National Republican., 1880-08-12
AN OFFICIAL VISIT.
Secretary sherman at the Printing.
Bureau Building.
He Looks Through the Estn bllshment and
Compliments the Management
4 Model Building, Etc.

lN rNNlNAAlN VI lut hlNu6uIN Nlnlltu llt
bureau Of engraving and printing yesterday
morning getting there about The time when
work was in full blast. Tho secretary is
familiar With tho processes employed in tho
bureau, having frequently been through IL
when located in the treasury building, aud his
principal object yesterday was 10 examine
tho building, which ho pronouuccs the
finest OF it's kind in the world. lie
was escorted by Colonel Irish, tho supeiin.
tcndent, through the building, Of which he
made thorough examination. His Obseryl.
tiou took in the entire situation frCm the
basement TO tho attics, lle WAS particularly
careful to note that the sanitary arrangements
OF the odiGc were on n psr with the other
perfect details for tho transaction Of the
bureaus business, and expressed himself sat.
ished that the building was not only thor.
oughly commodious but perfectly healthy.
After his examination he went back to the
chiefs Office where Captain Wilson, the assist
ant chief, introduced to him each Of tho supor.
ntCndcnts and!chiofs Of divisions. Amer the
iutrcductions were over tho secretary said
Il am very glad TO meet you all after hav.
ing gone through the various divisions Of
which you have charge, l am pleased with
of the bureau is thoroughly satisfactory to the
government, and trust II Is so 10 you. | feel
that tho bureau of engraving and printing is
IN safO hands. thank you FOR this call upon
me-"
lie then babe them good bye ard departed.
In conversation with n representative OF
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN tho secretary
said lie was perfectly satisfied with the build
| ing and with the manner in which tho bureau
was managed. Said he:
| The business is conducted on sound prirC-
| pies, resulting In the maximum Of work at the
minimum CT cost to the government. When |
assumed the duties Of seciretaIy Of tho treas
ury | found the bureau of engraving aud print
| ing was greatly oyorstocked with supernumer.
aries. Many members OF congress used IL as q
| place TO obtain places for their friends, with
out much regard whether there was work for
them to do or not. We discharged 3G0 EN-.
ployes ard found that their services had never
been needed"
what do you think of the building?" said
THE REPUBLICAN
THE most perfect ono Of its kind in the
world. Aud it was built from the saving ef.
fccted out years appropriation by the busi'
ness skill and energy of the chief"
You instituted some sweeping reforms IN
Iit?o
1--WE run It on business principles. Mr.
Mcpherson, who was made chief, is q good
organizer and man Of clear thought and
m uch ability-a sound and thorough business
man. Colonel Irish, tho assistant chief then
now the chief, l regard as oven u better bust
10 the nultiform details of the establish
mont, brought order out OF chaos, and tht
entire bureau is working to-day as smoothly q.
wcll-oiled machinery, the result of his cuorgy
tact aud executive ability. When Mr.. Nc
Pherson was called elsewhere of course C0lone
Irish became the chief and, repeat l an
perfectly satisfied with the manner in which
the business is conducted"
"YOu sre doing all that class Of govern
mont work in the bureau now" suggested
TIE REPUBLICAN,
"Wo are required by law to do so. BY til,
manner in which the work is done since COlonc
Irish has been managing the bureau th,
government can have all this kind Of sorvc,
performed in the bureau ut less rate thar
outside parties can do it, with the item Of alb
= sOlute security. The government pays oul,
for work done here. The employees are paiI
by the piece, and some Of them make nlucl
higher wages than they did under the old sys
ter. Some DO not. But wo pay only for ser
vices rendered, and in strict accordance will
the manner In which they are rendered"
Further talk with the secretary showed .ha
he was, us usual, alive to the requirements o
the times, as an evidence of which careful
experiments are making with machinery fO
printing the government obligations. 1T
- an experiment, however" said the secretary
1T has hitherto been claimed that plate
- printing can only be done by hand. An
even II luCoc IIaCulllCh can no II, IL ~ not ye
determined to dispense with tho services G
. the printers aud their assistants
. The entire force Of tho bureau is now abou
1000, male and female, including all branche
of wOrk--lhat which is technical and tina
which is generally mechanical. This larg
I force works absolutely without q jar Colonc
lIish, besides possessing executive ability i
= a very high degree, has the raro aud valuabl
power of being q good jnlgo of mcr
/ and Inns OrunnliypI his n og4iglnuts Vyi t
a skill aud completeness that renders tn
operations of the bureau under his manage
ment absolutely successful. 1t Is now man
ulacturing establishment in every sense of th
word. 1t Is conducted on sound business prir
Ciples. There arc no superiluous employe
. Each person there has his or her duties
: perform, aud does perform them in q satisa,
tory manner. The maximum Of work at
minimum Of cost 10 the government is a
4 tanned. Only by these means can the burea
. compete with the bank-notc companies thl
a have always been its opponents, aud that fC
: years past have tried every means in the
! power to obtain for themselves the work whic
, tho bureau performs.
p AS sample of the checks used in tho bl
rcau, and which work with complete success
insurng perfect accuracy and absolute S,
G curity, the following may be mentioned: Fac
plate for printing notes, bonds or any other kin
of work Is marked with the initials ofthc perso
. who prints it, so if months aiterward it is d
/ sired to trace up the history OF any partcula
note, etc, OF if there be any flaw in it, the bl
roau in few minutes after starting the il
qury eau 20 right to the printer who printe
| it, the wet counter" who examined tho pril
teI's work as IL comes from the press, tho ca
amincr who examines tho work after il
dried in the drying box" tho numberer VIII
numbers IL, the examiner who examines
afteri has been numbered, aud 50 on until II
final delivery to tho United States treasurer
comptroller OF the currency or other officer en-
= powered to receive it from the bureau. Th
simple statement shows tho value of th
! methods employed and the high degree Of IL
, teligence and ability exhibited by tho Chi,
!. in conducting the affairs Of the mammoth C.
tab!ishmont under his charge.
, The following is 4 complete "roster" OF th
bureau officers, with theirdesign ignations: Chief
! Otice-O. Ii. Irish, chief OF bureau; S.
. Curideur, stcnographer Assistant chief
OGico--Daniel w. Wilson, assistant chief;
l, Sherwood, clork. Division Of accounts
Thomas j. Sullivan, accountant; Dr. Frank
! Howe, chief OF first section; Edwin Lamasur
! chief Of second section. Division OF orders
= Annie NJ. Hayes, superintendent. Eugravin
diyision-GUorgo w. Casilear, suderintendon
Printing diysion-Ward Morgan superb
tondent; John X. White, superintendent plat
= branch; o, Y. Elgar, foreman wetting braucl
> Miss Harriet &, StcIney, clerk in charge
y surface branch. Examining diyision-Mil
y Annie +, Bealle, superintendent. Numbein
~ q