The Washington times., 1905-10-21
!! LA|ND|S R|D|CULES
PRINTING WASTE
Will Start Committee to
Carving Wednesday.
SOME USELESS DOCUMENTS
Congressmen Helplessly Swamped With
Them-Money Loss Incredible.
Would Retain Ricketts,
SOME USELESS DOCUMENTS

The Governments printing is to be
lifted QUITO the opera bouffe class and
made a practical utility, II the plans OF
Chairman Charles W. Lands and his
committee, appointed to investigate the
Government Printing Office, are carried
out
The committee. consisting of Repre-
sentative Lands. Senator German, and
Representative Perkins of New York.
will hold its first meeting at iO
o'clock next Wednesday morning at the
Capitol and will hold daily sessions for
at least two weeks.
Oscar ]. Ricketts,. acting Public Print
er. will be the committees most vaIu-
able informant. and several men from
the executive departments will give tes-
timony.
Promises His Best
We have a big job ahead OF u.s.
said Representative Lands today. 1T
will not be our fault II the system OF
government printing is not revised We
viii make our recommendations and 1
cannot conceive of any man not want
ing 10 put the things on a more econom-
ical basis.
why. as things are now" declared
NIL q tO4Ab every ia
or two has unloaded at his office these
multiplied and voluminous public docu-
ments. He can only try to think out "A
sufficient number Of his constituents who
would at least carry away the docu-
ments from tho postoffice-
Constituents Kick.
"The secretary makes out a large mum
Der of addresses. extra mail bags are
dispatched 10 the station bulging with
the documents and the constituents have
the task of carting away the papers
from the postoffice. In a few days there
will come TO the Congressman a pitiful
Protest from his constituents asking
what he has done TO merit such inflic-
Now, YOU see,'' said Mr. Lands
laughing pleasantly, there's no sense in
such printing. no excuse for 1t.
Brother Caught.
.'One day last winter. l went to my
brothers apartments with him. There
in the middle OF the floor was an enor-
nous deposit of some Government pub
lication. Fred thought IL was a mis-
take 1t was a mistake. a very great
one.
My recollection is that ne gave then
all TO the porter and had to throw 1.
half a dollar 10 make the porter receive
the BiiN-.
have stopped Let the useful and neces
sary things be published. but cut ou
the kind that nobody VIII read. Las
season members Of Congress frequent tlS
cone to me and asked me to save then
from the Hood OF public documents. Oul
comrnIttee will try to do this
Extravaganza Shocking.
Mr. Lands thinks. as a result ol
some preliminary Investigations he has
made. that the amount OF money vast
ed on printing is shocking and almost
incredible. Within the last ten years
he says, the appropriation for public
nrinting has doubled. going from 5000
900 10 $500 .0OO.
His committees report viii not bt
made 10 Congress for several months
as IN will be devoted 10 recommends
TONS. which viii have the effect oi
nractically revising the whole admin
| istration Of the AFFAIRS OF the printery
| In will also recommend some change:
| in the laws governing the printing of
| hce.
| be appointed permanent Public Print
or Mr. Lands said:
| u don't know. But l hope he will
| 7 consider him the best qualified mar
! for the place In this whole country"