The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-12
COLONEL MONROE
The Lnconve Philosopher Asserts That Is Possible Place
First Class Library In Every American Home
For Less Than Billion
BY FREDERICK UPHAM adams
" Upham Adams

AZ met iuOSI VI lIeSe tAiltllSt'N, Dul ne
printed 100000 instead OF l.UOO. You
therefore can buy it for quarter In
stead of six times that sum
The II cents actually represented In
that book is divided among the items
OF paper, labor, cloth, ink. glue ana
thread-abOut in the order named"
continued Colonel Monroe. The pa
per is controlled by a trust, which ex-
torts enormous profits. The same is
true of the ink. glue and thread AMI
partly true of the cloth. 1t Is safe tn
assume that 3 cents of the IL stands as
the profit of these corporations The
labor item Is too high, not on account
OF the wages paid, but because of that
vast difference in the labor cost of ar
ticlcs produced in small or large quan-
titles. You must bear in mind. judge
that with our billion we are going 10
produce these books in editions run
ming into the millions. | have no
doubt but that under the proper con
ditiOnS the book you hold can be pro-
duced and distributed for or cents
a copy"
81 must admit that you are within
the bounds of reason" remarked Judge
Sawyer. but the proposition is an
astounding one. | do not think | ever
heard of better illustration of the
waste incidental to the production Of
things on small scale"
at may seem like waste OF time
to consider the expenditure Of billion
OF dollars for books" reflected Colonel
Monroe. but it Is a fair suggestion Of
the method which is certain to pre-
vail in the near future. Everything
will be done on huge scale-every-
thing pertaining to production. When
pins were made by hand the house
wife scoffed at the prophet who as
serted that a time would come when
500 perfect pins could be purchased
for a penny.
IF the government or an individual
were to undertake the expenditure OF
billion of dollars in the production
of books far different course would
be followed from that pursued by the
publishers of today. The average pub
Usher does not own pound Of type or
a printing press. He contracts for ev-
erything and pays profits on every
thing. But let us see how the govern
ment would go about the task, assum-
ing, Of course, that honest and capable
men were at the head OF affairs 1t
has command Of a thousand million Of
ALL no
tune Of one Of It's citizens. 1t begins by
purchasing spruce or other forests from
which to manufacture pulp for its pa
per. Then 1t erects It's paper mills and
installs the wonderful modern machin-
cry for that purpose. Suppose we locate
these mills in northern New York. Our
vast printing plant must be contiguous
to great city for obvious reasons. We
will place 1t near New York. Both Of
these plants will be Of magnitude
which will dwarf any existing estab-
lishments and will cost millions OF dol
lars, but the item will be small one
when contrasted with the total of our
capital. The officials of the govern
ment would not be so foolish as to pay
existing freight rates between the pa
per mills and the printing plant 1t
would probably be economy to con
struct and operate a railroad line CON
Meeting the two. The cost of such Il
road would not exceed S10,OOO,OO0.
am told that paper mills Of the re
quired capacity could be erected for
IN a
would provide for the printing plant.
The factories required for the manu-
facture Of inks, glue, thread and other
items would demand a comparatively
small item. We will assume that the
grand total OF all Of the expenses of
Installing our book printing plant
forest lands, paper mills, railroad.
printing plant, art engraving and the
various departments-forms an item
of $50,000.OOO. This Is more than suifi-
cient, yet it is only per cent of our
total capital
I'VE are now in position to produce
books with practically one item of ex-
pense-that Of labor We do no adver-
Using; we pay no interest on money;
we employ no travelling men; we have
no competition; we have the most per
feet plant which money and ingenuity
can furnish; we can afford to employ
the best artists, scientists and mechan-
les in the world; we have an army Of
pen, under capable leadership, devoted
to the one object of producing the best
books ever fashioned since printing
was invented. Not a dollar goes for
profit, not penny for interest. Under
such conditions would it not be posi-
BILE, judge, to produce good book for
20 cents or lessT'
1T undoubtedly would" admitted
Judge Sawyer. your figures are daz-
zling and your project an inspiring one
but l am afraid it is not practical"
"You think it is more practical to pay
$3.50 for book which should be pro
duced for 10 cents, l suppose" remark
ed Colonel Monroe.
IF the government did such thing
it would be socialism" declared Post
master Jenkins, land Pm opposed TO
anything like socialism A man like
Rockefeller could do thing like that
and make 1t pay, but the government
would lose money on it. And, besides