Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-24
STEAM AGAINST HAND.
ihe Battle Of the Plate Printers Against
the Power Presses.


III Is "ASED ON THE FLOOR OF THE HoUsE-REP-
hksENTATIvE BUrTERwoRTH DECLINES TO DO
THE BIDDING OF A LABOR oRsASIzArIoS-MR.
AADoo AND OTHERS CRITIoIsE THE PRESSES.
The House yesterday failed to reach a vote
on the proposition to reduce the royalty for
steam presses in the bureau Of engraving and
printing from 81 to cent per thousand i'm
pressions. Mr.. Lane. of Illinois, Mr. Long,
and MIR. Butterworth made the chief opposition
to the reduction Messrs. Randall, McAdoo,
Foran. LAWYER, and Farquhar took prominent
part in urging the adoption of the clause.
Mr.. Lane argued against the item on the
ground of economy, holding that it would ne
cessitate the expenditure of much more money
to do the work by hand. He also moved to
strike out the provision in regard to the pay
ment of cent per thousand impressions He
understood that the plate printers we're max
ing war against the steam presses. Was it
wise, he said. to accede to this demand when
1t was shown that the presses could do the
work as well as men, and when not to use them
would make 1t necessary TO employ a large
extra force and pay out annually Sl02 600 addi-
tlonal to that already paid out.
MR.. MADOo cRITICIsEs THE WORK
Mr.. McAdoo asserted that the chief of the
bureau had not made fair comparative state
ment of the relative cost of work done on the
steam-presses az against the hand-presses He
had omitted from his statement the fact of the
payment of royalty, which amounts to $500 on
each press. He had also omitted the cost of
wasted certificates and bills which are de-
strOyed or rendered useless by the operation of
these presses. and other items of expense Mr.
McAdoo criticised the work of the steam
presses as compared with hand-presses. He
said comparison of the bills printed
for thn
have seen, and those printed here on our steam
presses makes our currency look absolutely
disgraceful- 1 have in my hand three silver
certificates of the denomination of 81, and one
OF them is a counterfeit, and might challenge
every member of this House to take the three
bills and select from among them the one
which is a counterfeit. j do not believe any
man present can do it. If you are poor you
are all honest, so that will hand them around.
COunterfeiting is accomplished readily by rea-
son of the work done by the presses, and ii is
not confined alone to the silver certificates,
which. as have said. are short-lived, and are
in disgraceful condition after a few weeks
use, but counterfeiting is also carried on in in
ternal-revenue stamps. We are tempting the
criminal ingenuity of the whole world by the
wretehed manner in which our work is being
done.
Mr. Butterworth made speech in which he
said that If the statements made regarding the
character of the work were true, the Secretary
of the Treasury and the superintendent of this
bureau have been guilty Of gross dereliction of
duty, and ought to be impeached. They, how
ever, had the evidence of the Secretary of the
Treasury and the superintendent of this bureau
and OF experts that the work is good.
THE WAR UPON THE MACHINES
But there is one phase of this question" he
said, Ito which wish to call the attention of
the House and the country. One thing is clear
that the organization of hand plate-printing
a branch of the Knights of Labor. have de-
clared war upon these machines and have de-
termined that they shall go If the machines
ought to go upon their merits. then amen: but
If they ought not to go upon their merits the
fact that these gentlemen desire to have them
go Is not the least reason in my mind for put
ting them out"
Now, want to ask my friends whether when
they investigated this matter. they ascertained
whether men employed in the bureau were free
to come up and give their testimony touching
the character of this work? | am advised
and spoke to a member of the committee who
represents the Knights of Labor in this matter
that when men who work the steam-p presses
go TO their work in that institution. when thew
go to attend these plate-printing presses, they
are Kissed and hooted; they are insulted upon
the street and when they go to their meals be- |
cause they work upon these presses and earn |
the salaries which the government paws them |
do not know as to the truth of these charges |
except that men in the bureau tell me that |
they are true. If the charges are true, and
there Is no redress for these men, then the Sec
rotary of the Treasury and the superintendent
of that bureau ought to be removed for not vim |
dicating the right of men in this country to |
earn bread where and as they can get a con- |
tract to earn ii"
If this is true. and if 1 had been superintend-
ent of that bureau, the man who Kissed would
not have come into the bureau again if could
have prevented it.
Mr.. Butterworth said he wished to put
himselfln the position of one protesting against
the House becoming the mere passive instrrl-
ment for registering the will or the bidding of
any society or combination of individuals, by
whatever name they may be christened.
Mr.. McAdOo. in reply. repeated that the
work done by these machines in the bureau of
engraving and printing is not of a character
that should be found upon the bills and cur
rency and revenue-stamps of a great country
like the United States. The steam-presses can
not give, he said, that nice delicacy of touch
which can onlybe obtained through the agency
of the human hand
After further debate the House adjourned
without action.
THREE Hours To PHILADELPHI..-The Balti-
more and Ohio railroad has established a