Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-04
PUBLIC PRINTER ROUNDS.

The scramble for places under the in
coming administration has developed al
ready most vigorous fight for the posi-
tiOn of Public Printer. Mr.. Rounds, who
now holds the position, like everybody
else in office, is trying in every way posi-
bic to hold on, and actually seems to sup
pose he has some chance of doing SO. He is
congratulating himself that, as he has ap-
pointed several Democrats to place under
himself and acceded to the requests of
some Democratic members, he will be re-
tanned. Perhaps he may, but there seems
to be doubts of that. Besides the two ap-
plicalts from Chicago and st. Louis, an
other and more formidable one is heard
from in the present member from the
Buffalo district, Gen. Rogers, who is a
practical printer as we'll as practical
Democrat. 1t is even asserted that Rog-
ers declined reelection to Congress on
the assurance that he was to have the
place if Cleveland should be elected, as
he felt confident he would be. This fight
calls especial attention to the report of
Mr.. Rounds, about to be given to the pub
lie, ard to the printing office itself, which,
by the way, is said to be the largest print
ing establishment in the world. Its en-
plOyes, as will be shown by the fOrthcOm-
ing report, number nearly $500, enough to
make good sized town, and its pay roll
is about $4,000 per day. Some idea of the
the fact that the Congressional Record.
with sometimes 80 or 40 or even go pages,
is issued by the hour in which morning
papers usually make their appearance.
When the census work was running at its
highest it sometimes happened that as
much as 20 tons of type was locked up in
the forms waiting for proofs to be read
and the signal given to print the books.
The total cost of running this huge estab-
lishment now reaches nearly $3,000,000 a
year. The number of documents and
pamphlets printed for Congress and the
departments runs up to some 100000
year. and the total number OF pieces
printed, including blanks, envelopes,
blank books, etc, reach nearly 250, 600, 900
in the past year. 1t is not so much to be
wondered that the office, with its salary
of $4,000 year and the disbursement Of
$780, 600 and employment of $500 peO-
pie, is considered an important one.
With all the talk that there has been
about the Cabinet it does not seem that
more than one member Of it has been Sc
| lected. Mr.. Bayard, it is whispered,
killed his own chances of place by Sc
/ lectiny the one that MIR. Cleveland did not
want him to have, the Treasury. That
position, it is alleged on pretty good au-
thc.iv- is not to 60 to q member of Con-
| gresS, out to some practical business man.
! 1t now looks as though Mr.. Bavard would
| be permitted to stay where he is. That
| the Cabinet-makers grow very wild In
| their work is shown by the fact that one
man who has been talked of for Secretary
| Ofthe Navy is spoken Of here as without the
| slightest degree of financial reliability.
He was at one time member of Con-
| gress, renting one Of the finest houses in
| the city of W ashington, furnishing it in
elegant style, and posing as a very
wealthy man. 1t was observed, however,
that he did not continue to reside in his
mansion any considerable time, and it
was further observed by some very OBJ
| serving people that the owner Of the man.
| sion finally found it necessary to take
possession of the elegant furniture afore-
| said to obtain his rent-an interesting
| subject for Secretary OF the Navy, which
has seemed a soil especially fruitful of
scandals in the past. As to Mr.. Whitney,
who has be IN spoken of for the Attorney
Generalship, there does not seem the
| slightest prospect that Mr.. Cleveland is
so fond Of the Odor OF coal Oil as to take
| into his Cabinet the counsel of the great
est monopoly in the country, the Standard
| OH Company, and son-in-law OF its CHEF
| financieT, Mr.. Payne.
From all that can be gathered, the
| Presldent-elect has thus far decided upon
| but one man for the Cabinet. Senator Gar
| land. That this one selection has heen
fully decided upon is stated upon very
good authority, and it is upon this that
the portrait Of the Senator-as one of the
coming Cabinets given. 1t is possible
that the future course of events may
change the programme entirely, inducing
Mr.. Garland to remain in the Senate.
/ where he Is. or indicating to Mr.. CIeve-
/ land that some one else must have the
/ place; but, at the present writing. it an
/ pears that one Cabinet place, the Attor
ney Generalship, is filed. Mr.. Garland
will find very nicely furnished room if
! he succeeds Mr.. Brewster, for if there is