The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-19
THE AMENDMENT BEATEN
Census Office Printing TO BE Done
by the Government.
The House InduIgcs I'm n Lively De-
mcr's bureau TO Handle the Census
Work-Thc Committee Defeated
by an Overwhelming Majority.

voted entirely to the consideration of III
Senate bill amending the act providing TO
taking the Twelfth and subsequent Cen
additional clerical force the appointment
of supervisors as special agents, and othei
minor addition 10 the power and authorit!
of the Director.
The House Committee on the Census
added a new section authorizing the Di-
rector, If there were probability that the
reports could not be published by the Gov
ernment Printing Office within the period
prescribed by law. 10 contract for theii
printing and binding by private parties
Against this proposition Mr.. Russell Of
Connecticut and Mr.. Heatwole of Mime
sofa, members of the Committee on Census
organized an opposition that buried the ad-
vocates of the change under an over
whelming adverse majority and the sec
tion was rejected. The bill was passed
and a conference with the Senate asked
| on the minor amendments made by the
House.
In accordance with the resolution
adopted Wednesday the House did not meet
until 1 o'clock, in order not to conflict
with the ceremonies attendant on the un-
yelling of the Webster statue. The ap-
pointment of Mr.. Russell of Connecticut
and Mr. Lanham of Texas as manages of
the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and
Dumb was announced by the Speaker.
Saturday. February 3. was set apart for
eulogies on the late Representative Err
mentrout Of Pennsylvania.
In Committee OF the whole.
The House, on motion CT Mr.. Hopkins,
resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole. Mr.. Cannon in the chair. on the
Senate Census bill. Mr.. Hopkins ex-
plained that with the exception of the
fourth section of the bill. which was an
amendment adopted by the Census Com
mittee, there vas no difference of opinion.
The amendment reported by Mr.. Hop
kins authorized the Director OF the Census
to contract for the printing OF census re-
ports with outside parties This amend
ment was the bone Of contention, and al
though Mr.. Hopkins made a gallant fight
for 1t he was badly beaten, The fight
against the amendment was led by Mr..
Russell Of Connecticut, a member of the
Census Committee. He said the Census
Committee had refused 10 call the Public
Printer before 1t. although individual
members had urged It. The Public Printer,
he said, had every facility for doing the
Census work. and if Congress made the
necessary appropriation the Public Printer
could turn out the work on time. Mr..
Hopkins in his remarks had referred TO the
fact that reports Of the Tenth Census were
not printed until nine years after, and that
1t took more than eight years to print the
reports of the Eleventh Census.
Commenting on the figures given by Mr.
Hopkins showing the periods which certain
volumes of the Eleventh Census were held
in the Government Printing Office, Mr..
Russell said there was a satisfactory rea-
son for that In one case, at least. The
volume had been held UP by a superior
officer for revision.
Mr.. Hopkins Figures.
The figures Mr.. Hopkins gave covered
the entire period elapsing between the re-
ceipt of the final proof at the Government
Printing ofice and the delivery OF the
completed edition. Taking all the volumes
OF the Eleventh Census, the average time
elapsing between the receipt OF the final
proof and the delivery of the completed
edition was six months. IL five instances
the periods were less than three months.
Mr.. Russell said he opposed the pro-
posed section for the reasons that IL
sought to overthrow an established policy
regarding the public printing, and that Il
exposed the Government to delay and loss
in having its work done. II the public
printing was not TO be done at the Print
ing Office, Mr.. Russell advocated its abol-
ishment
Mr.. Heatwole OF Minnesota gave TO the
committee some figures showing the vast
extent OF the work involved In the census |
reports. The volumes proposed would
1909 pages: to set these, II
three shifts Of men were employed, would |
require about 100 days, but that implied |
prompt furnishing of copy by the Census |
Bureau. To set these reports would re- |
quire 100 tons Of type. costing $90, 900. In |
the Eleventh Census at one time there |
was held up twenty-six tons OF type. |
worth s25, 600.
Mr.. Heatwole had read 2 letter from |
Public Printer Palmer asserting the abil-
ity Of the Office TO do all the work of the
Census within the required time upon re-
ceipt of the copy in due season. II the
Government Office could not do the work
In the time fixed by law he could not see
how any private concern could do it,
Mr.. Crumpacker of Indiana said the sole
and only purpose of the amendment was
10 provide against contingencies The
power sought TO be conferred upon the d.
-ector Of the Census was such as should
be given to him in the discharge OF his
luties.
The Public Printer Not Consulted.
Mr. Dalzell wanted to know If the Public
'rinter had been called before the COM
nittee and asked regarding the facilities
q he a. |
Mr.. Hopkins. replying to the latter. said
hat he had not been called. The COM
nIttee had placed before II letter from
ir Palmer in which the Public Printer re-
orted that It would require 300
working days, under the most
avorable conditions. for the Govern
nent Printing Office TO do the work
uggested by the Director. The Director
ad stated that It would be impossible for
lis Office to begin furnishing the copy be-
ore January 1. 1902. This would leave but
30 working days in when the printing
ould be done. Either the law must be
hanged. Mr.. Hopkins said, or the Director
ermitted to make arrangements for print |
az outside the Government Printing Office |
omlng, then, to what. he said, constituted
he backbone Of the opposition 10 the bill.
ir. Hopkins said that II was not his desire ,
r purpose or that of the Director of the
ensus to oppose or antagonize union labor. {
s the workers in the Government Printing
flee were union men he recognized the |
ropriety OF conining the Census work to '
MON Offices. I
Mr.. Shattuc OF Ohio asked Mr.. Hop q
ms II he would accept an amendment TO |
lie section. inserting the words by union Z
bor." and Mr.. Hopkins said he would.
r. Sims OF Tennessee enquired II that Z
ould not be class legislation, to which {
r. Hopkins responded that every gentle
an must determine that for himself.
Mr. lands of Indiana said the Public {