National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-05-20

1
or by the Foreman of Binding, if by him. 1
examine mo its necessity, and If am salts
fed it is proper to purchase it put my initials
on the requisition, which is then taken to.the
financial clerk who orders it from the contrac.
tor, If 1t is an article contracted for If not, It
Is purchased in open market. Every dollar
received or paid out by this office is properly
entered and accounted for at the Treasury by
this clerk upon the production of the pay
+ oils and other satisfactory vouchers. There
is not dollars worth of anything purchased
that is not shown in the books of the office (;
nor is there dollars worth of anything sold
that the amount received for it does not APP
pear OH the books. The money received for
paper shavings, Congressional Records, docu-
ments, and speeches is paid into the Treasury
and placed to the credit of the appropriation
for public printing aud binding Money re-
ceived for WORKOUT machinery and old and
brok en-down horses or mules, when sold, is
co vered into the Treasury nd placed to the
credit of receipts from miscellaneous sources.
The manner of transacting the business of
this office and the system of bookkeeping OBJ
served have been examined by the present First
Auditor of the Treasury and by Mr.. Bennett,
one of the most experienced clerks in the First
Comptroller's Office, and, although asked by me
to make any suggestions of improvement, they
found none to make. If the accounting OFF,
Ger of the Treasury whose duty it is to exam
inc and pass upon the accounts of this office
are asked l am confident they will say that
the accounts and vouchers of no other disburs
ing officer of the Government come to them in
Iaka ala
| from this Office.
From the foundation of the Government to
1S60-'61 various methods Of procuring the pub
lie printing and binding had been tried. All
had been unsatisfactory. Congress then. after
a full discussion, participated in by members of
all parties, determined to establish printing
house of its own in which to do its own work.
No one has ever ch arged that the work has
not been done as promptly as it is possible to
do it in an establishment where such an
am cunt must be done; nor has the style of
workmanship been questioned. Indeed, it
was not until Congress deemed it proper to
publish its own debates in the Congressional
Record paper established by it for that pur-
pose, that any charges were ever made against
its management. Since that time there has
been an unceasing effort to induce Congress to
return to the system abandoned twenty years
ago, or even to method more Objectionable
than any ever before tried
The objections made to the system established
by the Government by Mr.. Hutchins (who has
beautiful system of his own are
First-The Public Printer employs from
/ 800 to $500, and has carte blanche to employ
| n lao, ,Ia
precisely such terms as he himself may estab-
lish, subject neither to appeal or revision" Sc.
Is this true? | do not think the payroll
ever exceeded 1,500-Certanly never reached
anywhere near $500, as he asserts; but what
of it, if each individual received only the
amount earned by him ?
Is it true that the Public Printer can fix
the wages as he may choose? l have already
quoted the law of Congress limiting the wages
to be paid compositors and book-binders. The
whole question of wages is under the control of
Congress. 1t can cut them as low as they may
see fit. | hope, however, they will let them
remain as they are. ! regard them to be fair
to the employees and just to the Government.
Since the establishment of the office many
compositors and book binders have come here
|
for employment. There are great many
more here than find constant employ
ment They are employed and furloughed
as the demands upon the office may re-
quire. Many of those men have large and
interesting families to feed clothe. and school
Many of them do not make sufficient wher
employed to support their families when ou
of employment. 1t may be asked, "Why moi
: cave the city?" They have not the means o
doing it. No one, except in my position, cal
know the distress among these people. Many
time during the past winter has my heart al
most bled at the recital of their sufferngs by
the wives of some of these men, Many tim,
have been told by them that there was neither
; coal or food in their houses. They could no
respond to the cries of their starving children
for bread.
Second-Mr. Hutchns in his speech said
There is no record even of the number o
presses that have been bought aud paid for by
the Gov eminent, and set up at the Govern
. ment Printing.Office," In this he has beer
greatly imposed upon. There never has beer
press, or pound oftype, or any other articl,
or machinery purchased during my control o
the office that the price paid, and to whom
paid, does not appear on the books of the Office
= These entries are made on the books at tn,
time the purchases are made, and run through
twenty one large volumes, He says Their
never has existed an inventory or enumeration
Y of this property. Technically this may b.
+, true, because until recently these items of pur
!, chase have never been compiled from tn,
= boo ks on which the original entries were made
=, He says, in effect, that If observation could b.
el uded, property to the amount of from $1,000
to 100000 could be taken from the Office. am
1t would not he possible to detect it
The above facts show that this could not b
: done. The police Of the office is such that n
one can take a suspicious package or bundl
from the office without having pass from tn
: foreman of the room IN which he is employed
. Should he attempt it, he would be stopped b.
u ! fhn yatchnlnu at the door