Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03
WIN TER RUSH BEGINS
Work at Government Print
ing Office Opens Monday.
THE NIGHT DIVISION
TWO HUNDRED employees
PLACED ON ITS ROLLS.
Operation of Big Establishment on
an Elaborate Plan-Notes
of Interest.

| Monday evening will witness the begin
| ming of the winter rush at the government
| printing office. During the first few days
| of the session thousands of bills will be
| introduced and they will be rushed night
and day until the Office has caught up with
| the work. A large assortment of type faces
| is one of the chief assets of the night bill
| force used for Identification marks. The
first print is in Roman type, but the COM
| mittees usually make more or less changes
in the phraseoogy and text. When the bills
are reported the first time these changes
are indicated by the use of italics for the
new portions and type containing line
across it's face to indicate a line drawn
through the word to designate the original
letters or word stricken out. If more
amendments required small capitals are
resorted to. At times bill becomes so COM
plicated that a very small-faced type is used
to indicate changes. 1t is understood that
Supt. Charles Young will again have charge
of this force. About 200 employees will COM
pose the first division at night.
The Congressional Record is printed with
the aid of thirty-five Mergenthaler type
setting machines, but In case of particu-
Iarly large run of copy portion of the
| work is sent to the bill room and set up
by hand. Members of Congress and others
closely associated with the official organ of
Congress speak very highly of the appear
ance of the Record last winter, the first
time the machines were put on this work.
Mr.. John Berg foreman of the division, will
probably continue in that capacity and will
have about 100 employees to look after.
Lanston Casters Received.
The storekeeper of the big printery has
/ receipted for the final shipment of the sew
enty-two Lanston casters ordered last sum-
mer, their arrival having been delayed until
the Office could arrange the space for their
erection. The storeroom of the government
printing office is the receiving depot for all
the supplies of the plant with the eXcep-
tion of the paper. besides having the care
and arrangement of the samples submitted
by bidders in answer to advertisements by
the office. Some of the items required by
the big establishment are in such small
amounts that they are not included in the
spring orders. When there are enough of
these small items to aggregate $50 the chief
clerk advertises for competitive bids The
system in vogue at the office is said to be
such that danger of scandal or collision in
connection with the opening of bids is prac-
tically eliminat ted.
The committee of employees appointed by
the public printer to make selection of the
grades of supplies for use for the succeed
ing year see only the various samples, the
cost mark and the designating number.
w nen their dWdTuS are announced the rec
ord books produced to show who are the
successful bidders 1t is understood that
the system gives general satisfaction. and
that it is seldom that a prospective con-
tractor makes an objection. The arrange
ments are very carefully looked after by the
chief clerk, the storekeeper having charge
of labelling and arranging the samples
Waste Paper and Metal Utilized
A convenience known to but few of the
workers in the government printing office
is waste paper chute in the new building
running from the fourth floor to the rear
of the first floor of the north wing. Waste
paper and clippings from the cutting ma
chimes are thrown into openings in the
chute on the bfndery and folding room
floors and fall by gravity to the baling
room. Two presses are connected to dyna-
mos, and in the course of year many car
loads of waste are delivered to the con-
tractor. The Office received last year $50, S12
from this one source. In the old building
is another baling press, but there is not so
much of this material to be handled at this
point since the removal of practically all
the workers to the new building.
In order to handle the large quantity of
metal from the typesetting machines this
winter 1t has been decided to double the
capacity of the melting furnaces where
this material is refined These furnaces
will take up much of the space of the
blacksmith shop. and -necessitates rear
rangement to give the necessary accom-
iuOudtiOho. nc iitlOts pc SluSS duu type
from the Lanstons is melted and a suff1-
cient amount of tin and bismuth added to
give the proper degree of hardness to
render it available for use in the machines
again. 1t is understood that there is
loss of less than ten per cent in the
process of refining this metal.
At the recent annual meeting of the
Bindery Women's Mutual Relief Society
the following officers were elected for the
ensuing year: President, Mrs. Emily Pack
ham; vice president Mrs. Kate L. Crog-
gon; secretary, Mrs Flora Plumb. The So
ciety has 80 members.
Decrease in Material.
The falling off of the work of the big
printery since the Inauguration of the
present agitation for curtailment of the
public printing has caused a decrease in
the amount of supplies required by the
bndery estimated at twenty-five per cent.
The net saving will aggregate much more
than the saving In material, !" said prom
inent official in discussing the effects of
the reduction. Methods will be slowly
changed wherever economy will not inter-
fere with efficiency, and the total will make
very respectable amount"
Great care ds exercised at the Office to
prevent unauthorized persons from gain
ing access to the work rooms. No one can
'be seen during working hours except on
matters Of the greatest Importance. In
event where it is imperatively necessary
to call an employee, the person wanted Is
floor. In this manner there is no oppor-
tunity for the work of the Office to be in
terrupted.
One of the problems to be contended with
by the big printery is said to be the prac-
ttce Of some of the departments in send
ing in copy marked rush and then
holding the proof sheets for several weeks
This practice is alleged to hinder the
operation of the plant by utilizing valuable
storage space for the pages of types and
frequently ties up much-needed sorts for
the daily routine OF work
Brief Mention.
1t is understood that Mr.. ]. d. Meyers
will have charge of the night press room
this winter. his experience of several years
on this work enabling him to handle the
presswork from the congressional compos-
| ing room with great rapidity. On the regu-
lar session work seventeen drum cylinder
presses employed, but in the event
| of rush other machines can be brought
| into use on short notice.
| At the regular monthly meeting Monday
December 4, of the Womens Bindery Union
| the nomination of officers for the following
year will occur. The election will be held
| the third Monday in the month. The union
| has rner1 herShiD of nearly 9n