Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-04
AT TIE BIG PRINTER7
NEED FOR PNEUMATIC coNNEc-
TON WITH CAPITOL.

ing a pneumatic tube system between the
Capitol ard the government printing Office
The superintendent of public documents Is
frequently asked to deliver books at the
Capitol The printing office employees mes
senger at night to make the trips he-
tween the Capitol and the prtntery for the
convenience of the editors Of the con-
gressional Record and the committees Oh
Congress. 1t is not infrequent for COM
mittee to send in the draft OF bill at
o'clock in the morning and await the re-
turn of the printed copies. and although
the bill force works with incredible rapid
ity, the time required for the messenger
to make the round trip is a needless dela!
of more than half an hour. II Is the eA-
pressed hope of the printing office that tho
matter be- taken UP and acted on at ah
early date.
The use of typewrfters by the diferenl
departments in preparing copy TOR Inc OF
flee is understood to be of material assls--
ance to the copy editors, compositors ana
proof readers. Especially is tins true siiice
the introduction of typesetting nfacniiles.
enabling the operators to- quickly read ehe
copy and devote more time to the opera
ton of the machine. To enable une ma
chine operators to make good speed ciear
copy is required, as ten minutes spent IN
decirshering the dllegible writing sometimes
supplied is equivalent to an hours time LOST
by a hand compositor. Departmental copy
rreparers are impressed more ana more
with the necessity of furnishing "he os
prlntery with clear copy WHICH uaS oe-
carefully edited.
A rush is being experienced In the metal
melting department by reason OF tne 81
tiyities of the typesettlng macflhes' -.
Mereenthalers are working sixteen hours
a day and THE Lanstons are gradually IN
creasdng their output as the operators pe.
come more experienced. From seven ~
eight filings of the two large furnaces dle
Gov
Unless the matter is to be held In type. the
material il at once sent to the furnaces
the addition of small quantity OF DIS
m,lth and tin putting 1t in good conottloii'
National Union officers.
The members OF District Cabinet. National
ITnIon. have elected and installed the 1ol-
lowing officers, the majority of whom are
employees of the government printing once
President James A. Healy; vice president,
John D. Bidtis speaker, Frank E. F'ersu-
son; secretary, J. d. Borland; treasurer
Charles s. King; chaplain, John X. New
man: usher. Lewis II. Lanman; sergeant
alarms, Elmer Johnson; doorkeeper, J. /.
Burdine Mr.. Charles L. Hendler, the re-
firing president, formerly foreman at the
big printery and now practfcing attorney,
gave a favorable report or the Work ol Ing
preceding year. The District Cabinet Is
composed of delegates from all the couh
ellis In this jurisdiction.
The carpenter shop recently constructed
several mahogany tables for the PUBIC
printers office. and also erected an appro-
pirate railing in the private secretary
room During the past year the shop manu-
featured about 1000 wooden stools OF
various sizes for the use of employees IN the
bindery, folding and press rooms The COM
positors furnish their own-stools one par
ticular style being utll1zed through the jill
ferent divisions.
A detector scale has been furnished the
operators ON the Lanston keyboards, 1ts
purpose being to indicate any particular
letter or figure by placing 1t on the record
strip. Operators are enabled to READ
the perforated paper somewhat after the
manner of declphering shorthand notes, but
In figure work this is more difficult. In case
OF error the operator Is enabled with this
scale to find what figure is to be repeated or
where he is on the copy.
large number Of the visiting Chinese
commissioners who called at the once
said they considered the plant one of the
finest they had seen. Wonderment was ex-
pressed at the typesetting and casting ma
chimes, and the seeming intelligence with
which they carried out their work. For the
Chinese printing however, it is believed,
they would not be available. there being
over 10000 characters in frequent use.
The cashier OF the government printing
Office handles an average of $4,000 per
week. S7OO of which is in fractional cur
rency.
In the Job Bindery.
The Job bindery is completing for limited
distribution to libraries some very inter-
esting publications from the Philippine
printing office at Manila. Among them are
Studies in Moro History, Laws and Re-
iigion: the Nabaloi Dialect, the Bataks of
Palawan. Negritos of Zannbales. the Bon
toe Igrote. chronological Survey publica-
lions and Relaciones Ausustinianos de las
Rozas del Norte de Lizon.
Several new labor-saving machines have
been installed in the foundry. among them
being two benders. ruffer and saw and
beveler combined. The latter is the inven-
ton of Mr.. Michael Shaen. assistant fore
man Of the division
Mr.. l.. c. Hay. foreman Of the job COM
posing room. has returned after few days
rest. The work of the job room during the
month Of January exceeded that of the
same period last year by over 300 jobs. The
force of employees Of the division has been
reduced about 35 per cent during the past
year, owing to the extension of the careful
selection Of plates, the training OF the
workers. and the use of Mergenthaler type
setting machines.
Mr. ]. st. Clair Of the bindery finishing
room is recovering from the effects Of an
operation performed at local hospital.
Employees OF the folding room, paid by the
piece, are considering the advisability OF
petitioning the public printer for permission
to read or sew when there is no work
number of hours each day, and time passes
slowly with no occupation.