The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-12-30
The Printing Onice and Defrees.

NAbhiNblON, Dcc. 80, iOols
TO the Editor of The Erening Critic:
In tackling the old man OF the swamp why |
don't you take Off your gloves2 You may rest |
assured he has his of, and has sharpened
every nail and fang to scratch and bite every
one even suspected OF animadvertlng upon his
mal.admlnistration Of tho public affairs In
trusted to his care.
Why don't you allude to the percentages
made upon the expenditure OF half n million
dollars annually for worthless machinery,
patents which no ono else will have in his
establishment, book-sewing and folding ma
chimes long since discarded In New York and
elsewhere by every conscientious boss binder;
and why not, also, speak OF the agents en-
ployed in the purchase OF this worthless stun.
Why not speak OF the destruction OF type
caused by the employment OF incompetent
persons to wash 1t. Why not speak OF the Jobs
printed, spoiled, reprinted and spoiled againl
Why not speak OF the books, costing tens OF
thousands OF dollars for printing and binding,
spoiled and sent back from the departments to
be destroyed or replaced, owing to the incompe-
tence of the managers OF the institution! Why
dent you allu 10 TO the fact that the entire work
OF tho office is three years behindhand when Mr..
Clapp left II plumb up TO the mark less than
i've years agoP Why don'tyou allude TO the fur.
ther fact OF the employment OF one political
laborer TO every six mechanics, and the still
further fact that said mechanics perform not
only their own specific labor, but also the
drudgery for which the laborers areIsupposed
to be hired? Suppose you ask Mr.. Defrees why
he has, in contravention OF law, created 30
many little superintendents involving as 1t does
an increase OF pay In each particular instance.
Ask him whore he got authority to create
superintendent OF wire book-sewing and OF
paper folding machines (at n salary or "a and
S5 n day, when the laws distinctly states $500
shall be the compensation the work OF which
latter has to be done over by hand folding, and
why he has paid 81, 100 for each OF tho thirty
paper folding machines which have been sold In
Philadelphia for $3.50, and how much percent
age u. II. Painter received for managing this
taa., 80 Mn
sewed by these wire machines have been re-
Jected by the departments, and II you will send
an agent TO the building 10 inspect the docu-
mems recently sewed by them, notably the
work on swine disease, they will ind the books
break apart upon opening them anywhere.
Indeed, Mr.. Editor, were 1t not for the average
Intelligence and honesty OF the mechanics em
ployed In this building, tho spectacle presented
would confound Bedlam. So far as the officers
OF this institution are concerned, no harm
could come TO IL II they all demise within
twenty-four hours. And suppose you ask Mr..
Defrees why 1t Is that the pay-rolls for May
and June OF each year, when very few are at
work, are always larger than the pay-rolls for
the winter months, when the whole force are
Mt work day and night And why, with nc
money TO pay the hands for last May and June
he turned In an unexpended balance OF $50,
600. Was this TO make n show OF economic
administration at the expense OF the women
and men who are compelled to remain idle
and many OF whom have not yet recovered
from the loss. The rule for running this Gov
ernment establishment under the management
OF the present Incumbent at a cost OF $4,000,
600 year, Is thus summarized; G.. p. Con 4
". II. Painter run Roberts, Davis and Defroes
The chief clerk runs walking matches ant
baseball clubs, and Tony Defrees runs around
FIVE HUNDRED MECHANICS.
eChips," In this mornings Republican, says
'Srhe New York anti-monopolists are plan
ning vigorous campaign against Mr.. Van
derDilt, 70 be carried ON In the Legislature
this winter. Mr.. Vanderbilt Will set hii
henchmen, Hustled, Sessions, Dopew, Robert
ot al n n or \. .fao out otI,
movement looking 10 tho downfall OF monop
Oly: NOW, there you go again. What has Van
derbiltdono 70 you that you should slap him
In the short ribs thus.
me philadelphia Times says: "HumaI
credulity seems 10 have no limits" The Time
form coat-tails OF Wayne MacVeaah. aud be
lleves T. l.. Jemes 10 be a second edition Of
BENJAMIN Franklin, OF honorable fame" II
tne ztnses man believes this he Is a crank, and