Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
NEWS OF BIG PRINTERY
COPY TO BE CAREFULLY EDITED
-aENERAL MATTERS.

It IL stated that the recommendation OF
the Secretary of Agriculture last summer
that copy be thoroughly edited before being
sent to the government printing ONCE ss
being taken up by many Of the departments
and results in the saving of the cost of
making the many corrections and the time
necessary to properly prepare the copy at
the Office for the compositor.
Except in case of q particular rush OF
copy at the Office all the tabular matter af-
ter being edited is placed In the hands Of
the regular caster Mr.. M. v. B. Stevens
whose work for twenty years has been to
indicate on each folio of tabular matter
the width in ems Of each column of the ta
BILE. Since the introduction OF typesetting
machines the practice of casting tables to
the minimum width has been gradually
abandoned and an endeavor made to assist
the operator by eliminating fractional col
umns A job which has given the editorial
experts considerable trouble in the past the
Indian contract tables, has been eliminated
this spring.
The Navy, Department recently appointed
a committee to go over the blank forms
and other regular printed matter issued
from that Office. This committee will also
have power to regulate the number and ex-
tent Of the publications issuing from that
department..
The compositors detailed to keyboard
work In the specification division are said
to be making excellent progress, the entire
battery of machines not being required to
get out On average sized issue. 1t is said
that the reason the printing Office officials
place competitors the typesetting ma
chimes is that they are familiar with the
many technicalities of the government
work.
Value Of Plate Vault.
II the new printing regulations work out
as predicted there will be an additional
value placed on the facilities of the immense
plate vault under the North Capitol and G.
street sidewalks 1t is expected that in a
few months there will be decided increase
in the number Of reprints Of publications.
the tendency appearing to be to cut the
number OF copies ordered as a first print
to minimum.
The removal of the manufacturing divi-
sions to the new building will, 1t is be-
lieved, give the necessary space for suit
able library for the superintendent Of pub
lie documents and enable the proper CLASH
hcation and indexing Of the tons Of books
which now lie in heaps on the various
floors.
There is said to be sufficient pages of
dead type in the office to keep the force
Of printers busiIy employed distributing for
four months. 1t is not probable, however,
that all this type will be distributed even
If there should be nothing else to do. much
OF it having been superseded by the ma
chine composition.
An idea of the magnitude Of the opera
lions of the big printery can be gained from
the statement that about 200 worth Of
paper Is used for proof sheets, tablets. cards
and other incidentals during the year by
the workers.
A notice to the editor Is stamped on every
Mergenthaler proof sent from the Job room
to the departments stating that the type is
machine set and requesting that as few
changes be made as possible to avoid delay
and extra cost.
Mr.. G. F. Avery of the bindery is the lat
est addition to the list of designations from
the printing service.
Mr.. w. B. Dorsey has been transferred
to the paper warehouse force.