The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-14
THE PUBLIC PRINTER.

BE Will Find Little Resemblance in his New
Quarters to his Old Country Job Office.
WASHINGTON Letter.
Benedict the new Public Printer will be almost
like Alexander Seikirk-Inonarch of all he sur
veys in his domain. The public printing
Office is nominally under charge of the Secretary
of tho Interior, but in very much the same re-
lation as the Department of Agriculture is at
tached to the Interior Department., with powers
and preroeatives peculiarly its own under claims
of legislation preserved from time immemorial
in the various appropriation bills by congress
men who have had their own happy wishes to
carry ont in the way of patronage at the hands
of the public printer Mr. Benedict will have
$500 men and women under him-a brigade of
regulars well drilled and disciplined, and draw
ing salaries enough to officer the armies of all
Europe The building in which these peo4
pie are employed is 36O feet long and 200
feet wide. and four or Eve stories high, built
expressly for the colossal printing-office. Some
thing like quarter of million dollars mas been
spert on this building in the mere cost of con-
strue ion. The presses, type paper cutters, en-
gines, machinery, and all the thousand and one
accessories of good printing Office are valued at
81, 200, 900. There is not building in the coun-
try that contains so many electric lights, and
many of them are kept burning day and night
little army OF policemen are required to patrol
the floors day and night, winding up their little
watchman's clocks every fifteen minutes at each
end of their beat. thus showing to their superin-
tendept whether they have performed their duty
faithfully or not. The Public Printer gets 81 500
a year, and has a private secretary who gets
$1,000 and is allowed carriage and team. His
chief clerk gets 81, 500 year. He has a staff of
subordinates, deputies paymasters and time
keepers, who get salaries ranging all the way
from $1,000 to $780, The $500 employees
60 to work at o'clock in the morning, have an
hour for lunch and are let out at o'clock in the
afternoon. Thus they work two hours more
than the ordinary government clerk. There is
a large night force also who 60 on at 7 and are
let off at 3 A. NJ, unless during the session of
Congress there is an excess Of speeches on the
part of Senators and Representatives, when the
hours are heightened at special rates. The
bindery connected with the office is one of the
largest in the county, 1t employs 400 men,
the building. Among the composltors are half
dozen negroes who make good workmen
There about dozen women who set type
and they do it well. Last winter one Of them
earned at piece wages $3.50 in single month.
The average compositor makes about 500 a
month None of the officers and employees in
this whole building come under the civilservice
rules. They are regarded as skilled operatives
and are so exempted. No Office in the govern
ment affords such opportunities for use under
the old system of patronage in elections
It is said that H. F. Brian who has for some
years been the chief foreman of the Public
Printing Office, is to be deposed and the place
given to Hugh Dalton. of New York CITY. now
foreman on the Daily News. Mr.. Dalton was
in 1884. a prominent factor in New York politics
among the typographical unions, and did much
towards keeping the unions in the Cleveland line
1t is understood this appointment will be made
at the request of the President
Thos. L. Benedict, of New York, to-day filed
with the Secretary of the Interior his official
bond, in the sum of 100000 as Public Printer
which was approved Upon the State Depart
ment being notified OF this fact, his commission
was issued. Mr.. Benedict will take charge of
the Office tomorrow