The daily gazette., 1877-06-25
The PUBLIC PRINrlNI ANp ENt

The PUBLIC PRINrlNJ AND ENGRAv-
ING.-The Journal Of Commerce says "the
extravaganza and bad management mt and
poor work of the Engraving and Print
ing Bureau, is more than borne out by
the investigating committees report
The Secretary of the Treasury should
have grappled with and suppressed these
evils years ago; and Congress should not
have allowed them to flourish. But the
Administrations and Congresses of the
past have alike shared in the nefarious
patronage of this bureau. The latter have
thrown away millions of the public
money on it, in return for appointments
made at the request of members while
the executive branch has added thereby
to the army Of its faithful adherents and
workers. The Bureau has been a politi-
cal machine, probably the most expensive
and least useful of its kind in the public
service. We cheerfully accept the order
OF Secretary Sherman, under which this
investigation was made, as a sign that he
means to reform some of these ancient
abuses but promise and performance at
Washington are so far apart, as rule,
that we will wait to see what is done be-
fore excepting any great resuls from it.
The temptation was strong upon the
committee to mince matters-to recon-
m 3nd simply reduction of the force
(which has in some years been two or
three times too large, greater economy
and some changes in the mode of doing
business. Instead of this tampering and
triting the commit Sc pursue their inqui-
ries - the only logical conclusion, which
is the practical abandonment of the Bu-
reau. They advise that its functions be
hereafter confined to imprinting the seal
of the Department on the Government
securities. We thank the committee for
this bold and thorough action. 1t is the
only course that will meet the necessities
of the case, as we have repeatedly urged
When all this work is given out by writ
ten contract to the lowest aud best re-
sponsible bidders The Government will
4 save large sums of money in the purchase
of paper and the cost of printing the me
/ chanieal execution of the work will be
! fully equal, if not superior to that of the
present arrangement, the risks of over is
sue and stealing will be rather diminish
ed than increased, and INSCRIPTIONS DO.
liticans will be deprived of at least one
place where they can quarter their ignor
ant and incompetent henchmen n at the ex-
! pense of the public. In point of economy
safety, morals and good government the
/ change would be all for the better.
| The tremendous indictment found bv
the committee against this Bureau is
also good against other Government
branches in which private and personal
jobbery takes the place of the contracr
! system. If this Bureau is thrown over
board, an analogy of reasoning would
doom the Government Printing Office
also. The revelations of its affairs made
! by committee last year were not less
scandalous than those of its sister institu-
| non; and when we remember that. all
| that eXposuTe-led to no change or i'm
provement in the public printing, have
/ we not cause to fear that the other che
will go on unmolested? Aside fl ON the
questions Of expense and of political
patronage-which are the chief to be
considered-in the printing of the public
document, we have sufficient ground OF
| complaint against it because the work is
so wretch 4dly done. Tie printing and
pre- sswolk, and binding and lettering, al
the mechanical process of these pnblica
tlons, are uudeniably bad. They are
| more repulsive in appearance than any
other books issued in the world. Nc
I private publisher would he willing to put
| his ilnprlmatur on such shabby products
10 would rum bis business forever. The
only proper object in printing and dis
trlbuting these books is to get the people
to read them. In order 10 ito This the
| books should be made inviting, not hide
Gus in the last degree. Such is the shah
hiness OF the public printing that the in
| trinsic attraction of the official nara
tives of scientific research and geographi
| cal exploration is almost neutralzed b,
the tasteless dress in which they appear
! There are books prepared at v ashinptnr
full of adventure and interest, even fro
nance, which would make a real te r
a-y hit if brought out in appropiIat,
style by any enterprising New Yorl
publisher. But they are spoiled at tn,
Government Office and for that reas oI
remain generally unread. And one 0
at that office would be delighted beyont
measure to have its book printed b,
private contract with some publshe
who understands his business.
An extensive amount OF work has beel
mapped out by the friends of reform 70
the extra session of Congress. We wi
1 not force too many things upon the nc
tice of that body in October, but will asl
il to discuss the public printing grievan
ces at the regular session.
The old National Bank of the State q