Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-22
THE PUBLIC PRINTED R
Two Bills and Resolution introduced BY
Senator Quay.
One Bill AbOIisheS the Office and Re-
creates That of Congregational
Printer.

Senator Quay began today a campaign
against the public printer. His ammuni-
milton consisted Of a resolution Of inquiry
and two bills. One Of the bills was for the
purpose of abolishiag the office Of the pub
lie printer and recreating that of congress
sional printer at salary of $4,000 year.
The other bill directed the reinstatement
Of all ex-soldiers Of the Union, or widows
of ex soldiers. who have been dismissed
without adequate cause from the govern-
ment printing office. The resolution of in
quiry related to this matter Of dismissal
of soldiers and widows of soldiers and was
as follows:
A Sweeping Resolution.
Resolved That the public printer be re-
quired to furnish the Senate at his earliest
convenience the number of ex-soldiers Of
the Union dismissed by him from employ
ment in the G. P. O.. since said Office came
under his control, with the dates of dis
missal, the names of said ex-solders and
the reasons for dismissal in each case; If
for cause whether fair and impartial
hearing was granted in each case before
dismissal; by whom charges, IL any, were
preferred, and whether the accused were
confronted by their accusers; the time eacn
eX-soldier had been employed in the G. T.
O., prior to dismissal, and his general rec
ord as to efficiency and service. and the
shown; whether names were furnished and
suggested for dismissal by parties con-
nected with any political organization; and
whether the laws in regard to the prefer
ence of eX-Solders in appointments and re-
tentiOn IN service are construed by any
system or method, liberal or otherwise; and
to state what the method is and how ii is
applied and to give the like Information as
to the widows of eX-soldiers dismissed
from the G. p o. during the said period"
To Restore Ex-Soldiers.
Pending the reply Of the pubic printer to
this resolution, whio h was referred to the
committee on printing. Mr.. Quay intro
duced the following bill, restoring to posi-
tiops in the government printing office
such persons as may have been dismissed
by him contrary to the premises laid down
in the resolution: ITO The end that the law
in regard to the retention Of ex-soldiers in
the civil service of the United States may
be faithfully and impartially executed. the
public printer is hereby authorized and di-
rected to reinstate in the positions occu-
pied by them prior to their discharge from
the government printing office the ex-sol-
diers and the widows of eX-Soldiers dis
missed by him from said office: provided
that this act shall not be deemed to apply
to cases where, after full and fair inveSti
cation, the test of capacity and fitness in
the discharge of the duties of said posi-
tions shall show mental or physical dis
quaIifica tons, but no test OF political opin-
iCn shall be demanded or considered.
Section 2 That the son or daughter OF
q dependent eX-soldier or widow of an ex-
soldier shall be deemed to he entitled to
the preference in employment established
by existing law for the benefit OF eX-sol-
diers and widows of ex-Soldiers.
''Seo tior 3. That {. tho term eX-soldiers'
where used in this act shall be held to
mean these persons who, in the late war
for the preservation of the Union, served
in any capacity in which, If wounded or
dissb bled by disease, incapacitated from
earning a living by manual labor they
any law of the United States"
To Abolish the Office.
The bill to abolish the office of public
printer ard to recreate the Office of con-
gressional printer is very BRIEF and directs
the Senate to elect some competent person,
a practical printer. to manage the govern
ment printing office. He is to be an oiIicer
CT the Senate and is to superintend all the
printing and binding of the public docu-
ments. The act fixes his salary at $4,000
q year.
A Printing Office Site.
Senator Gibson today introduced in the
Senate a duplicate of the bill introduced
in the House yesterday by Mr. Baker pro-
viding for the erection of a new printing
office on reservation II, in Southeast Wash
ington.