The New York herald., 1870-02-14
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE, !,
Its Abuse Through Congress
sional Printing. A. e.'.. /.
COST OF TIE PRINTING BUREAU

4
The earnestness with wn,ch SENATORS and Repre-
sentaives have set 10 WORK this session OF Con-
gress to reduce the puolic expenditures Dy present.
Ing reform measures aud pressing them 70 VOTE Is
highly c0mnendabie. This disposition IL especially
manifested IN, tne effort to engrait the telegraph
enterprise upon be postal and abolish the
franRang privilege, The latter neasurs, h.lvlny
passed the House Of Representatives Dv an over.
whelming majority, was not allowed to sleep in the
Senate, Mr. Ea.nscy, the chairman OF the Com.
mittee on Post onlce3 and Post Roads, To which the
House bilwas referred has promptly reported it
back TO tue Senate with the reeomm that 1t
do pass heantiine The people are pouring In their
petlons to S0ngi ess to remove ne b,ruen anu the
6enatc, with priseworihy alacrty. Is debating the
proapsit!aIl--Scnators Ramsey and Con xrng being
90 far tspr1ncipal champions IN that branch. ss,
In the natural order oi events Mr.. Anthony, OF
Rhode Island, from the Joint Committee on Priut
ing, has introduced bill ito regulate the pubic
printing ana TO discontinue the publication or BOOKS
by the go era government or popular distribulon.n
ThatSenator gave notes that he should cali the bill
up and urge ITS passage a. an carly day, ana on
Thursday ne tpi5llea his promise most ably. The
enactment OF this bill will obyiate the necessity OF
Increasing the government pr,nllny and. binding
estaD aDisnncnt, Tor tnc accomplish ncnt Of which
the Supenntendens asks that 100000 pe forth
with appropriated. Tho enlargement or that
establishments Is necessity n tho present
cxtrayaga.h practice OF the. departments and
Couyress, IN ordering everything printsd, is to
commune. The Fever ior 40 much prntiny has been
induced by the ranking privilege. Abolish the lat
ter ana tue iueeUent To print Will cease, because
congressman do not love their constituents well
enough to pay postage on the pubic documents
Ouh 4 Ia ~
thenlor noLhny. This is shown IN the fact that
Senator Anthony brings forward his measure TO cut
down printing. II his bl passes, as 1t surely will II
the fran;ing pvvi.ege u abolished It win not only
remove the necessity for enlarging the prinrny and
binding building. but will reduce the present force
therein more than one-hal. giving ample room to
perform all tie work. -,tsl & .i, c.
Toe taxpayers Of the United states have no real
conception OF the enormous amoant OF printing
engraving stcrccyping and binding that they have
had TO pas for every year without any good what
ever rcsu n1 iroa It, Cords and cords OF books and
pamphlets containing nothing but dry. statistics
elaborated expressly for the purpose or increasing
the paper making, printing and oindng Jobs, are
crderea at every session Cr Congress. But Tor the
frarkln2 privilege they would become 80 much rub
bsh. They are spirited away under 1.-The
franking privilege to every part OF tho coun-
try.lS Government wagons convey them to the Post
Once In Washington, when the Post Oalce
Department aespatchss them In every direction on
railroads end steamboats,. These uocu nents upon
ther arrivat ~ the several places OF their destina
tions are sdissrihntedn through the agency or paid
clerks, and not one IN q thousand IS ever read II
openeda all. ThiS kiad OF lumber in the mal.s,
besides being enormously expensive Is direct IN
reference with the legitimate postal business OF the
conntry, from wlich . handsome revenue is de-
rived. The latter business has to suffer and give
way for the free trast-free to thosa who send It.
bt aw!uAy expensive TO the Treasury or the United
6suesx 1uo franKlng privilege Of ITSELF expensive
thpugh BE-, has gradually DecOnle tue aaecs cause
or pIilcl IycItGr evithe cnOrniOus ox oalS.on Of
tbs ipsic pllnnpg business, the giga-t:c prOpor.
tivla VI WAlcn put Only execed any pOssinle neces
Snyj buti each ngureS aStOund gg to the puDic and
renec.in4. usVrare upon Congress. Let " LOOK at
the 11ures.o Eertg II y sssota u 4 Il 8.a ~
,t6rtne year ending September 80. 1869, according
tOt9s alil,ial report OF the congressional Printer
the cOsG Vi paper. printing, lthoBrapnnX, engrav-
tug and nbinai.lx eNeculeu for DOTH Houses under
for same executed for the House under spscisi
order, S44U,il2 executed for the Senate unGer
special 0fdcr SllY,U7a-makinS the total cost OF
paper, prutnQ, lthOgrapiiny engraving und bind
aaH Orucre jNniy ANA separately ny the TWO houses
OF Congress and denvered tn oae year, $6ss,4SJ
report cps.,l, AOL eni0faced IN Tie above, figures,
&inOuntDng To $50 70 ulnes, the cost OF when Is
estimated ut $1JJ 53 making tile total expense Oh
the 5rinang vroereu by DOtn houses, delivered and
UAaehvefe,t iIfOae year. a0l0untio SS5JOLl. tt
In Audubon 10 Inc aoOve Is the printing, engraving,
NtdJe aphins, steieotyping aud binding for The de-
paltnle1s. notincl1ding the currency, which lOots
u ~ ltf5 Il. E. EXT y 0