The true northerner., 1896-01-24
NATIONAL PRINTING.
UNCLE SAM HAS PUBLISHED ABOUT
THIRTEEN THOUSAND volumes.
The Government Printing Once Is y Gi-
gantic Institution-Cost OF The Congress
sionai Printing-suppiies For the varf-
Gus Departments.


sionAi Printing Supplies For the vari-
Gus Departments.
wAsHINGToN. Jan. 23. = Especial. =
What do you think of library of 13, 900
volumes, all issued by one publishing
houseY That Is the sort of thing 1 ran
across today while on an investigating
tour in the government printing office.
Mr.. Crandall, the efficient superintendent
OF public documents, showed me where his
workmen were putting in the last of the
shelving for library, TO be composed ex-
clusively of government publications.
There Is nothing else like il in the world.
No other government, no matter how old
IL is. has published as many books as
Uncle sam Mr. Crandall has in charge
vast quantities of public books. There
are tons and tons OF them Some of them
were printed recently and some of them
were printed many years ago. Some are
valuable, some nearly worthless. OF many
there are Oh hand hundreds or thousands
Of duplicate copies, and when he tried to
systematize the storage of this great mass
of official literature. so that any one book
could be quickly found when wanted, Mr..
Crandali discovered that one thing was
absolutely necessary.
Accumulated Books.
This was library of all of the govern
ments publications, from the beginning
10 the present. With this library, con
tanning one volume OF each publication, he
would have key TO the whole mass and
would be able 70 bring order out of chaos.
Mr.. Crandall, of course, did not know
how many books he would have to arrange
for, because the government publishing
business has been done in "a rather hap
hazard way But he made "a guess at IL
and provided shelving for 10, 600 books.
On consulting recognized authority in
such matters he was told he would never
be able TO find books enough to fill so many
shelves Well. Mr.. Crandall is today put
ting in the last of the shelves for l5 900
books, having some time ago discovered
that his original arrangement was INSULT
cient. Already there are in sight about
$4,000 books and the number will soon be
increased to 10, 900 for the printing presses
are busy all the time.
For storage of the vast number of ac-
cumulated books and documents 7Slibrary
stacks" have been built, containing ?, $40
bins, each of which will hold from 75 to
300 books, according TO the size of the vol
umes, giving room for more than 800, 900
documents
The publishing operations of the gov
ernment are increasing at an amazing
rate. In 1887 the government printing of
flee consumed 2, 7lS tons of paper which
made !, 327, 900 volumes, bound in cloth
and leather, and nearly 800, 900 pamphlets.
During the last year the office has used
4, 5I7 tons of paper, producing 1887, 600
bound volumes and nearly !, 200, 600 pam
phlets In addition to these books the Of
flee turned out an enormous quantity of
other printing for congress and for the ex-
ecutive departments, including the many
tons of blanks used by the postoffice and
treasury departments.
Cost of Printing.
The total cost of the public printing last
year reached the enormous sum of nearly
So, 600, 000-$4, 746 73l .23, TO be exact.
Pay of employees alone required So, 800,
600, and the paper bill $4,000
During the last year Uncle Sam paid
out the very large sum of $50 900 for illus
trations for his books showing that the
government has caught the modern spirit
Of picture making The most expensively
illustrated book turned out from the pub
lie printing Office was the atlas for official
records of the Union and Confederate
armies, and the pictures for this cost $4l,-
400. Illustrations for proceedings of the
international tribunal of arbitration for
the seal fisheries, held in Paris, cost $2,
365, and for report of the geological survey
nearly $4,000.
AS book publisher Uncle Sam doesn't t
care for expenses The most expensive
book was the report of the secretary of
agriculture, for which $500, 900 was appro-
priated. The report of the commissioner
of education cost sol, 900 for 40, 900 copies.
Three thousand copies of the report of the
chief of engineers of the army cost SILL
325. Three thousand copies of the report
of the chief of ordnance cost $40, 40. The
report of the treasury on the commerce
and navigation of the United States cost
SIS, 600 for 8. 900 copies. Eleven thousand
copies OF the fish commissioner report
cost $4,000. The report of the commits
sioner OF labor on building and loan asso-
Citations, of which 40, 900 copies were
printed, cost $50, 600. The report of the
director of the bureau of ethnology cost
$40, The annual report of the director
of the geological survey cost $26, 900 for
1S, 800 copies These are only few items
Of many similar ones showing how the
money goes.
Reams of Paper and Tons OF Ink.
have often heard visitors to Washing
ton, while going through the great depart.
ments, express curiosity as to the amount
of printing, blanks. books, etc, used in
them. The treasury department uses
more printing than any other, its total
consumption costing considerably more
than 81, 900 day. The treasury S print
ing bill during the last year amount
ed TO $372. 600 Next to the treasury Is
the patent office which consumes an enor-
nous quantity of blanks, the cost of the
whole last year being S237, 600. The post
Office department used printing TO the cost
of s1S6. 900 last year, the war department
s129, 900 and the navy department S7l 900.
Is 1t any wonder that the total cost of the
greatest printing Office in the world is
nearly So, 600, 900 year2
Congress is not slow when it comes to
expending money for printing either.
Last year the senate orderedSl67. 900 worth
Of printing and the house S337 900. In
addition to this the two houses concur
rently ordered or authorized printing cost
ing s6s7, 600.
In single year the cost of the paper
used for the purpose Of taking proofs in