Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-07-11

pointed by the Secretary of tho Treas
ury to examine the affairs of tho bu
reau of Engraving and Printing have
made their report. The investigation
shows that the force OF the hureau has
Ii1lEs afS3Spra, ,knelUHT
requirements Of the work, ana this wal
tho case even when work was the
greatest. The committee believe that
the force employed in some divisions
was Tor q number of years together
twice as great as was required for the
proper performance of tho work, and
that II was three times as great as nee.
cssary. In one of these divisions O
sort Of platform had been built under.
meath an iron roof about seven feet
above the floor, to accommodate count.
ers. On this shelf on parts of which
q person of ordinary height could not
stand erect-deprived of proper ven.
tilation and exposed in summer to the
joint effects of tho heated roof above
and the tunes of the wctted paper be-
neath--werc placed some thirty OF
more women, who had received ap.
pointmcnts, and for whom room must
be found. II now appears that the
room was Of ample size, without this
contrivancc, to accommodate all OF the
persons really needed that tho sur
plus force slowed away in the loft was
entirely unnecessary, and that some Of
them at times, for lack of occupation,
whiled away their time in sleep. Re.
garding the policy which led to over.
crowding the bureau with needless
employees, and in pursuance Of which
the enormous appropriation for the last
fiscal year Of $4,000, 900 was spent in
little over seven months, the printing
of the public securities, and seventeen
hundred people thrown out of en-
ploymcnt, the committee say the APP
parent causes which have led TO these
unfortunate results are two, each OF
which is the complement Of the other:
Lavish appropriations, and appoint
mcnts through political influence. The
whole system seems to have revolved
in q vicious circle. Appropriations
have been secured by making appoint
ments for Congressman without re-
gard to the fitness of the appointees or
necessities of the work, and when SO.
cured they have been expended in
such manner as to retain the goodwill
of those already friendly, or to secure
that Of others. Moreover, the bureau
has been made 20 subserve to a great
extent the purpose of an almshouse or
asylum by outside parties, and the
committee concur In this conclusion.
THE BUREAU SHOULD BE ABOLISHED.
Upon the status Of the bureau they
say; "The singular fact is presented
OF the existence Of bureau, the largest
as well as the most expensive of any
Of the bureaus of the department,
whose chief receives q compensation
Of $4,000 per annum, but is neither
appointed by the President nor subject
10 confirmation, for which there is no
provision Of law specifically authoriz-
ng its creation or defining the duties
Di its officers and employees, or limit
ing its numbers. No similar instance
is to be found In any of the depart
ments Of the government. We recon-
mend that the attention OF Congress
be called to this anomaly, and that ap-
propriate legislation be suggested"
The conclusion is as follows: This re.
port has been written upon the as
that the bureau is TO be con.
.inued, and that the principal purpose
If our investigation has been TO cor
rect the abuses which have grown
up in II, But TO our minds il past
the looseness and extravaganza
which have marked its management,
md the scandals TO which IL has given
Use, furnish the strongest possible argu. |
nent against the engagement of the
government in branches OF industry
which are ordinarily lett TO private en-
erprise. Wedo not hesitate TO declare
hat IL would be wise measure to
elegate- into private hands the entire
BUSINESS of printing the public sccuri-
les, and to con6ne the functions Of
he bureau of Engraving and Printing
o imprinting thereon the seal OF the
department, simply as the final au-
hentication of their genuincncss.
We have tho honor to be, very re-
pectfully, your obcdient servants,
L. o. GRAVES,
EDWARD WoLoorr,
Il. r. CHAPMAN, Committee.
Hon. John Sherman, Secretary OF the
Treasury.