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

lie
great chancellor in this country, from whose
decree there is no appeal
| have thus taken up the counts of Mr.
| Hutchins' indictment seri atm and have shown
| hope, to bis satisfaction and to the satsfac-
ton of the public, that they have not been.
nor can they be, sustained by particle of
credtable testimony.
| / shall now proceed TO examine the proyi.
sions of his bill now before your committee
1t is fraud OH its face. "Webster's I'm.
abridged " does not contain any other word
by which to properly characterize It, IL is not
what it purports to be. 1t is not what IL is
represented to be by its author. 1t is simply
an attempt to return to the abandoned CON
tract system in "A more Objectionable shape
than has ever before existed. II is device to
obtain the possession, under false pretenses, of
an immense amount of public property for pri.
vate ends. The author, in his circular sent TO
congressman, says:
In order that you may be appraised of the argti.
ments In favor the change proposed by this bill
there Is attached to this circular the entire debate
| which ensued on the passage of the law of 1867
with copy of the law itself.
The bill which was passed by Congress in
1867 bears no analogy to his proposed bill.
rhac bill merely provided that the person
elected under 1t should be the Superintendent.
to be governed in all respects by the laws then
in force in relation to the Superin tendent of
Public Printing. The laws then in force are,
mainly, the laws in force to-day. They make
the Superintendent II discussing officer of the
Government under bond of 800 900 condi.
toned for a faithful discharge of his duties
The duties are fixed by law, prominent
among which are that he shall purchase
all materials under certain restrictions
and all machinery which may be neces.
sary for the Government Printing. Office
to take charge of all matter which Is to he
printed, engraved Autographed, or bound. to
keep an account thereof in the order in which
it is received, and to cause the work TO be
promptly executed; to superintend all print.
ing and binding to be done at the Government
Printing Office, and to see that all printing
| aud binding done shall be delivered to the ner
sons authorized by law to receive it that he
shall employ compositors, proof.readers. press.
men, binders, labOrers. and all other persons
necessary for II prompt execution of all the
work ordered to be done. The law reouires
that the person elected shall be u practical
printer.
Let us now look ut the bill before Won n
proposes that the Senate shall select some
competent person, not even practical printer.
but person merely experienced in the
details of printing" to take possession of the
Government Printing Office, not to be gov.
crned by the laws now in force in relation to
the public printing and binding, but to do the
work ut prices to nc fixed by the Joint commit.
tee on printing ut u rate at least 10 per centum
below the cost of the same class of work "actu
ally allowed and paid by the Government for
cacn vi s'tlu ClhSSeS Oh WORK Tor the year end
ing December 81, 1873" This has ali the ele-
ments of II contract. The prices are to he fixed
by the committee, and the contractor selected
by the Senate agrees and binds himself to exc
cute the work ut those prices Whatever of
profits there may be will go into the pockets of
the contractor.
Heretofore when the amount of printing
done was within the capacity of private print.
ing establishments the contractor was bound
to furnish his own presses, type, and machinery
to do the work; but here it is proposed that
the Government shall furnish him with the
most extensive printing house in the world
without consideration, in which to do his
work. Generous Government Happy con-
tractor, the recipient of its generosity The
work Is To be done 10 per centum below the
cost actually allowed, and paid by the Govern
ment for the year ending December 81, 1873
The craftsman of this bill exhibits his igno.
rance of the matter about which he has under
| taken to legislatc. The Government never
ACTUALLY allowed and paid" one cent for each
class or jobs of work for the year ending De-
eember 81, 1873. 10 show why this is so I
quote the following from my last report to
Congress:
The idea prevails to some extent that the bills for
work executed for the Departments are paid by
| them ny though the Government Printing. Office
were the property of private individual. This is
not true OF recent years appropriation bills have
contained provision directing that, out of the sum
appropriated In gross for printing and binding the
II
amount. In SO large an establishment it Is impos.
sble to arrive at the exact cost of each job of work
but to enable the Departments to keep within the
limits prescribed bill the real cost rs pos
| sble has been sent 10 them upon the completion OF
each requisition These bills are not known at the
Treasury, and do not enter into consideration in
the settlement of the account of the Public Printer
The real cost Of all the work done i, shown in the
payrOlls for labor aud by the vouchers for mate.
| rails consumed, by which his accounts are settled.
How, then, are prices to be fixed at 10 per
cont. on each class or job of work ? 1t cannot
be done. In order to properly illustrate books
and Department work done in this office, it
becomes necessary to procure lithographing,
0tOithographing, lthO-caustic, wood and
steel engraving, and the heliotype process.
| The illustrations are procured by contract.
| BY the proposed bill this Is to be done
by the contractor at 10 per centum below
what it cost in 1873 How absurd the propo-
sition There is large class of work done
| that 1t is ont Of the power of any committee
or any human power to fix Il price upon
in advance of its completion. Take, for IN.
stance u portion of the work ut the Branch
Office. There are over four thousand pages in
relation to tho great loans, and the pages
are constantly increasing in number, kept
standing. These contain the name Of every
person who holds n registered bond. The
interest on these bonds due to each individual
is set opposite their names preparatory to
being paid. The price Mt which it should be
done cannot be fixed short of OmnpotenCe.
This is but one instance. Had time could
name hundreds of others. Suppose 1t be at
tempted to fix il Mt 10 per centum below the
whole cost, rs shown by the pay-volls for labor
and tho materials consumed, for any one fiscal
year. Let us see how that would work. Take,
for instance the fiscal year ending June 80,
1878. The amount was Sl,63S 7Ol53. The
paper consumed in that year amounted to
S350063.73
The contracts for paper this year have BEEN
made at an average of 10 per cent. below the
cost of that year. Assuming, then, that the
Same quantity of paper will be consumed, it
will cost $50 ,6li,56 less than paid for il last
year. The sum paid for labor during that year
was 81, 032,37s30 1.-THE same quantity of work
is TO be done its cost will be reduced by the in.
PRODUCTION of improved prnting-presses, wire.
sewing, and other machinery already made, at
least per centum, which will amount to