The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-29

work done and the great saving of time
in doing it, is cheap enough.
Some OF the work required to be done
by the public printer at the command of
congress or the departments, involves the
highest skill of which the art is suscepti-
BILE. such as the printing and mounting of
maps, charts and the illustrations
used in the establishment of official re-
ports, all of which is done here and done
satisfactorily, The millions upon millions
of copies of bills that are ordered to be
printed at every session of congress-bills
that never get beyond the first reading
show what a waste of time, money and
materials follows the stupid rules of con-
gress, which provide, first. for the print
ing of everything that is introduced, al d,
second, for the printing of the same
thing over and over again whenever an
amendment is adopted, so that every bill
that passes muster and gets to the hands
of the resident for his signature is print
ed anywhere from four to fifty times.
The tariff bill, for instance, in 1884 was
printed entire thirty-seven times, and
after all was not adopted. When there
are the millions upon millions of blanks
that are used, not alone for the depart
ments at Washington, but for the cse of
the government offices, courts, etc, all
over the country, to say nothing of the
blank books and other matter, cards, etc.,
for the custom houses and postoffices. In
fact, the capacity for this Office to do
whatever is required i'll the way of print
ing, is simply unlimited, and the visitor
to the mammoth institution cannot but be
amazed at the marvellous operations of
the intricate machil cry that produces
such results with 50 little confusion and
turmoil.
To do the work demanded of it in the
least possible time. this establishment is
equipped throughout with all modern APP
pliances in the nature of machinery. In
the main press room there are so Hoe
presses, some of which are of the latest
improved make; 20 COttrell & Babcock,
and several Bullock presses. These are
run by fine Corliss engine of $50 horse
power, and have combined capacity of
nearly 1000 tokens per day, or an average
of 1000 impressions per hour for each
press There are $50 employees in this de-
partment. The press feeders are girls.
who earn 1874 cents per hour, each. Next
III VI llS 10 lllS
bindery. Here no less than thirty i'm
meuse ruling machines are III constan,
operation, together with the huge cutter !,
presses, etc. There are 700 employees H.
this department, of which $50 are women
and $50 skilled workmen. The folding
room, on the top floor of the building
presents wonderful spectacle of bee
hive activity. Over 450 CIR S
are here employed during the
present administration of the Office it has
not missed a mall and whether long OF
short. has here at work folding and sew
ing, and FASTING and stitching the vast
piles of printed sheets. This work is
done by the piece, the pay being two cents
for each 100 folds, from which an ordi-
nary smart and active spinster may re-
alize $25 or $50 per month. The intro
duction of the latest improved folding
machines into this department few years
ago caused great cOmmotion among the
women employed there, and the original
plan of Defrees to wholly substitute, as
far as practicable. these machines for the
deft hands of lovely girls, has never been
carried out. The manipulators of the
machines get better pay than the folders,
but every machine dispenses with the
services of a number of women who
would not know how else to earn a living.
In 1860 there were only forty-six en-