The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-09-21
WASHINGTON
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| the federal printing Office have the
effect of calling attention generally to
the magnitude of the business carried
| on by this branch of the government
and the need of putting it on a bust
ness basis, they will have served a
useful purpose. Like other branches
of the Administration, the printing Of
flee, starting as modest enterprise,
has expanded beyond all expectation
until 1T now constitutes q business as
great as that carried on by some of
the larger corporations. The figures
presented by w. s. Rossiter, of the
Census Bureau, in the current num-
surprising growth. In 1870 the ma
TONS printing bill was SS,7S5. Gov
eminent publications were few and
comparatively rude. Last year the
amount expended for printing was ST.
0S0,9cO. and this expenditure is in
is correct, the government printing
done in the present decade will cost
more than S6O,OO0,OC0. The need or
utility of so vast an outlay is open to
question. There is good ground for the
suspicion that many of the ponderous
tones turned out of the nations print
cry, to be slowed away on top shelves,
are of little service to anyone. The
tendency to regard this branch of the
government as legitimately education
al. however, seems to be growing, and
the demand for elaborate reports on all
manner of subjects, from the forests
and fisheries to insect pests and the
pedigrees of Indian tribes, seems great
er than ever.
The assembling of $1,000 veterans
in Denver at the Grand Army encamp-
ment was a big thing in itself. Only
a few live within the shadow of the
Rocky Mountains, and nine-tenths of
them had to travel long distances by
rail- steamer and stage to reach the
leading town of Colorado. Then the
wearers of the blue had q line of
march which required nearly four
hours to cover. Only few fell out on
account of fatigue. Thousands of
them past 20 marched with erect car
rage and firm step, to the wonder and
delight of the 100000 spectators, who
kept up fusillade of cheers and hand
clapping as long as there was an old
soldier to applaud. Yet the internecine
conflict closed forty years ago. What
other nation has anything to compare
with this soldierly longevity? What
one could turn out $4,000 to march in
a hot sun-men who had quit fighting
twoscore years before? None! The
American soldier is the most robust
that ever trod the earth. When we
consider the hardships of campaign
ing from 1861 to 1865, the marvel is
that any of its participants are alive,
still less able to endure long and
fatiguing march in old age. When it
comes to vigor in national defenders,
the world takes off its hat to the ire
pressible Yankee.
The pension roll reached the maxi
mum in its history on Jan. 81 last, the
number being 1,004,1 1876. The roll
passed the million mark in September
of last year and gradually increased
for the next four months. The decline
began with the first of last February,
and by the following May had dropped
below the million mark. These facts
are deye oped in synopsis of the an
nual report of Pension Commissioner
Warner, covering the operations of his
office for the fiscal year ending June
80 last At the end of the year the
number of pensioners had declined to
99S.441, net increase for the year of
3,6I9. The report shows the following
additional facts: During the year the
bureau issued 1922 pension certifi-
Gates, of which number over 10000
We're originals. The annual value of
the pension roll on June 80, 1905, was
$136. as, 295. By the term annual
value" is meant the amount of money
required to pay the pensioners then
on the roll for one year.
-
Fifty thousand applications were
filed by men and women seeking po-
sitioHs in the government service dur
ing a period OF six months, said an
official of the Civil Service Commits
sion the other day. These applications
were made between Jan. I and June
80 of this year. OF this number about
$4,000 took the examination. AS
rule, something like 10 per cent of
to take the examination. The idea
some people have that there is but
small chance to get into the govern
ment service through the medium of a
competitive examination is contrary to
statistics. Thirty-five per cent of the
apnlicauts who mass the exam;no tfors