The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. ., 2-30A.M.
Editor Free Press.
IF you viii not throw a communion
ton IN the waste basket because 1t is
written with bad pencil, n the wee
small hours of the early morning, in the
intervals of waiting between proofs, I
viii try to improve such intervals by
short chat with FREE Press readers.
~
Much has been said of the incentive
TO mental effort, and especially to writer's
for the press, By the rumbllng of ma
chinery, the noise of the presses, and
the usual concomitants of the compos-
ing room In the present instance TO
all these NAV be added the terrible
grumble and rumble and roar of the
electrie-light engines, or dynamos, in
the room beneath, which gives one the
feeling of being on a steamboat. The
room shakes fully as much, and there is
as-much noise Through doorway, in an
adjoining room, eighty. compositors are
setting the Congressional Record, which
must be found on the desks OF
Senators and Representatives when the
SoIons meet this morning. On several
occasions since the "phvslcal-endur
snce" test began IN the Senate on the
Federal election BILL the Record force
have worked all night and until 9o'cloek
next morning, when their places were
taken by a dav force. These overworked
men have TO be at the office daily by Il
N. to distribute their cases, and prepare
10 commence composition at Z D. N.
And this programme is repeated, with
out lef up or intermission, during the
entire session of Congress, be il long or
short. The lot of composit0r in the
Government Printing Office, especially
when Congress ism session. is not bed
If roses, by any means. The night bill
force is often kept at work til the RAYS
Of Old Sol make electric or gas light no
longer necessary. For this hard, exact
ing, wearing labor requiring high de-
gree of mechanical skill and physical
endurance-the compositors are paid
s. 20 day The Record is set by the
piece, at 30 cents per thousand ems.
The bills made are not very large; but
that is more than can be truthfuIly said
o. the bills The com positors have to pay
~
> It's we'll known fact that State-capl
tal cities are noted for the high prices
asked by dealers and the high rent f
i nemenfs. Very often The capital is
qnier and duE DUNG the intervals b.
tween sessions Ct Tbs 7egislaIurs, and
7uring sessions the business Glasses
make up for lost time. And this is true,
ia a larger sense. Of the national CAPT
Il. Rents are dear, and the price OF
provisions Of all kinds, verv high.
What do you think of 81 900 rental for
dwelling house? How is that Tor high
rent? As 70 something to eat, low dos
> cents g dozen for Eggs strike yon?
With potatoes s. a hushel, and siutter
81 a pound, It vii be seen that the cost
81 supporting family here is high-in
TACT it is, with good many, prohibi1ory.
~
The employees in the Government
Printing Office ask Congress 10 reatore
the scale Of prices paid them prior TO
the reduction made in 1877. 1t is q
reasonable request, and ought to be
granted. This bill passed the House at
the first session Of the present Congress,
and is now pending IN the Senate. Il
has passed one or the other branch of
former Congresses a number OF times );
and has been repeatedly reported favor
ably by committees. The employees of
the Office are the hardest worked and
poorest paid Of any department of the
Government. The bill ought to become
law.
It is 10 minutes to O clock. and there
are no indications of go That being
the case, VIII defer further 'schat'' till
more favorable occasion.
VIA.