The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-07-21
THE PUBLIC PRINTER.
He Has to Do a Good Deal Of
Work for Small Pay.
Origin, Growth and Present Proportions
of the Government Print Shop-FOur
Million Required to Run 1t
for Twelve Months.
Especial Washington letter.


"I presume that there comes time
in the life of evsry lawyer when he
entertains an ambition to be a judge"
saws ex-senator Moody, of South Da-
kota. 1t may probably also be truth
fully said that there comes time In
the life of every printer in this country
when he entertains desire or an am
bition to secure employment in the
government printing Office at the ma
tional capital.
The public printer is at the head of
a great institution which employs over
three thousand men and women. The
government printing Office is hive of
industry, and, because of the fact that
the employees in this great printing
house are not under the protection of
the civil service law, there are appli-
cants for employment on hand in per-
son every day either accompanied by
their representatives or senators, or
bearing letters from men of standing
and influence. The Office of the public
printer, which is upon the second floor
of the building. is the most attractive
camping ground in the city for the I'M
employed.
1t costs nearly s4,OOO,OOO to pay the
yearly expenses of this institution.
Over s.. OO0, 900 are paid out annually to
the employees in wages, while the
quantities of materials consumed by
the government printing office are
almost staggering in their volume.
Last year 223 printers reams of paper
were used, costing over 100000. There
were also ten tons of printers ink,
twelve tons of glue, six tons of Irvine,
two tons of glycerine, two tons of anti
mony, one ton of bar tin, one-half ton
of plumbago, 500 pounds of pumice
stone and 72O pounds of beeswax con-
sumed in the regular business of the
government printing office; and there
were also 5000 gallons of oil, $500 gal
Ions of benzine, 40 gallons of alcohol,
5000 packs of gold leaf, 1000 pieces of
book cloth. 5000 dozen Turkey moroc-
CO skins, $50 square feet of calfskin,
1000 yards of crash, 1000 dozen sheep
skins and 10000 feet of Russia leather
consumed in the regular business. 1t
is claimed by many that the govern
ment printing Office in Washington is
the biggest on the face of the earth.
From the expense account epitomized
above one would judge that there is
some ground for that claim.
1t is not generally known, but it is
fact that the big building at the cor
ner of North Capitol and III streets, in
which over 5000 men and women
are employed, is a veritable fire trap
and gigantic Undertook. If a fire
should occur in any part of the build
ing fearful holocaust would result.
Three years ago congress appropriated
S250. 900 for the purchase of a site and
the erection of new building for the
government printing Office; but real
estate dealers in this city have man
aged, by active and energetic competi-
ton, thus far to prevent the selection
of any site, and the old death-trap con-
tinues in use. In the basement of the
building are IS huge printing presses,
while on the floor above there is an
immense complement of binding ma
chinery. appliances and fixtures capa-
BILE of turning out, in phenomenally
short time, the greatest jobs of print
ing that can possibly be projected. In
the basement and on the ground floor
are the press rooms, paper warerooms
safety vaults and machine shops. On
the second floor are the administrative
offices, the main composition room, the
job rooms, the stereotyping and cleo
trotyping departments and proof
rooms. On the third floor is the bind