The evening times., 1896-03-05

The after OF esta ablisbing Dist r;ct print
ing office is row beginning to take tangible
form. The question Of continuing the pres
Cnt system of l,ttir; all the work of the
District OF Columbia by CONTRACT to the
lCw,st bidder wlo is generally an out
slider. has long been lone of contention.
The question was brought up some time
ago before the TYPOGRAPHICAL Union by Mr..
Z. NJ. Blake, chairman of the committee
on legislation of the Federation of Labor.
A committee, consisting CT the Officers of
the Unon and Mr.. Blake, was appointed TO
press the matter to IN issue.
Accordingly, George A. Tracy, prcsi-
dent of the Typographical Union; John
BrockweH and +. NJ. Blake yesterday
called uIon d ICrtiGa of tie Senate Print
ing Committee, consist ing of Senator
I-IIanshrough of NCr rth Dakota and thcrs.
They laid before the subcommittee the
necessity of establishing Lrinting office
for the District, with lie result that bill
was drafted, and will e presented TO the
Senate in q few days by Senator Hans
brough.
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill provides for the erection OF a Dis
trict Printing Orrice, under the supervision
and control of the Commissioners, which
shall do all the printing and binding required
u IN District, AMI noar of the work shall be
done by contract, aS heretofore. Ii also
siipulates that the plant and material for
slcii office shall, upon the request of the
District Commissioners. be procured by or
through thePublic Printer Il the sameprices
upon which the government buys its mate
rials.
further provision Is that the hours of
lahor and the rate of wages TO be paid
shall he the same as those prevailing at
the Government Printing Office.
Senator Hansbrough favors the meas
urc and believes that he will be successful
in securing it's rassasc. Accompanying
the bill Mr.. Blake fled Il statement, show
ing the increased amount of work that can
BE done ,hy the District running its own
printing office, at Il minimum cost and L
great saving of tNI.Cnsc- at the same time
providing employment for Il large number
of idle workmcn, who are residents of the
District. 1
1t is argued that they are now in no wise
benefited, as almost all of the contracts
of over 81 900 arc.adyeriised in other cities
and the great body of the work goes to
an establishment in Philadelphia.
BENEFITS of THE MEASURE.
There would he no injury done to local
publishers, as none OF them succeed in
getting any of the work at present, and as
such a bill, if passed would pla &c the work
of the District office under the District
civil service law, none but legal resi-
dents Of Washington aud vicinity would he
employed. This wouh prevent any influx
of idle printers frc!n other quarters.
Statistics are alSb presented 10 show n
comparison of theanoJnt ofmoney saved by
the government during the first seven years
after the establishment of the Public Print
ing Office over the asst seven years when the
work was let by contract. II is stated that
while nearly douiac the work was accom-
plished, il was done at a s;Tving of a little
over 81 per page Oh the average. And dur
iIfg the thirty-stX years since the organiza-
ton OF ihe office. there has been an average
annual saving of over 81 900 900.
This is said to fave been the result of
the suggestion Of the various typographi-
cal unions, and they Now state that pro-
portiOnal rate of saving may he had by the
establishing of Il District printing house.
1t is said that an appropriation OF some
/ thing like $125.0 900, and perhaps $780,
600 Will be required, but this would in
clude the printing necessary for the public
schools, which is now an additional cause
expense Besides, the money would he
for the most part expended in the District,
and would go to the residents OF the Dis
trict. All these various points the CON-
mittee will clearly present to Congress in
recommendation of their bill.
PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES.
Should the measure fail to become
law another mode OF procedure will be
adopted as shown by the amendment which
has been presented to the subcommittee
and will be added to the clause in the
appropriation bill relating to the District
printing.
1t provides that in all contracts made by
the District Commissioners it shall be stipu-
lated that the rate OF wages, either skilled
or unskilled, shall be the ma ximum rate of