Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-27
EXTRAVAGANZA
In the United States Govern
ment Printing Office,
And It's All Caused by the
Whims of Congressman.

Hundreds of Copies of Bills Printed
Where Dozens Would Suffice, and on
the Very Best Paper-Expensive Bind
ing Superior Quality of Stationery
Used by the Department.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-The PROPOSE
sition of an engraving and printing firm
of New York to do the work performed
at the bureau of engraving and printing
in this city for 5000, 900 a year less than
it now costs the government, while not
practical, has called attention to the
enormous cost of printing of all kinds
for the government. The expense of
running the government printing Office
now foots up millions of dollars each
year. And what is more, it is annually
increasing in cost. The work is unques-
tionably done as cheaply as it can be
done, but attention is called to the fact
that the grade of work is in most in
stances too high.
A thousand copies of every bill intro
duced in either house is published for
the use of representatives and senators,
and the accommodation of the commit
tees and the public. Many-half the
aggregate-of the bills have editions of
1900, and hundreds Of them have
editions running away up in the thou
sands. The Mckinley tariff bill had
editions aggregating probably $4,000
copies. Thrae-fourths of the bills are
of private character, and fifty copies
would be ample. The same may be said
of the reports of committees. But it is
not the number of copies of bills, com
mittee reports and the like that are
printed which bring up the unnecessary
expenses. 1t is the grade of printing
The finest of calendered book paper is
used. The press work, which, of course,
ought always to be good, is perfect, and
the greatest care and expense is exer-
cised even with useless orders of con-
gress and the heads of executive depart
ments.
Calf, morocco and cloth binding is
used for documents and books printed
by the million, and which find their way
to the juuk dealer There appears to be
unlimited recourse upon the government
printing office, and men who know moth
ing about printing and binding, and
care less about its cost, order the finest
work for the most ordinary cases.
This waste of money and time is not
in any degree the fault of the govern
ment printer. He has no power. He
must do what he is directed to do. Con-
gress orders millions of dollars worth of
work each year, and the executive de-
Dartments oithor have large printing
offices of their own or carte blanche
upon the government printer. Congress
pays for it all, and no one cares for the
cost Then there are hundreds and hun
4 - l. Is Ii -
stationery used in the departments every
year. A superior quality is nearly
always used where an inferior quality
would suffice. No practical rules of
economy are exercised.
The stationary branch of the treasury
department is as large as most extensive
wholesale paper houses III the great
cities of the country. There is no such
government printing Office buying at
one time, so as to get the lowest prices.
Each department goes on its own hook.
1t has been suggested that there should
be a printing and stationery board ap-
pointed, which shall have absolute
charge of all the printing done by the
government; which shall determine in
the absence of a congressional order
what grade of paper and work class of
printing shall have; how many copies
shall be printed and when, the class of
binding and all that short of thing, and
it shall make an annual report to con-
gress so that the cost of printing, bind
ing and stationery shall be known. The
board, it is argued, should buy all the
paper and ink used, and it should be
bought in as large and cheap lots as pos
sible so as to get the greatest economy.