Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-25
THE PUBLIC .PRIN TIN G
Some Criticisms of Mr.. Benedict's Admins
tration as to Appointments Answered.
Fewer Political Discharges Made by
Him Than by His Predecessors-
Civil Service Protection Needed.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The present public printer has lately
been bitterly denounced as spokesman of
spoilsmen" through the columns Of your
valuable paper by "ex-employes' and 9TH
ers. A great many good people really
think that the present public printer
is the only one who has made Sweep
ing partisan discharges" but I believe
the records of the Office will show
that, in comparison with the distribution
of spoils by his immediate predecessors, he
has been more conservative than they were
that he made fewer purely political dis
charges and appointments than either one
of them, taking into consideration the i'm
menSe number of discharges absolutely
forced upon him by his predecessors.
To, intelligently discuss and fairly criti-
else the management OF the government
printing office, the surrounding conditions
must be given due consideration, as large
reductions in the working force are fire.
quentiy rendered necessary for other than
political reasons. 1t often happens that
both money and work run short, and then,
in either event, IL any regard whatever is
paid to tie law regulating the employ
ment of labor, a reduction of force is in
evitable. The law on this subject reads
as follows: THAT he Qhe public printer
shall not, at any time employ in the office
more hands than the absolute necessities
of the public work may require"
When the present public printer took
charge of the office last May, he discovered
that his predecessor had employed about
a thousand more hands than the ''ab-
sclute necessities of the public work re-
quired, and he, therefore, as soon as posi-
bic, reduced the force to a business basis,
as he was explicitly commanded to do by
law. This necessary reduction of force ac-
counts for one thousand of the discharges
during the past year, for there are one
thousand less employees in the office today
than a year ago.
When Mr. Benedict first took charge of
the government printing office in Septem-
her. 1885, he found that his predecessor had
left him very embarrassing and unjust
legacy in the shape of about 800 more en-
ployes than he left money to pay, thereby
compelling him to bear the odium of a
large discharge, forced upon him by con-
ditiors for which he was in nowise respon-
SIDE, and by circumstances over which he
had not the slightest control. Public
Printer Rounds. in July, August and Sep
TENDER. 1856, wrote numerous letters to
Senators and Representatives, calling their
attention to the fact that there were then
in the office 900 more employees than We
can pay under the law and the present ap-
preparation and that he would have to
at once make a large discharge instead of
making any more appointments" Not
withstandins that condition of affairs he
continued to make appointments up to the
day of his retirement, but left to his sue
cessor the unpleasant duty of dischargirg
hundreds of men and women.
When the present public printer retired
from Office in May, 1889, he turned the gov