Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-09-11
NEW BUILDING NEEDED.
Present Government Printing OF.
fee Should Be Vacated.
In tho Early Days All the Printing
Needed by the Government Was
Given Gut by Com
tract.
Especial Washington Letter.]


The government printing Office is 81
years old; but the building in which it is
housed looks as though it might be 81
centuries old.
Previous to the S1st day of May, 1850,
the government printing had been done
! by contract in various ways. The first
feletal congress which met in New
York, March 4, l1s9, provided for the
printing OF 500 copies of the acts of
congre. araSeo coples Of the journals
oil the senate aua hause OF representa-
tives.
The first appr oeriatioh made by the
federal congress w!'eh prosSa spseif-
ically for printing, W. enacted in l794,
"for the expenses of fire rood, 81. on
cry and printing work." 1a- same =
made an appropriation of $40 iog the
secretary Of state, including thl Hub
licaton of the laws of the first session &c
| the Third congress"
From 1894 to 1919, the government
printing was given by contract to the
lowest bidder; but on March 3, 1919,
concurrent resolution was passed pro-
vding for the election of printer for
cor rgress, who would print all bills in
English type on foolscap paper. The
resolution fixed the prices to be paid
fer the various kinds of work to be done
by the printer of congress.
A joint resolution was passed on Au-
gust 3, 1876, dispensing with the services
OF congressional printer, and reviy-
ing the old contract system. This meth
cd of printing the work of congress
continued until 1852, but it grew to be
expensive and unsatisfactory, and an
att was passed providing for a superin-
tendent of printing. whose duties were
'tc advertise for proposals from dealers
in paper, and buy all paper used by the
government, and superintend all the
printing done for the government, by
the house and senate printers" The
act also fixed the prices to be paid for
composition and press work.
II is significant fact that the gov.
ernment printing was regarded as 4
matter of such Importance at this early
day that on one occasion it almost lei
to a duel In 1871, Senator King, o
Alabama, and Senator Henry Clay, ot
kentucky, became involved in bitter
controversy over the appointment o
tn, senate printer, aud Senator Kinl
challenged Senator Clay to fight duel
A compromise was effected by the mu
tual friends of the senators and no due
was fought.
Congressman John \. Gurley, of Ohio
was chairman of the committee oil
printing of the house of representative
in 1850, and he was the author of th
bill to establish government printing
cllice, which was passed by both house
ci congress and approved by Presiden
Buchanan on May 81, 1850. Although
his name is not often mentioned now il
public print or in private conversation
all of the employees of the government
printing Office know Mr.. Gurley'S nam
and reputation, and speak of him wit
profound respect and admiration. o.
the day preceding the vote on the bill
Nj. Gurley delivered speech in ad
yccacy of his measure which was cCn
,incing and eloquent. His speech wa
also quoted in the senate in full, an
was influential in that body also. Ii
his most impassioned utterances tn
Ohio statesman declared that ther
could be no possible opposition to tn
founding of a government printing OF
flee, except the opposition Of partisan
ship, which he deprecated with scorn
Epitomizing the history of the publ
printing, Mr.. Gurley said:
"Sir, the public printing has beeI
made subject OF general discussion
strife, and even quarrels, in both house
OF congress, and between the variou
political parties, with short intervals
TO- full half century, and up to thi