New-York tribune., 1896-04-03


these figures. declaring that the records OF work
done clear.y show that at least 207 employees mus,
! have worked 300 days to produce the stamps. On
the basis of wages charged In the Chiefs report.
this would make the compensation of each empcye
just Il cents per day. Continuing. Mr.. Bingham
| said:
What a ridiculous compensation that would be,
and how absurd to suppose that szs lsi 81 covered
the cost Of employees for doing the work on postage
OF compensation to employees as in ali other items
! OF expenditure connected with the production OF
in the amounts received from the Postotfce Depart
What a pity that the employees of the Bureau Of
their hard-earned wages in order that the Chief Of
the Bureau might be enabled to cover up his mistake
in undertaking to furnish the Postofice Department
with postage stamps at about one-haf the actual
cost M f Of % @ sd the h 5 Pos,oce
Of tine annual Sr m u pay @ o
sis22 % was Charged by the chief Of the Bureau to
the item Of plate printing, and this amount was TO
ams pSdf ns The CF m
detailed statement OF expenditure In the letter OF the
ate printing tin the 5y iss Stamps produced 10 De-
c,lnber 81. 1884 was given at sS5,3ls "a That is to
December 81. ST. 1856 was stated by % the chie Of the
Bureau in his letter of January II, 1895 more than
| twice the given in his annual report for
/ printing nearly three times many stamps con-
/ stltuting the entire product OF the year Further
necessary
Mr.. Bingham. after showing that reductions in cost
OF material for other work of the Bureau were alb
sorbed by the extra coet OF producing postage
stamps though not indicated chargeable TO that
work, continued
Having considered the known elements of
SANDS BY tbe Broa m Of Engavns and PrnEg
during the year ending June 80. 1895, the approx
mate, II not actual, cost OF the work may now be
stated as follows
Total cost Of producing postage stamps FOR -.
Number of s, mie furnished by bureau u
Engrayins and Printing. year ending ,eo 900 o,s
Average cost per 1000 stamps i27 cents
Tho price paid by the Postoaice Department for
the foregoing stamps was slJ69e 1S The excess OF
COS, over ani above this amount payab:e out OF me
amount represented only q ittIe more tnan thrse-
Postofice Department for the nscal year ending
June 81. lss5. nearly one-quarters supply having
been purchased from the old contractors by reason
OF the inability Of the bureau begin the work at
the tine az which II supula ed 10 DO H. H. there-
stamps required by the Postofiice Department for
OF their production payable out Of general Treas
ury over and above the amount reimbursabe by
the Postciice Department would have amounted
10 about $1,000
STAMPS OF BAD QUALITY.
The bad quality OF the stamps furnished has just
been referred 20. and there IS need OF saying very
n;t.e more on the subject The chief Of the Bureau
processes to be satisfied with the quality OF the
work. but that is very much more than the public
The public prints have been filled with com
plants touching nearly every detail OF manufacture
the color, the quality OF printing. the perforaton
and above ali. the cumming -
| one OF the principal reasons urged By the Chief
Of the Bureau OF Engraving and printing Tor nav
ing ,ne Work on postage stamps done Dy MS bureau
wa mat 1t night be surrounded win greater Sc
curity tnah was posslDe Whrh u9he uii.i ~, a..
contract How did the vaunted security of ne
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing turn OUT The
Bureau had hardly commenced lts WORK before tnr
public prints were hed win the story of thefts
by employees under most d.sgraceful circumstance-
of pos axe stamps vaults, and these th-fts
were on4y revealed 10 the Bureau after they mad
thieves plbncly dispos!ng OF the stamps In large
/ quantities one or more OF the thieves are now In
to believe that these are not the only thefts OF
postage stamps from the Bureau since Il undertook
An equally striking commentary on the boasted
security of the Bureau. through its alleged system
bty lor product Is 20 be found IN the very large
counts OF the Bureau and Postoiiice Department
as o. the number OF stamps furnished 70 post
partm.nt and its OLD contractors never varied 20
much - single postage stamp .... T.
\ great source ot danger - the postal revenue IS
through The Liability to the use OF washed stamps
caused hy the bad stand4ris furnished 20 post
masters by the Bureau OF Engraving ana Printlng
Another source Of danger TO the posta revenue rom
bad na4as Sc, " ss tsrquRn ts by
The discovery IN the summer oi 1885 OF large num-
' HaT6r H Hposi Of the work Of i4 ani 1885 Jet US
now iuru 10 the simated cost OF postage stamps
4
year. go
The Posiofice Department estimates that it Will
require 3ls0l2icp stamps. The stamps made by the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing In 1873. II has
been shown cost l0li cents per thousand. making a
total 0f ,lg 80 g. This exceeds the amount 10 be
pad under the contrac; by the POstofice Depart
in.nt X.Gl. - %. Furthermore. the cost TO make
these stamps in the Bureau exceeds the lowest bid
by an outside contractor tl57.s-s -. VIII the Con-
rTess f the United states further permit the Bureau
10 do the WORK AZ such greatly increased cost 10
the Government? The Posioffce Department may
claim trininC saving. Il did by giving the wOrk
10 the Bureau. but ii largely at the expense or
tho Government as a whole.
That the Government may be put 10 st! further
expense by tho voluntary assumption by the bureau
OF Engraving and Printing Of the work OF producing
/ hostage stamps appears from the demand FOR an
aupropriatiou $500 for the erection OF additional
/ buildings for the OF the said Bureau. Gould
not this proposed outlay FOR buildings have been
avoided II such large quantity OF space had not
/ been appropriated by the Bureau for the work OF
producing postage stamps? VIII Congress give It's
sanction 10 the enterprise 60 OF the Bureau BY
making the appropriation asked for the new build
ing?