The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-14
Resident Will Withdraw Order 10
Public Printer
ENORMOUS COST OF PLATES
Lands Resolution Passes Without a
Dissenting Vote-Public Sentiment
Is Not Favorable to Change.
Standards Accepted.

Roosevelt will withdraw his simpliied
hereafter all documents of the executive
departments will again be printed in the
old-fashioned style. Representative Lam
dis of the joint committee on spelling
had a conference today with the Pres
dent, when the President said that he
did not wish to have spelling overshadow
matters of great Importance, and ex-
pressed a willingness to revoke his order
for the new spelling in case the House
of Representatives should go on record
as opposed to the system. Accordingly
late this afternoon Mr.. Lands introduced
the following resolution to the House:
Resolved That it is the sense of the
House of Representatives that hereafter
in presenting reports, documents, or other
publications authorized by law ordered
by Congress, or either branch thereof
emanatng from the executive depart
ments, their bureaus and branches. and
Independent officers of the government,
the printing office should observe and ad-
here to the standard of photography pre-
scrbed in generally accepted dictionaries
VI lit lHh6li lhiiS ud6t.
Without Dissenting Vote.
The measure was passed without dis
senting VOTE although MIR. Gillet of Mas
sachusetts, who made a fight for sinl-
plifed spelling before the House commit
tee ON appropriations, and has been re-
garded as the champion of the Pres
ident's attitude, explained that he did not
wish to give the impression that he had
changed his mind. Mr.. Gillet said he
saw that the House was overwhelmingly
against the innovation, and consequently
he bowed to its will.
The system of reform spelling was put
into effect by the President during the
recess of Congress, and all public docu-
ments supplied to the executive depart
ments have been printed in the simple
fled way. These documents have been
pouring in ever since the opening day,
much to the dissatisfaction of large
ma ajority of the members of the House.
AS a result the government printing Of
flee was using two forms of spelling in
public printing, the staid old method for
Congress, and the reform method in the
executive documents
This caused a confusion and comment
unfayorable to the reform and finally
was made an issue between the executive
and legislative departments, the judicial
Department having previously frowned
upon the Presidents order. The commit
tee on printing in its favorable report on
the Lands" resolution stated that the
committee had been governed by the fol-
lowing considerations
Report of Committee.
"In the various reprints of the con-
stitution of the United States adherence
to the original spelling is found in the
majority of cases. The spelling in the
original statutes reflects the forms OF
spelling in vogue at the time of their en-
actment. The various codif1cations OF the
statutes reflect the spelling in vogue at
the time of the adoption of such coditica-
tions The last codifcation adopted was
in 1873.
The subsequent statutes now NUMBER
fourteen volumes covering a period OF
twenty-eight years. Each volume fefects
the spelling in vogue at the time OF the
enactment of the statutes embraced there
in A new coditication is about to be pre-
sented to Congress. Until Congress snail
see fit to order the printing of this pro-
posed codification of the statutes, embrace
ing all the enactments of the laW-maklng
power of the government now IN force,
in some form of spelling other than that
generally accepted by the people, II would
appear to be the part of wisdom Tor the
government in all its branches. in the IN
here to a uniform system of spelling. and
this system should be the one already
most generally recognized and accepted
by the people.
'If Congress shall adhere to the form of
spelling already in vogue as applied to
the statutes, il would appear anomalous
to employ some other form as applied to
all of the preliminary stages of legisla-
ton. including the proceedings of Con-
gress. I'D to the point where these pro-
ceedings are crystalized into law, and
at this point order change In the spell
ing of the perfected legislation to pre-
serve harmony in the photography of the
national statutes.
ssThe executive order under which many
public documents have already been
printed, was issued on the 9th day or
August 1906, and has now been IN force
for more than three months. 1t has been
extensively exploited, and the public mas
ample opportunity to digest the argu-
ments presented in its favor. Without
taking issue as to the relative merits of
any form of spelling, it is evident that
public sentiment as reflected in the news
papers, magazines and other publications
has not been favorable to the proposed
innovation embraced in the executive or
der of August q.
Condition, Not Theory.
"It is therefore a condition and not
theory with WHICH 0OHBItSS Has " dcdl
1t is not believed that the attitude of the
general public would be materially
changed IL the government in all its
branches was to adopt the form of spell
ing prescribed in the executive order re-
ferred to, and only confusion and expense
would result without any commensurate
advantage. even if the new form of spell
ing were deemed preferable. Moreover,
Congress has no assurance even 1T If
should leave present conditions undis-
turbed that the next succeeding adminis-
tration would not revoke the present or
der Much of the matter embraced in the
publications of the government is pre-
served in the form of stereotyped or cleo
trotyped plates. representing enormous
values to the government in the saving
of labor and other expense. All of these
mates would be rendered useless in a
ment by an order in a succeeding admin
istration revoking the executive order OF
August % last
sThe sentiment in Congress is such that
IL must be taken without question that
in the printing done for Congress the
standard dictionaries will continue to be
the accepted authority.
Much of the printing that Is done for