New-York tribune., 1876-04-08
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFrICE.
INSTANCES OF LOOSE MANAGEMENT foUND-iHE
WAY A PERpLEXED CLERK BALANCED HIS Hoohs
Mr.. CLAPP THINKS HE HAS $4,000 IN MS
sAFE AND FINDS ONLY $4,000
ley TELEGRAPH TO TUE TRIBUNE

Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiEUNE.i
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE House Commit
tee Oh Printing Las pushed its Investigation into the
management of the Government pTiutins office very
vigorously during the past few days. The inquiry thus
far undoubtedly shows m?royderce III some OF the put-
chases made very high prices being paid Tor maleial
and labor and charged for work done for the depart
ments In short general extravaganza seems TO have
prevailed in the management of the Office. The Com
ltce will probably be unanimous III reporting that the
work public printing ought 20 be done at ar less e&
pense than during the past few years The examination
into the manner Of keeping the books and accounts or
the printing Office has been quite thorough, am has 70
suited in tie discovery OF lOOsSnoss which can fdly
he satisfactorily explained. II does not yet appear
whether the Government printer himself is Responsible
for mistakes In bookkeeping not, though the Demo
cratic OF the Committee seem to be OF opmoh
that more careful supervision Of the affairs OF the Office
would have made many of them impossible TIE mis-
takes in bookkeeping which have been discovered are
not understood 10 involve very large amounts Of mon
but they throw dscrcdt all the accounts Of III
Government printing Office and make very caretu eA-
animation of them desirable.
One or two examples Of this looseness in bookkeeping
NAY lead to better understanding OF its general chrIc
ter The Government printer by law allowed 10 sell
10 al purchasers any books or Documents produced AT
the Government printing 0Gce az cost price with ten
per cent added Several Of the Washington booksellers
have been In the habit OF purchasing 1t the printing
office 20 be sold again, copies Of The Hcc)rd and such
reports and documents OF general pablo Interest
sld the accounts OF these sales kept separate from
the other accounts Of tho Office The bOOkkecper who
kept these accounts has been examined within tho past
two or three days. and, comparing the rcceped bills
furnished by him TO Tho booksellers with his own
counts IL found that in several instances the items
contained IN the former omitted from the latter
These items ranged from few dollars up TO $500 CT
more when these discrepancies were brought to the
nj CLERK he entirely unable cYulafn
them except by saying that the entries have been
omitted from his book by mistake When asked If he
ever balanced hia books replied that he attempted to
do 40 the last time at close Of the last calendar year
At hat time he wac unt bic 10 make his accounts bal
gncc and lie pretended balance entered was admitted
10 be forced one The clerk said, however that lie lad
in his cas- book at that time mono money by 500 than
his books showed should have been there though does
nat aunear that this amount If entered his books
would have caused them 10 balance.
Another point on which Mr.. Clapp has been examined
relates 10 the disposition which ne has made Of the
money received from the s9es Of books md documents
old paper paper parings from the blndcry, &c Tie
Democratic members Of the Committee hold that under
tle law recurring the officers Of the Government who
receive public money deposit IL In the Treasury Mf
Clamp was required TO poy his receipts anc not 10
ke,p tho cash In his possession. TIC buk OF the
money so rece 10 have been paid over 10 te
Treasury but at time for several years has there been
suarng up Of accounts with the Treasury as the 10"
uires Instead of this, considerable sums have re-
NAMED IN the hands Of the Government printer, and
have accumulated in his SAFE The object OF retaining
this money understood 10 have been to meet Incidental
payments fo wages material &c At the meeting OF the
Committee Mr. Capp was askedh much money
he supposed he now had IN his safe at the printing ONCE
He replied about $4,000 member Of the Committee
asked he was Wiling 70 80 with the clerk OF the Com