Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-01-26
Agriculture in Congress.

- if ~ ~ Wv ""S
day of the present session Senator
Voorhees, offered q resolution in the
Senate instructng the committee on
printing TO inquire into the causes OF
the delay. The inquiry elicitcd from
the public printer, Mr.. Defrees, the
following letter, which We print in
full, as containing interesting infor-
nation 10 farmers who receive and
value these reports:
OFFICE oT PuHLIc PRrNTER.
Warrington, Dcceu,Jer lG. 1881.
SIR: In reply to the resolution of the
Senate OF the 9TH instant, insltuciing
the Committee on Printing TO inquire
into the causes which have DELAYED the
publication OF the reports on agricul.
ture, have the honor 10 submit the
following statement:
On March 2d last joint resolution
was passed by Congress, ordering 3OO,.
900 copies OF the annual report OF the
Commissioner Of Agriculture TO be
printed.
On the 9th Of June. General Ic Due.
late Commissioner OF the Agricultural
Department, delivered to this Office the
copy OF his annual report for 1850.
having previously furnished copy for
his special report on Contagious dis.
seascs ot domestic anImsis,' portion
Of which to te Incorporated IN the an
nuai report. The copy for the special
report, being regarded 81 most Impor
ant. was frat put IA the hands OF the
cnmp0sitor.
The edition OF 5000 copies. making
}9l pages, aud containing 81 lilhocaus.
tic illustrations. has been printed, aud
the number of volumes to which the
Senate and Commissioner OF Arricul
iure are entitled have been delivered,
and the number of volumes TO which
the House - entitled are being deliver.
ed as rapidly as they can be taken care
Of by the superintendent OF the House
folding room.
BY the 22d day Of last October dupli
cate proofs OF the annual report Of the
Commissioner were sent to the Agricul.
tural Department, one set TO be used
for the purpose Of making an index
aud list Of the illustrations, the copy
for which has not yet been received at
this office.
Aside from this il is proper to call the
attention Of the committee 10 the labor
and time required to print and bind and
deliver an edition of BOG. 600 volumes.
The report makes $50 pages, without
the index which have been siereo-
typed, II will contain 50 lithocausiic
illustrations and 73 pages of wood cut
engravings.
The lithocaustic process Of printing
il necessarily slow, as many Of the col.
ored plates must pass through the press
six and eight times to give them the
proper tint and finish. The 100000
volumes will require 63.G00 600 plates,
the printing OF which cannot be done
in less time than eight months in the
most extensive lithocsustic establish
ment in this country. These must be
handled separately in pastiug in the
volume at the proper place.
As there was no appropriation avail
able 10 pay for doing this work until
the commencement OF the present fiscal
year, the contract was not entered into
until the I'd day OF July last.
hope to be able To commence the
delivery Of this report, at the rate of
1000 per day. by the 18th of January.
and 10 continue doing 80 until the
whole number shall be delivered.
The amount OF printing ordered by
Congress and the Departments has be
come so great and is 40 rapidly increas.
ing that the Public Printer must hase .
corresponding increase Of the facilities
TO do the work, or else the requisiiions
upon him must be lessened.
1t should be remembered that n great
deal Of printing and binding ordered Is
essential TO carrying on the business Of
the Government. aud must have pre-
cedence over printing and binding Of
less Importance.
| would most respectfully sugges,
that, II IL be possible for the Commits.
sioner Of Agriculture TO present his re.
port TO Congress at an early day Of the
session, and an order TO print Is imme.
diately made. the time Of its publica.
ton will be limited only by the time
required to furnish the number Of liih.
ocaustic illustrations which future re.
ports may contain.
Very respectfully yours. &C..
.1No. d. DEPRkIs, psJiie Printer.
uoy. II. Il. ANTHONY.
Chairman Committee an Printing. z. s. 4.