The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-05
: u !. !, a. Il \
PRINTERS WASTED
NATIONS MILLIONS
Evidence Found Of Extravaganza
Costing $15,o0o,o00 in
Fifteen Years.
= -.
ARTICLES THROWN AWAY
WORTH MUCH AS JUNK
Thoro Probe of Conditions in
Governments Big Shop
Planned.
BY W.. w. Jermane, Colorado Building

BY W.. w. Jermane, Colorado Building,
Washington, D. c.
Washington, Dec. 5.-When the house
committee on appropriations gets
around to its hearings on the sundry
civil appropriation bill, the coming win
ter, there is to be very complete in
quiry into the administration of affairs
at the government printing office, and
it is believed by members of the COM
mittee who have already made investi-
cations on their own hook, that the re-
suit will be so startling as to bring
down upon the printery the condemna-
ton of the entire country
The inquiries thus far made seem to
show that the present administration of
Mr.. stillings, public printer, with which
printing office employees are finding so
much fault, is the only business like
and In other ways satisfactory admin
istration the printing office has had for
more than a generation. Mr.. Stillirgs
is going forward, making careful in
vestlgations into all branches of the big
office, and wherever these investiga-
lions suggest it, he is issuing orders
which amount to a complete revolution
of methods. Naturally, the employees
who are Immediately affected, cry aloud.
Tor their particular employment is being
1nterfered with, but on the whole the
figures and other results show that Mr.
Stillings is gradually putting the print
ing. office on a business basis and les
senlng the cost Of administration at a
rate that is fairly startling. The re-
duetlon last year was million dollars,
as compared with the years before.
Criminal Use Of Cash.
Recently subcommittee from the
house appropriations committee made
an unofficial tour of the printing Of
fice, and the things they saw there
point unerrlngfy to the conclusion that
there has for years been a criminal
waste of the public money in printing
office management. A few items by
way, of specification will be of interest
IN this connection:
There was found slowed away in one
OF the unoccupied rooms of the print
ing office discarded type worth $4,000
If sold as old lead. Most of this type
was in perfect condition. It represents
the discard of successive public print
ers, who seem to have had the idea that
when they took hold it was their duty
to abandon all the type that had been
In use, no matter what it's condition,
and install type of their own.
In another part of the building the
subcommittee found more than z165, 900
pounds of new type, bought ten years
ago, and never taken out of the boxes
IN which it was delivered. Why. this
new type was ever bought if it was not
and use it, nobody now can tell. The
cost OF this single item was many hun
dreds Of thousands of dollars
The subcommittee also found among
the printing office rubbish twelve
stitching machines, formerly used in
the bindery. These machines, which
are of a standard make, cost $1,000
each. They were used two years, when
q new public printer came along and
put them aside for others which he for
some reason thought would do better
work. The discarded machines are as
good as new, and can be sold at any
time for $1,000 each At the same
time, each year that they are permitted
to stand among the rubbish at the
printing office lessons their value. The
machines which took their places, it is
said by the employees, are not as good
as the old machines.
In going over the building the sub
committee found an almost amending
array of duplication of work, two and
three sets of men being employed in
doing the work that one set of men
ought to do.
The items specified above are merely
few of very many, and suggest to
the newspaper reader the need that
there is in the government printing Of
fee of thoro overhauling such as
Mr.. Stillings is now engaged in.
The situation has been called to the
atttytion Of Chairman Tawney of the
appropriations committee, and he has
arranged to have all tha facts brought
out when the committee takes up the
ssundry. civil appropriat5 bill. These
facts will be publishsain.sbook form.
and will be acknowledgements in organ
lied labor centers, FOR asft:sis assumed
that when the government fgets ready
to back Mr.. Stlllings up and tell him to
go the full limit in putting the printing
office on proper business basis, there
will be howl from the employees who
will be affected that will make itself
heard in the hall of every organized
labor union in the United States. The
trouble which Mr.. Stillings has already
had in his work of reform is merely a
promise of what is to come, should his
Cost Million Year.
An estimate, made this week bv one
of the most careful men. in congress,
is that mismanagement, resulting in ex-
travagance and all sorts of criminal
waste, has cost the government, in the
past fifteen years, more than $15,00O,-
600. This waste was in full swing
when MI. Stillings became public print
er. and 1t was the understanding before
he received his commission that it was
to be his principal duty to see that the
administration was made economical
and Of character to repel fair criti-
cism. Mr.. Stillings took hold, deter
mined to carry out his instructions, and
before he had been in office month
the trouble began. He has been hauled
over the Goals scores of times by the
Washington newspapers, which seem to
be under the influence of the labor I'M
ions, and repeated efforts have been
made to convince the country that his
administration was failure and he
himself an ignoramus in printing office
mattels.- But Stillings has kept at
work, along the lines originally laid
out, and now that he is to have the
loyal support of Chairman Tawney and
the great committee on appropriations
OF the house of representatives, it be-
gins to, look as if the reforms in which
ne IS =, Interested would be carried out.
St1lllngs has undoubtedly made mis-.
takes, but they are said to be of a
minor character, SO far as the business
OF the big printery, viewed in the bulk,
IS concerned. His Judgment has not at
all times been good, and at times he
mas been somewhat deficient in tact.
But the general policy which he has in
augurated, it is said at the capitol is.
the policy >7p.eh is to rulefin the mint
ing Office GaTaa flor