Evening star., 1905-10-27
.ASCR|BED TO VANITY
One Cause for a Great Amount
of Printing.
BADLY PREPARED COPY
TWENTY PER CENT OF EXPENSE
DUE TO CORRECTIONS.
Acting Public Printer Ricketts, Re
sumes His Testimony Before tho
Lands Commission.
BADLY PREPARED COPY

Acting Public Printer Oscar ]. Ricketts,
resumed his testimony this morning before
the Lands subcommittee. appointed to con-
slider the question of printing reform.
In reply to a question by Chairman Lam
dis. Mr.. Ricketts, admitted that 1t cost the
government more to bind its public docu-
ments than would be the case If the work
were done outside. The exception to the
rule was in the case Of the Year Book OF
the Department of Agriculture OF which
800, coo copies were turned out each year.
In big contracts of that sort, Mr. Ricketts,
said. the government could do the wor- as
cheaply as outside concerns. In general.
however. government cost of binding public
documents was greater because Of the
higher wages paid
Branch Offices Expensive.
Mr. Ricketts,, replying to a query by Mr..
Lands, said that the maintenance of
branch printing offices in the various ex-
ecutive departments, might be considered
a convenience, but was certainly not In the
line of economy. Much work was done
In these branch offices. Mr.. Ricketts, said.
which by rights should be done at the
main office
Mr.. Ricketts, produced volume about
a foot long ten inches wide and eight inches
thick, entitled Library Edition. Specif1ca-
ing Public Printer said that twenty-four
similar volumes were issued each year and
that 235 sets were published by the gov
ernment printing Office and distributed to
various libraries throughout the country.
In all, 6640 of the immense volumes,
each containing more than 45OO pages.
were published every year. In reply to
questions by Mr.. Lands, the acting public
printer said that the library edition was
perhaps the most valuable issue of the
publications pertaining to patents. but that
easily more than 100000 a year could be
saved by simplifying the method Of issuing
the Patent Office Gazette.
Too Many Blue Books.
Mr.. Ricketts, insisted that too many
copies OF the blue book-3,O39 being the
usual issue-were published. The blue book
is the largest publication issued by the
government. Only short time ago. ac-
cording to Mr. Ricketts,, over six thousand
volumes of the blue book were condemned
and destroyed The blue book, Mr.. Rick
etts said was not only the largest, but the
most expensive publication issued by the
government.
Perkins. Mr.. Ricketts, repeated the state
ment of yesterday that he did not consider
that the ffty-three copies of all publica-
tions furnished to the Smithsonian Institu-
tion for foreign exchange were Of any
value.
Vanity of Writers.
Mr.. Lands said he thought that vanity
was in a measure responsible for the i'm
mense amount of printing turned out by
the government printing Office. The pro-
portion of such publications turned out
yearly was. he thought, largely dependent
upon the prominence of the authors names
on the title pages.
Mr.. Ricketts,, referring to the cost of cor
rections in proof sheets, said that IL all
matter were properly prepared, and correc-
tonS reduced to a minimum, the cost of
composition would be reduced at least 20
per cent. Some of the bureaus of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor were the
principal offenders In this respect, Mr.. Rick
etts said. In some cases whole chapters
were eliminated and new matter substituted.
The Library of Congress was another Of
fender. according to the acting public print
er. For one volume to which Mr.. Ricketts,
referred, the proofs had been out for two
years. He declined, however, to give the
name of the publication.
Mr.. Ricketts, admitted that his office fire.
quenty had trouble in satisfying the fas-
tidous tastes of official authors in regard to
title pages. Sometimes title pages were set
up twelve or fourteen times. Every change
cost money, Mr.. Ricketts, said.
Speeches Altered for Bound Volumes.
The acting public printer, in reply to ques-
tions by Chairman Lands, asserted that
members of Congress were great offenders
in changing their speeches for publication in
the bound editions.
Mr.. Lands remarked, with considerable
amaZement, that he couldn't understand
why members changed their speeches for
the bound volumes, as the matter had al
ready been published and distributed. He
Iz.Q 49, .,.~I..l L.