Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-20
THE PUBLIC PRINTER
Mr.. Benedict Discusses the Patent
Office Gazette Question.
OPPOSES WORK BY PRIVATE FIRMS
Former Experience in This Matter
Not Pleasant.
THE POINT IN DISP UTE

II am here to do the printing for the gov
eminent according to the authority of the
statutes. And I propose to do that print
ing without regard to cost. The question
OF cost does not enter into the considera-
ton of the question" So spoke Public
Printer Benedict in reference to the print
ing of the Patent Office Gazette Commits
sioner Of Patents Seymour is reported to
have serious intentions of settling this
vexed question by letting the work go to
the lowest bidder.
Mr.. Benedfct's Position.
Public Printer Benedict is strongly op-
posed, on general principles, to the giving
out of government work to private firms.
Speaking of this he said: II cannot tell
what the result will be in the present in
stance 1 only know what it has been in
similar cases in the past. Before the gov
eminent printing office was established the
whole history of printing done for the gov
eminent was a long line of scandal and
malevolent action against the government
1t was for this reason that the government
printing office was established.
Mr.. Seymour apparently thinks that we
are mere to do cheap printing. We are
here to do the printing. When decry this
word 'cheapness 1 do not mean that we
are not doing the printing economically
That is the duty of the public printer. The
injunction that is on the public printer in
the matter of doirg the work is this: The
forms and style in which the printing or
binding ordered by the departments shall
be executed, and the material and the size
of the type to be used, shall be determined
by the public printer, having proper re-
gard to economy, workmanship and the
purposes for Which the work is needed
If the purposes for which the work was
needed required 1t to be done at such
time would do 1t. 1t would be economy.
But 1t might be mighty costly. 1 spent
ten tn ousa nd dollars in labor in thirty-six
during close
prevented the expenditure of hundreds of
thousands of dollars that would have been
spent on an extra session, which would
have been necessary If the work had not
been completed in time.
Object of the Printing Office.
1.-THE government printing office was not
established for the purpose of doing work
cheaply. The holidays throughout the year
to the employees equal to loss of
$4,000 to the office, and the annual leave
granted amounts to loss of S225, 600, max
ing total loss of 100000 annually. And
then Mr.. Seymour speaks of reducing the
cost Of printing, by giving it out to the
lowest bidder. perhaps something like thirty
or forty thousand dollars. Mr.. Seymour
cannot complain of the work done here. If
he wishes work done at low rate why
does he not employ men in his office at
salaries of 500 and $500 a year. like the
various insurance, law and real estate
&C mpanies do in our large cities, instead of
$1,000 and 5000. The statute prSSsdes that
l shall pay my men so much, and cannot
increase 1t or diminish it one cent if I
wanted to.
ut will not pay a man to put in a plant
in order to do the business entailed by
contract Of the nature proposed, for only
enc year. If you make a contract for years
you might get a responsible man to put in
plant and go ahead. But 1t will be the
same old story in this case. 1t will break
down.
newspaper. year ago I transferred some
eighteen cOmpoSitorS, because we had too
many there. The foreman of the patent
Office division of this office today is liable
to come and say to me: Mr.. Benedict,
want forty compositors this Monday be-
cause there is SO much work come in from
the patent office
Would Do the Work on Time.
Surprising something should happen to
detain the work from the patent office get
ting down here on time, and it did not
reach us until Monday, I would put the
fierce On 1t, and work all night and have it
ready for them on Tuesday at - o'clock
noon, the same as 1 have always done.
we are going to do the public printing,
to me if the Patent Office Gazette is print
ed by this office or not. If the law says 1
shall print it, will do 1t. If not, 1 will
put my men on something else"
In speaking of the joint committee on
printing he said:
The newspapers have been wrong in
stating that Senator German constituted
that joint committee. 1t is not So Senator
Blackburn is also on that committee: and
the statement that Senator German had
full control, on account of his being the
Only one, is. therefore. incorrect
Commissioner Seymour Won't Talk.
When Commissioner Seymour was seen
in the matter he said: II do not care to
say anything about it. have the whole
natter under consideration, and it will
probably be settled in few days."