The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-19
Fight Made on Printing of the
Reports.
WAS A LIVELY DEBATE
WANTED TO LET THE WORK By
CONTRACT.
Influence of Public Printer and La
Dor Organizations of the Country
Arrayed Against the Proposition
and it Was Defeated-Discussion
Regarding Appointments.

Washington, Jan. 1S.-The house to-
day passed the senate bill to extend
the powers Of the director of the CEN
sus, after striking out the committee
amendment to authorize the director
to contract for extra printing with pri-
vate contractors. The whole fight was
upon that amendment. The influence Of
the public printer and the labor or
CARNATIONS Of the country were en-
ployed against it, and after a lively de-
bate Of several hours it was OVerWhelm-
ingly defeated. The publication Of the
reports of the twelfth census therefore
win be made by the public printer. as
in the past.
The house met at l o'clock today in
order to give members an opportunity
to attend the ceremonies in connection
with the unwilling of the statue of
Daniel Webster.
Saturday, Feb. g. was set aside for
paying tribute to the memory of the
late Representative Ermentrout of
Pennsylvania
Mr. Hopkins 0Ils) moved that the
house go into a committee of the whole
for the consideration of the senate bill
extending the scope of the twelfth cen
sus.
right on census Bill
Mr.. Russell Comm said the opposi-
ton to the bill was confined to the
house amendment to empower the di-
rector Of the census to contract for
printing outside the government print
ing Office. He suggested that general
debate be closed at 4 o'clock This was
agreed to and Mr.. Hopkins motion
adopted.
Mr. Hopkins explained that the bill,
with the exception of the fourth Sec
ton, met the unanimous approval of
the census committee This section
authorizes the director of the census to
contract outside of the government for
printing the census reports.
MI Hopkins, in defending the sec
ton. said the public printer would be
given as much Of the printing as he
could do. The rest could be done as
well and as cheaply outside He as
sured the house that this work would
be performed by union labor.
In response to a question from Mr..
Shattuck (O.), he said he would be will
ing to incorporate an amendment re-
quiring that the work should be done
by union labor.
Mir. Wheeler (Ky.) asked why, if gov
eminent work was to be let TO the low
est bidder, there should be any pro-
vision restricting it to firms which en-
ployed union labor.
No Hostility to Union Labor.
Mr. Hopkins replied that he would
accept the amendment to show there
was no hostility to union labor.
Limiting this work to union offices,
observed MIR. Sims (Tenn-), us rank
class legislation
Mr. BabcOck (Wis.) asked what there
was to prevent a rat" Office, if it was
the lowest bidder, from obtaining the
work
There is not a rat office in Ameri-
ca retorted Mr.. Hopkins, (which cali
do this work"
The debate continued until o'clock,
many members participating on each
side. Amendments were adopted for the
collection Of statistics relating to the
deaf. dumb and blind and to require
the collection of statistics regarding
mines, mining and minerals.
Apportionment' of Employees.
Mr. Flynn Of Oklahoma offered an
amendment for the appOrtiOnment of
the employees of the census equitably
among the states and territories. He
said every representative had been al
lowed six appointments. He had only
two appointments.
eff that amendment is adopted - said
Mr.. LentZ Of Ohio. win it be possible
to have a Democrat appointed emu
merator in the north?"
If I had my way" replied Mr.
Flynn, there would not be a Demo-
cratic enumerator north or south"
applause and laughter).
The amendment was lost. When sec
ton was reached Mr. Hopkins in
charge of the bill, offered the substi-
tute for it.
That the public printer shall es-
tablish in the public printing office
division or branch printing Office,
which shall be under the direction and
control of the public printer, of suffi-
cient capacity to meet the demands,
etc, of the census act"
The committee amendments, as mOdi-
fed, were bitterly opposed by \ score
of members and were overwhelmingly
defeated. The bill was then passed.
A conference was ordered on the
house amendments, and the following
cOnferees were appointed: Messrs
Hopkins Of Illinois, Russell of OOnnec-
ticut and Griffith of Indiana
At o'clock the house adjourned.