being executed by different
q 81 e e S and an the Of lie
The prices paid to ourneymen printers were not hgh 0
recess OF Congessbeipg the rates in 1872 and the
tire force employed did not exceed at any time 80 to IS
men. The jOurneymen printers now employed In the
Congressional Printing Office average over
per week. and the increase OF the force employed may
ments transmitted by the President to tic XLth Con:
gIess at the beginning OF the second session covered
OF tl0O62 o. whereas when President Jefferson
rnS S 70 Of
personally addressing TO the two houses the whole made
u
print 500 copies at cost Of $40 TO- including the binding
by the political friends Of Messrs Gales seatou, pro
prieors OF The National Iteligenee. II was asserted
that those who had been printing the documents had
money than they should have done and that
there had been collision with the officials IN obtaining
the contracts Joint committee Of Congress, In care
fully drawn report expressed an opinion favorable 10 he
establishment Of National Printing Office but reported
joint resolution providing for the election of Public
Printer by each House. allowing the choice OF inc same
In its details that enabled the Congressional Printers TO
reap large profits and the printing OF the House OF Rep
resenatives which had cost but $1,000 session during
the preceding Congress cost on an average ABOUT s4O
per session during the next ten years An hvestgaiion
in 1923 developed the fact that many long ana useless
documents were printed N large nmnoGT p1s u, a INC
standard page had been reduced aDout orc ~
per cent and that bourgeois tyre had pee no @
for BREWER making p Ther peronaso great
political question and Duff Green and Gales seaton
printer Who received third Of the profits While
two-thirds went TO the editor VINO was not
grow In enormty year alter year Arepoft 3 the HOUSE
Committee Oh Printing 10 do soTga % ,s ysars
had been si6i iC4 49, estimated annual profit OF
&c 60 an Tn Coumttee Endorsed the former report Of
the JOINT Committee in favor Of Government printing
Office Partisan politicians successfully opposed thls
SS anobsr report was made advocating H. the
ground that immense saving 10 he pupic treasury
and the abatement OF extensive poltcale evil would be
The contract system was established 1876, but this
failed to abate the evil In July 1852, Congress found 1t
imperatyely necessary TO change the in which
ts mining was done The session had been commenced
nnd parts Of Tie Predeits Message had delivered
by the contract printers and OF the third volume not
single cOpy After much debate act was passed pro-
yidng for the appointment Of superintendent OF Pub
dc Printing who was TO supervise me Work executed by
urDtes who were 10 elected 10y the Senate aud by the
House OF Representatives. aud designated BY The Pres
dent for the execution Of the Congressional and Execu
two printing The trainers OF the act hau hlttefe9
themselves that they had provided al INC guards ana
checks necessary TO protect the pubic interest Dnt
soon became evident that tho expenditures were cnof
nous and cxorbant. Politicians who had no practical
knowledge Of printing were candidates 10. e Laees 81
elected iarmed out the work to master printers az per
the printing Of the blanks was subet by the
contractor (who was not printer TO printer who
aoLer printer 10 do II for about per The rrohts
ON the lob the original contractor ~ the rate of 81 per
sis 5e on his TAS TiadpLia fennsyraSiGn
which belonged 10 this contractor. received S90l 2s
w wac MADE because little remained Tor nc Washington
Constitution. which was TO have received s o.c9 On
dcayored reform the public printing. established
Government printing office. by which, notwithstanding
The great Increase the printing aud binding required
by the departments under the present system Of I'M
limited orders large saving has been effected Com
uuiiuc the work done at the Government Printing Office
nom March, 1901 until September 90 100 at the prices
paid under the previous system IL would have amounted
10 over sOOOOOO than the actual cost nnder this
hc Committee recommend 10 the heads OF departments
an editorial supervision Of the reports OF their bureau ON
cers ~ order to suppress SseeSs yc,p1Se nc @
ents except the register Of Congressional DEBATES anu
the report Of the COminssontrOf Agriculture tcy SAY
IS subject worthy OF the consideration OF congress- but
hey not prepared 10 report any ftsouoh on this
branch OF the investigation.
The Committee made long report IN relation 10 the
publication OF the debates reviewing the history OF me
Congressional ADOBE and contracts under which II was
published The reporting and publication OF the debates
In Congress passed through ran infancy pu inc ueve
opment OF the idea IL mostly duo 10 the late MI John e.
Eiycs At the time The GiOJ6 now published was es
tabshed Mr. Rives understood that he 10 have the
privilege OF supply ing every new member OF Congress
also receive one cent for every 1--WE pages
5000 for long, and 1900 for short session.
But in 1850 the passage OF the bill changing the com
pensaOn OF members the purchase OF complete sets OF
The Congressional Gobe for new Senators, RepTesenta
tives, and delegates abrOgated Ia the opinion OF
MI Rves the furnishing Of these baek volumes OF the
CONGREGATIONAL GiObe much part Of his agreement
with Congress the furnishing OF tho caTTent re-
port Of debates and he continued unsnccessy To press
the matter until 1864 when the old contract was restored
but promise added by which either Congress or the
prOpretors OF The GObc might Rbrogate II after giving
two years notice. In March, 1861. Congress gave the
required notice and the goth OF july 1863 tie entire
contract was nnnued and q JOINT Committee appointed
to proposals for the publication o! the debates
The JOINT Committee reported today tlat they had
received response their advertisements two propO
sails for reporting and publishing the debates In Congress-
one from the present publishers OF me Gtooe Messrs
ayes and Bailey, and the other from Joseph l. CrOwe
OF Railway n j. To make these proposals plain, and To
compare them with tho estimate Of the Congressional
printer the Committee adopted rs basis for comparison
The Congregational Globe Tor tho XXHIHth Congress
which cost &2gl Had the Of reporting
typesetting printing paper and binding been furnished
under the proposals OF Rlyes Bailey the cOst would
have been t2s9454 under the estimate oil the Congress
sona printer IL would have cost $269i and under tho
proposal OF j. r. Crowel, s26ll49 The Committee Ia I'M
derstood 10 been divided In opinion as TO whether
Il was advisable % have the work done by contract or at
the Government office, and they made no recommended
ton but submitted two Joint resolutions. one directs
the Printer 10 do tho work and the other
provides for giving by contract To j. CrOWe m INC
lowest bidder