The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-11-26
UNCLE SANS
PRINTING SHOP.
FINEST PLANT IN THE WoRLD.
It Pays -Four Million D3llars in
Wages a Year.

i5 ABOUT IN apple pie Order. IT, Is un
doub:e3ly the fiues: establishment q;
its kind In the world.
The removal of the shop from the
Old, ramshackle building erected long
before the civil war by private 1ndivid
uals who used to do the government
printing by contract, has heen goinf
on for the past month or six weeks
TIE old structure was an overcrowdeo
and unsatisfactory place ,and the wonder
Is how the government ever turned ou:
within its walIa the necessary public
documents. Many Of the difficulties
we're overcome by having a part OF
the force quartered In rented building,
in various parts OF the city.
The agitation for new printing Of
flee starred in earnest fifteen years ago.
Repeated warnings were given BY ex
perts that the building was unsafe
With the heavy machinery and type
and the enormous amount OF paper and
other material that had to lie kept con-
sts::tly in stock it Is not remarkable that
ct times, vibrations OF the building wate
felt which almost created a panic
a,aong the thousards of emtloyes.
When Fo,d's Theatre, IL Tenth
street, which was occupied by the r.
cord and Pension Bureau of the War De-
partment, collapsed some years ago
and killed score or more of clerks. the
prediction was made that, if Congress
did not soon provide a modern aud
more spacious home for the printing
Office, there would be another disas:c:
Of the same kind.
In those days, Washington zeal es-
ia .e syrdicates or com blnations seemed
to have the power to hold up Congress.
But Congress has learned thing Or
ewo and instead Of submitting to le-
irg pestered by real estate sharks when
a site for public building is wanted,
it now orders condemnation proceed
lngs. That finally had to be doue In
securing the site for the printing Office
Much delay was occasioned because
tl,s late General William Malone, Of
Virginia, and his friends made stub
bern fight to sell the government q
square which they owned. Malone
had lost much OF his fortune; and
Senators, especially, felt sorry for hin,
because at one time, while a memb Der
of the Senate, he enabled the Repub-
licans to maintain majority. Bu'
the House would not 60 into tbs
scheme.
1t WAS not until 1899 that the first
for the now printing Of
fee was authorized by Congress. The
limit OF cost was then fixed at $2,OOO,-
Oc0. A year later it was increased to
s., 100000. 1t will be strange ii furth-
or appropriations are not called for at
the approaching session of Congress to
decorate the interior, to purchase sddi-
tional machinery and to provide furn-
iture and fixtures.
Solidity rather than snowy archl-
lecture was aimed at in the construct
lea OF the big building. Constructed
mainly of brick, it is pronounced by
officials to he about as nearly frsproof
AZ it is possible to make 1t.
1t is U-shaped building, and the
sindow frames are OF cast iron. Hard
woods have been used throughout.
The walls are uncommonlv thick, and |
there is nothing OF sn infiammab!e na-
ture dividing the various rooms, under !
tbe flooring or in the roof.
The building has fronting CT 4C5
feet on G street and 1754 feet on North
Capitol street. It is seven stories blsh,
with basement and attic, and there are
spacious damp proof vaults for storage
purposes under the G street and North |
Capitol street sidewalks.
Aside from the large appropriations
for building and repairs, the sum set
aside Tor operating the printing Office
proper has been increasing steadily for
several years at the rate OF from $780,
900 to $5O0,000 each year. The con-
stantly increasing demands upon the
gigantic shop are responsible for this.
In round numbers it costs something !
like Sc, ,255, 900 year to operate the
plant. 1t liz many more times expen-
slve than similar government plants of
Great Britain, Germany, Russia end
other leading European countries
Our Public Printer, considering the
onerous duties devolving upon him,
bis manifold responsibilities in having |
TO employ and look after an army OF
between 1000 and 5000 people, is a |
very poorly paid official, His salary
and allowances are but little in excess !
IT KEEPS THE FEET WARM
AND DRY.