Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01
STILLINGS SCORED
G. P. O. Held Responsible for
Delay in Adjournment.
SENATOR HALE IRRITATED
And Says Things Right Out In Meet
ing.
THE RESOLUTIONS OF INQUIRY
To Determine the Why and Wherefore
Congress May Run the Big
Printery.
THE RESOLUTIONS OF INQUIRY

1t would have been hard to find a madder
body Of men than the members of the
Senate and House after adjournment last
night. 1t was expected that Congress
would be able to adjourn not later than
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, and nearly all
OF the senators and representatives had
their transportation engaged In order that
they might leave on early trains
The Presidents private train had steam
up all day. ready to leave at a moments
notice AS the day wore On there were all
sorts OF delays. Reports We're spread that
Dill would be delivered from the govern
ment printing Office in fifteen or twenty
minutes, and short recesses were taken
to bridge the gap.
But one delay followed another The
President. instead of leaving the city at 3
O'Clock, as he expected and hoped to do,
took lunch at the Capitol and then drove
ABOUT town for a couple of hours, having
Deen told that the backward bills would
be ready for him to sign at 5:3o O'Clock
Ihat hour came and went, and still there
was delay. No one seemed to understand
the situation.
Irritation Manifested.
When the Senate had been called to order
and the members had waited patiently for
a time. Speaker Cannen came over from,
the House end OF the Capitol and strolIed
In on the floor. He brought the comfort-
ing assurance that fifteen minutes moro
would see the bills in from the printing
Utlce. An announcement to this effect was
then made on the floor, and the suggestion
mace that the Senate take another recess
until Z O'clock oos'
senator Blackburn thought the Senate
Woutd better take longer recess as tbasa
optimlstic reports had been followed hv
disappointment time and time again
senator Hale then showed a good deal Of
irritation over the manner In which the
Senate had been kept twiddline its tbn,at,s
untii the twilight hours, and he offered a
resolution directing the COMMITTEES on rn,es
- - .anvesugate whether the clerical force
Tor the delay.
Scores the q. p. O.
am told" he said. that the delay is
OWING 10 the inefficiency of the printing de-
pai.iiieht. they have not had capacity
enough. although they have had bours
enough to get the bill ready for the House
and that Is a matter which herea fter we
ought to deal with in our relations u,,th
the printing department They have shown
an entire lack of capacity In this matter
and an entire lack of appreciation of the
beustion. bars.ns. ana instead OF. as has been done
heretofore under other mana cement send.
ing Oils up here early, they have taken
their own time and our delay is simn,v nu,-
ing 10 the lncapacity of the printing office ="
Senator Hale said that both houses ~
Congress had been very much inconI,.,,i
enced by the delay In the enrolImant ond
printing OF bills He was inclined to thtnL
,as,. .nat lhe government printing Office was
hrst time In his experience that thara ba
oeen such delay in getting the bills ready
FOR final action of Congress It was 90,
sentlal. he said. not only for the comfort of
the Senate, but In the interest of legislat,on
that there should be speedy proeress n
finishing up the bills through the stage Of
printing and enrolment He regretted that
ne haa 20 call attention to the fact that
there had been serious tardiness In this re-
SDect. - ~ AZ
do not know where the cause lies" said
Senator Hale. Il know that 1t has occurrad
TOT tne hrst time 1t has been suggested to
me that the new management of the gov
ernment printing Office is so engaged in
other reforms and In enlargement of ,ts
jurisdiction that perhaps It may consider
Instead Of the printing office administrator
10 the convenience Of Congress"
Senator Hale went on to say, with Soma
snow OF feeling, that these departments of
the government do not hesitate to come
to Congress and plead for increased annro-
priattons and other privileges and emolu-
ments. and he felt inclined to insist on
somewhat vigorous inquiries into the ap-
parent failure of this one department to
meet the requirements Of this exigency.
Want to Know Why.
Senator Hale thereupon offered an add-
tionai resolution which directed the COM
mfttee on printing to inquire into the rea-
son for delay in the government printing
office in sending to the Senate the printed
enrolled copies OF bills. resolutions, &c.
Senator Hale went on to say that he
realized that the present public printer had
no experience. in this great work. He had
been brought here end put at the head of
the Office and was said to be q faithful and
competent man. Senator Hale said II was
evident. however, that the government
printer does not realize the Importance in
the last days OF the session Of letting other
work go and attending to the business of
Congress.
Senator Foraker said that he was anx-
ious to fad out where this fault lay. He
did not want the fault placed upon the Sem
ate employees II they were not responsible
Senator Cullom said that some allowance
should be made for the public printer from
the fact that he had been Ill for some time
Both resolutions Of inquiry offered by
Senator Hale were adopted without di-
vision.
Then another recess was declared and
senator's went on to kill more time
Afterward many senators concurred in
saying that throughout their experience
they had never known so many and annoy
ing delays In getting bills from the gov
ernment printing Office.
A prominent republican senator remarked
that 1t seemed very apparent to him that
at the next session of Congress the gov
ernment printing off1ce should be removed
partment and placed under the-sole author
ity of Congress.
NEW RATTwAv TIME