The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-26
FRAUDS IN THE PRINTING.
Law FIOLITED AND DHIJED IN THE
GOTER NMENT BUREAU.
More than si32, 900 Manth Drawn from the
Treasury, nnd No Record Made Of ENpcnd-
itures-A Deficiency Of at Least 81 1000.

More than si12. 900 Month Drawn from the
Treasury, and No Record Made Of ENpcnd-
itures-A Deficiency of nt Least $4,000.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.- Mr. Finley, chair
man Of tho House Committee on Printing has
prepared report embodying the result of the
Commtecs work In investigating the Govern
ment Printing Ofnce. The report shows, in
substance. that under tho present system the
Government Printer draws from the Treasury
the aggregate sum Of tl32.OO0 month that
he accounts for that money Ivy vouch-
ers OF materials purchased and by re-
ccipted payments. but In his settlement
with the Treasury he renders no account Of
the disposition which he makes OF tho property
purchased; that the departments instead of
having control OF the money appropriated TO
their use have simply n credit with the Public
Printer. and that he draws the money does the
printing. and charges them such prices as he
secs 1T. and. as n result. tho departments COM
plain OF being ovcrcharRod; that by having the
power to charge the departments such sums ns
he may TO do tho work. he has the power 10 cx-
haust nm appropriation almost at will. thus
creating n surplus which he can use In charg-
Ing little lees than the ordinary prices for
Congress iOnal work or Tor such printing and
binding for outside purposes as he may soc 1T.
Tho Committee recommend the passagr Of
bill to give the departments control OF their
own appropriations Tor printing with a pro-
vision that ihcy shall let il out by advertisements
ior proposa's. and that the Public Printer shall
bid with outside parties, thus giving the de-
partncns nm opportunity To get their printing
done at tho lowest possible Il cure.
The report will show that rs the result NJ an
Investigation into frauds and fraudulent prac-
tees heretofore existing IN the purchase Of ma.
forty-iourih Congresses undertook To hedge In
the Public Printer 10y limiting him in the pur-
chase OF material to an amount not exceeding
$50 nt any one time within tho period ~ six
months, exrept by proposal under the order OF
the Joint Commlttcc. la pass ing the law
above rc'..rred to they used ths word
present Public PRIMER. placing peculiar
constipation on. tho word material" To- wit:
which entered into the actual work such MS
paper aud ink. has proceeded to buy from iity
than was bought b siSrc that law wns p@siHJ.
that he has bought within the last six months
printing Dresses AMI machinery alone to an
amount exceeding 100000. including twenty
9f 5000 each; that he has sold and
disposed OF in tho same time twenty
5000 cnch. and that since thr last ses ion " Con.
Hrr~s ho has purchased 81 900 worth of tyna Of
one firm. paying Co.. for nonUarel. 50 cents for
other typo. whom the fact Is that n6nnarcii ia
quoted 10y IN" first firm at only 5S cents and
that tilc rule l.. whom y pe is bought in quanti-
tes ~ 81 and upward. discount is made Of
Gen. Brady. Third Assistant Postmaster. In
bis estimony before the Committee said that
10 NNH III -ihnct. WllffN Ne lllNr "a liir sNlHR al
borhood OF 42 cents. Nevertheless tho Gov
crumcnt Prialer. buying s4i.Ou0 worth
f5re sSye ' clsRt esMs Ss"S panad as 'Gsrp nGpc
than II Ia quoted in the market. max
lng thut ,purchgss in open market IN
guiring him 10 buy material hy advertisement
fT proposals. because. as he says the word
material does not cover type. The report
will show that the Government Pr nter
his been in the hnbt Of treating the typ,
tablishinsnt as though II were his
and in one or two instances lrnting presses.
w4l,h never founi their way back into tlr
bis former administration ho sold press or
presses. taking note for the presumed pay
mcnt which las never yet been honorcd. and
thnt IN the purchnse OF inks under n former
public printer, Mr.. Clapp. prior to the law re-
curing iEks 10 b. bought by proposals and adj
Vcrtscmcnts. hs bought mainly from ono firm
Cnnrles T.. Johnson 4 Co.-payng from 80
cents To - u pound.
When the law WIS passed requiring him 10
buy through the medium of advertisements and
proposals. he complied with tho forms Of law
10y advertising for "Johnsons ink" The re-
sur was tho one making JOhnson's ink but
J.hn-.nl h hhd the monopoly as much as ever.
When MIR. DHirees came into Office he complied
with the forms OF law in that regard. as the re-
port viii show. aud as result u complying
with the law 10y "a" Advertisements for prOpos-
nls. he Is now buying ink for . cents n pound
cents u pound. and he Is buying ink al IS
cents for which Clapp paid Johnson 4 Co. s.
pound tor
Ia view ot this testimony and considerably
more % like kind. the Committee submit a bin
wth their report constituting the word mate-
riai' rs construed in IN" former act OF Congress
10 wit: " IL shall cover all machinery presses
typr. aud all the property whatsoever named in
use nt the GuyernmnNt printing office; and tho |
public printer shall not brv or soil any OF tho |
property OF the Government printing Office ex- |
c"pt upon PROPOSALS under the supervision of |
the joint Committee ON Printing.
On the subject ~ book keepng. tho testimony |
aud the report both show that thoy have no sys- |
tenn bY which any man. in or out oi the Govern |
ment printing OH -. can tell what any particu-
lar Dincc Of work costs. or how much material |
is now or has been IN the establishment; that |
fpr instance hc paid 50 much for paper. So |
much for machinery. ETC.. which should. |
under the law be accurately accounted |
for. and that money received during the |
tho Treasury. The testimony shows ho Is |
charged with all moneys coming into his hands; |
that as shown 10y his warrants tho Treasury. |
hr required. all told. in TIE past seven years IN
tho nri.hborhOol OF fl4.OOO.OCO: that. giving |
him credit with his expenditures. rs he |
himself reports TO Congress. there Is u |
din renee between the amount he re- |
cclVed and the amount he reports as |
expended of sll9OO. This Discrepancy |
may not bo nm actual discrepancy. To say tho |
lcnsi II shows that he has expended somewhere |
$4,000. and cannot account for it. and that his
reports TO Congt n are false because he falls |
short Of reporlinS that much to Congress as