The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-30
STEAM AND HAND PRINTING.

To the Editor of The Times:
Having had occasion some time ago to
familiarize myself to a very considerable
/ degree with the respective merits of
hand and steam plate printing, l find my
self greatly interested in an interview
contained in a recent number of the
/ Washington Post with Mr. Claude NJ.
! Johnson. Chief Of the Bureau of Printing
! and Engraving. in which interview Mr..
johnson practically announces his inten-
] ton Of having the backs of silver certifi-
Gates and other forms Of government cur
rency printed upon steam presses. 1t
must he borne in mind that in the year
/ 1883 Congress in effect repudiated the idea
of using steam presses for printing gov
eminent securities, surrounding their use
with such provisions as made their en-
ployment entirely impracticable This
congressional action was the result of
series Of Investigations running through
the entire life Of the Fiftieth Congress,
and only reached after lengthy hearings
before various committees of both
Houses. and after extensive debate on
the floor Of each House. In the investiga-
AL''lAS lNA1lACb IT, az lllllitll~t AAlituilN VI
testimony was taken, experts were ex-
amined and the then Chief Of the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing. Mr.. Graves.
adduced all the arguments which could
possibly be employed in favor of steam
printing. The action Of Mr.. Johnson is
taken in apparent defiance of the prior
congressional conclusion. and utterly ig-
uores the reasons leading 10 the rejection
O. fa inc aF
government securities. and is fraught
with dangerous consequences to the safe
~ Of our currency.
II was demonstrated in the hearings be-
fore Congress by the testimony alike pre-
scented by those opposing and faNOring
the use OF steam presses. that the high
est grade Of work could not be done by
them: that q degree of personal inteIli-
gence and careful attention to detail was
requisite for the production OF the best
results. and that II was no more possible
for a steam press TO supply these human
qualities than il was possible for lithogra-
ply or any other process OF reproduction
10 accomplish successfully the creating of
an oil painting. 1T was pointed out that
the steam press in the operation Of wip-
ing the plata most essential portion
OF the work Of plate printing-was not
able TO discriminate between fine and
heavy shading, and acted alike upon both.
destroying All tone and individuality Of !
work and falling 10 demonstrate the in
tention Of the engraver. That the opin-
ION here expressed was universal | beg
to show by few brief quotations. Mr..
Graves. who advocated largely the use of I
the steam press. said. LAS to the COM
parative merits of steam printing and
hand printing. ii may be said that speak
ing IN the widest sense. steam printing is
not equal TO hand printing" Mr.. Russell.
tho of
and Printing, said that THE finest quality /
OF engraving could not be printed upon 4
the steam press Mr.. Osborne a photo-
mechanical expert pointed out the great 4
er ease with which a steam press note /
could be counterfeited photographicaIly.
Printers called from the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing testified TO the su-
periority Of hand press work and the i'm
possibility of equaling il upon the steam
press.
one reason inducing Congress prac-
tically 10 repudiate the use of the steam
press was the fact that the employnent
OF such an inferior agency would neces-
state the lowering Of the standard of
engraving, thereby rendering easier the
counterfeitinG Of government securities.
The first part Of this proposition is adj
United in effect by Mr. Johnson. who
states in the interview in the Post that
ne has IN contemplation changes Of de-
signs, which Will keep the present fen-
force busy for some time and
indicates that the lattice work on the
nack can be done more evenly by steam
nan by hand Any person who will no.
ice the existing 81 and 81 silver certifi-
eates VIII see that the lattice work is
comparatively unilnportant, and that the
best features of the backs are to be
Ound in the yignettes, which are beau
lful in character, difficult of reproduc-
ion, and afford the highest possible degree
II security against codnterfeiting. Mr.
Johnson, We are led to believe intends 10
ibolish the use of vignettes, lowering the
standard of engraving to mechanical
ines at the same time, and as a result en-
lbling all backs TO be printed upon the
anne press, and facilitating counterfeit
ng- 1t is difficult to believe that the |
Treasury Department or the public at
arge viii, for the purpose of saving a
ew dollars, sanction a public injury in
he way of debasing the excellence of |
he currency, and at the same moment
md through the same instrumentality ,
ermit the destruction of a beautiful art
md why, then, is the course now advo-
ated by the Chief of the Bureau of En-
raVlng and Printing as inferentially
onfessed by him in the statement
uoted? II plate printing by steam Sc I
ures the best results. Mr.. johnson would :
lot have said in the Post that the
team press will only be used for print ,
ng the back of bills. The face can be I
etter done by hand I
In arriving at the conclusion Mr. John
on has reached he has set, / submit {
t defiance the established policy of the =
government as indicated by the reports G
f the committees of Congress The 2
Committee on Banking and Currency of $
he Forty-third Congress said "all these I
q,
&c that methods of printing, number [
lg, sealing and issuing of the securities II
f the United States ought to be adopted t
-hich will approach the nearest to being {