The Sunday globe., 1901-05-05

pensatiOn. | am Democrat, and If a
Democrat sneezes in there Ricketts, cuts
his head OIL Why, they have only
twenty men now on the night force, and
the day force is several hundred less
than it ought to be-"
How is that?"
81 expect Ricketts, is waiting for Re-
publican comps to come along; any
how, with the census printing to do now
he ought to have four or five hundrt d
more hands,"
Repeating this conversation to one OF
the intelligent foremen in the composing
room, he confdentIally unbOsomed him
self thus:
"You see, that fellow is talking
through his roof The census printing
isn't ready yet, or at least we haven't
got It, although we suspect that we
ought to have it by this time. 1t is the
belief in there" and he pointed at Rick
etts' room, "that the Director of the
Census is taking out his revenge for be-
ing baked in his efforts to have Con-
gress authorize him to contract tor the
census printing with outside parties
The director stated, it appears, that he
could have the printing done more eXpe-
ditiously and satisfactorily by an out
side firm. Now, this is absurd, as you
can see your eli, for this is the greatest
establishment i'm the universe i'm the
printing line"
But how is the Census Director "tak-
Z ing, out his reVenge2 Why, by holding
back the copy until he thinks it will
overwhelm or embarrass us when it is
all dumped i'm in one lot. You see, by
the census law he must deliver to Con-
gr IS by July, 1901, the four divisions
complete of the 18th census. 1t isn't
stated, I believe, whether 1t shall be the
printed volumes or the finished copy,
and it is therefore discretionary with the
Director"
"And you believe this fairy story from
the office, do your"
"Well, its good enough to use to Con-
gressmen or others trying TO put men to
work here whom we don't want, and 1t
shuts of Democratic blatherskiting
about discrimination in the matter Of
the men laid Oti-see."
we went one eye on the tOreman's in
formation, and saw all if not more than
he desired Any ordinary printer, and
even an ordinary printer Is intellegent,
as he has to be, can easily ascertain tor
himself, by a cuTsory visit to the census
Office, that its two or more thousand em-
ployees are working night and day, and
as busy as the prOVerbial nailors. The
work for the printer is not ready and
will not be for some time, and every ei-
fort known /, expert slave drivers is
being resOrted to by the rival section
chiefs, to expedite the work, and make
record for themselves at the expense OF
their clerks, The 18th census is farther
/ in advance towards completeness than
the Porter or llth census was in com
palisOn to the time actually taken IN
compiling the returns,
The government printing eiiice needs
a new head, The body is all right eX-
| Cept the head, Mr.. Palmer has about as
much interest in the actual adminlstra-
| tiOn of the Office as a Chnaman has IN
the proper division of the indemnity
| demanded by the powers. And he knows
| Just as much of what is transplrlng III
| this important department Of the GOV
ernment as a Tagal Chief. Mr.. Tickets
| is the actual head of the printing Office
and he runs it as all deputies conduci
the affairs of their principals--in his own
personal interest. His relatives, by mar
riage even, have displaced old soldiers
! in snaps that have been called to our
attention, but which, for the present
/ hoping for a change or reform, we re-
train from particularizing. Mr.. Palmers
senility and Indifference are being util-
lied 10y an irresponsible subordinate tC
! further his own interests; nor Is IL any
excuse that the actual work of the de-
paTtment is being performed equally as
/ well by Mr.. Rick etts. -Four years as
head of the Government Printing Office
is princely reward for the average poll
tician, when it is taken into account that
more than one million dollars worth OF
material is purchased annually, and that
the sweepings of the gold leaf used in
| the lettering of the bound volumes net
more than six thousand dollars per an
mum.
1t would be unjust in writing of the
| printing Office to omit credit for the quail
/ ity, and, indeed, the quantity of the
work turned ont. 1t is a conviction in
/ the printing craft of its supremacy in
! the family of trades. Whether this is
acknowledged by all is irrelevant at
present, but it is certainly a tribute to
| the Intelligence and efficiency Of the
government typos that the work OF
! the big plant goes merrily and sys-
temR tically on, Palmer or no Palmer,
head or tail, and that no private print
ing office can produce any finer, and, of
course, not third OF the printed matter
daily turned out by the three thousand
government printers From Mr.. Collins
statistics we quote the following disposi-
tion OF the three thousand odd employ
ees OF the office: