The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-24
UNCLE SANS PRINT
SHOP COMES next
Workings Of Government Office
Will Be Looked Into With
Care.
DOESN'T OBEY THE LAWS
alleged That the Unions Dictate the
Whole Policy of the Plant and
That Estimates Required by
Law Are Not Made.

Washington, July 22.-The govern
Hment printing office, one of the largest
departments in the public service is
next on the list for an investigation.
President Roosevelt has had his at
fention called to the method in opera
ton whereby the committee of the
unions practically dictate the policy of
n big establishment.
1t is also claimed that the govern
ment is paying Il great deal more for
work done in it's own print shop than
the same work can be lone and is done
In private printing establishments. This
has developed in the postofi1ce investi-
cation.
Acting Postmaster General Wynne is
considering whether the law which au-
thor1zed the postmaster general to let
the contract for printing money order
blanks by contracts based on ompeti
i've bidding was complied with in the
recent bidding, and he will not sign the
contract with Paul Herman, the lowest
bidder, until he is satisfied the law has
been observed.
No claim is made that MI. Herman
and he other bidders did not submit
their bids in good faith, but there Is
reason to believe that the public print
sr and the director of the bureau of
engraving and printing did not execute
the public duty with which they are di-
'rectly charged by congress of submit
ang estimates to the postmaster gen
eral for the engraving n printing of
these blanks.
Couldn't Do Work.
When the postoftice department ad-
'SertlSed for bids Tor his contract the
notice stated: The public printer and
the director OF the bureau of engraving
ana printing are required by the pro-
visions of he act OF march 3, 1889. IN
submit estimates for this work in com
petition therefor"
First Assistant Postmaster General
Wynne took proper notice of this pro-
vision and asked the public printer for
an estimate, but this official replied
that as the government printing office
a not equipped to do lit~hographing,
ne could not estimate the work. This
iaiiure OF the public printer and the
eh1ef OF h bureau of engraving and
printing to furnish estimates was tenn
porarli accepted as satisfactory but
I Iufther examination of the statutes
SHOWS that the original act Of con-
sress, by which the postmaster general
IS to have this work done
oy contract with private parties, dis
nnctly and specifically provides that
The public printer and the chief of the
bureau OF engraving n printing shall
submit, respectively, estimates of the
>ost of furnishing such printed mat
ter, and II their estimates are less than
me pluS OF outside parties the are re-
CURED to furnish such printed and
engraved matter"
Compelled to Bid.
the language Of the law Is so plain
that the poStof1ice department thought
u necessary to incorporate in the speci-
hcattons the notice that these officials
would submit bids, and that the esti-
mates submitted by the public printer
and the director of the bureau of en-
craving and printing will be treated ex-
Actly axe the proposals of bidders, ac-
cord1ng to the mode of ascertainment."
=etc. A careful examination of the law
On the subject fails to show when the
postmaster general, the public printer,
Inc chief or the bureau of engraving
and printing or any other official is
given the right to waive compliance
with the provisions of the act of con-
,Eress or March 3. 1883, n the fact
mat the estimates from the public
printer or the bureau of engraving and
pruning were to be used in competi-
ton with private bidders seems to indi-
cate that the law has not been fully
compiled with.
The additional fact that the pro-
vision requiring the public printer and
the bureau of engraving and, printing
TO bid on the work was inserted in
the act of Barch 8, 1883, shows that
congress contemplated that bidders
Tor the work might attempt to take
undue advantage of the department,
hnd that if they bid unduly high this
department might protect itself by
having the engraving and printing
zone by the proper government off,
clals. The failure of these officials to
comply with the law has. therefore, it
mas been argued. left the department
at the mercy OF the private bidders.
Printing Its Stamps.
Some years ago a similar case came
I'm when the pnSfnfTian 3a,No ~, ~
the contract for the printing of post
age stamps to the bureau of engraving
and printing. That bureau, at the
time of making the bid, had no ma
chlnery for doing the work, but the bid
submitted by Director johnson was so
low that it was accepted and the diff
ference between what was paid to the
bureau of engraving and printing and
what would have been paid to the low
est bidder has more than paid for the
snstallment of the necessary machin-
cry Today, the proposition to take
the printing Of stamps away from the
bureau of engraving and printing
would be regarded as absurd.
1t is required by law that the same
conditions surround the contract for
printing the money order blanks and
1t is contended that the lanai
that the public printer is not prepared
to do the lithographing is not Il good
excuse for his not submitting an esti-
mate, especially. as in several IN
stances, he is charged with duty of do
ing lithographing or of having it done
by contract.
There is no provision in the law au-
thorizing the postmaster general to
have the money order blanks litho-
graphed except the broad interpreta-
ton of the word engraved, and, as
most of the blanks are now printed
from steel plates there Seems to be no
reason why the work cannot be dona
at the bureau of engraving.