Evening star., 1902-08-01
Contract for Postage Stamps
Will Be Awarded.
ONLY TWO BIDS MADE
BUREAU ENGRAVING AND PRINT
ING HAD ONE COMPETITOR.
Means Retention of About Four Hun
dred Employees, Who Are
Happy.

According to the bids opened at the Post
Office Department today al noon the print
ing OF the United States postage stamps
will continue to be done at the United
States bureau of engraving and printing
for four years beginning October next.
The proposals which were examined were
submitted by the only two institutions
the American Bank Note and Engraving
Company and the bureau of engraving and
printing and by the showing of their sepa-
rate offers the latter institution is able to
do the stamp printing better more quickly
and at lower rate than any other pub
Hshing bureau In the whole country
A special commission, headed by the chief
or the finance division. Mr.. Buckler, pre-
sented the following figures to Mr.. E. c.
MADDEN. the third assistant postmaster gen.
erai. as the proposal of the bureau of en-
craving and printing: For printing ordi-
nary stamps. = cents per LOCO: for printing
PCStage que stamps. cents per 1000; for
printing special delivery stamps, Is cents
per 1op; for manufacturing stamp books
VS. for book. 600 books of twelve stamps
each: 81 10 for 1000 books of twenty-four
stamps each; 81. As cents for 900 books of
forty-eight stamps each
IheSe figures are lower than those sub-
mitted by the American Bank Note Com
pany Dy about S3,O60 on the whole contract
for a year or by about s15,O0O for the
whole period of the contract
Postmaster General Will Decide
With this announcement to Mr.. Madden
the work of the special commission and of
lhe thlrd assistant in this connection ends
Ihe award must be made by the Postmas-
ter General. and as he acts alone, although
on the advice of his subordinates no one
at the department would say today that
the bureau of engraving and printing would
,.ta eel.dailiy get the award. The impression
,,ss-. Mas seLleraI however, even in the highest
quarters. that Mr.. Payne would be very
sIdu 10 continue having the work done by
tne government, and that the award would
De ..c,t, Certainly made in the bureaus favor
, Ihere are many advantages in having
the printing of the stamps done here in
ashlngtOn and by the government" said
Mr. Madden "A change of contractors
would mean a world of confusion e1,arI,
one mere IN the office would be glad to
aFold- Moreover, the printing of the
stamps outside of Washington would mean
delays which are now unnecessary. a sys-
tenn OF supervision and watchfulness which
would only duplicate that regularIW en-
ioIced al the bureau of engraving and
printing and the expense of much trans
portatlon which is now avoided
Essentially a Government Task.
The printing of stamps Is essentially
TASK Ior the government to undertake, if
business considerations permit. In this in
stance they seem to permit and I am
6idu otHer tQlngS being equal |
shouid be very reluctant to have had this
contract go to any firm outside the controI
OF the government
am so ardent a union labor man
So 40 not need to say am pleased that
this work Will probably be done by EN-
plo!eS VINO get generous leave who have
snort WORKING hours and who are well paid
bdt thlnk II ought to be known that the
representations made to be in behalf of tba
bureau Of engraving and printing recenTIv
were not the only ones brought to bear on
TINS case Not long ago a delegation of
union workmen from New York called
anu asked IN the name of organized labor
from that state that the contract be let tn
s0he engraving firm in New York city.
iha' seemed to put the friend and cham
ploh OF union labor in a dilemma
But one plea made by the deIepation
from the bureau Of engraving and printing
touched me deeply. There was a yoi,np wn
man man IN the party-one of the press opera
tor helpers, i think. After ali the sneecb
making was done and the callers were saI-
ing goodbye. she shook my hand and remark
ed earnestly. Mr. Madden. don't forget tba
girls J. tell you that went down pretty
ueep Inc American workman is very re-
luctant to injure a woman Iaborer IInder
any circumstances
Glad Not to Oppose
IF this award is made in favor of the
bureau. and 1 think that will likely be the
case, the Post Office Department will es-
cape the difficulty of opposing the principle
oil governmental administration indicated
IN Inc star several days ago-that conf
Dental printing. like the printing of hank
notes stamps. greenbacks and similar com
mOduies should always be done nv tho
governments own employees and in govern
mental shops We in the department feel
TINS strongly and are glad this contract
need not oppose such principle
We are the more pleased because our
relations With the bureau have been on the
While very pleasant. Our only trouble has
Dteh that the bureau did not approach the
department In the spirit which shouId
marx contractor. 1t seemed reluctant to
progress with US. TO improve the stamp as
we wanted them improved Now that will
be all changed. ] am sure"
The result of this competition L. ..l,a, -.
tne Post Office Department as indicating
the certain retention of the 400 or more
ehpIoyes or the bureau now at work in the
no