Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-26
LIMITING PRINTING WASTE
Saving of Quarter Million Year in
Government Office in Sight.
PROPOSALS
OUTLINES
PERKINS
VAST Improvement Already Elected
In Preparation and Condensation
OF Reports - Half Million Tn
necessary Volumes Yearly.
(From a stan Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.--(SpecIaL) The
first step toward real economy in the eX-
penditure of government money is likely
to be taken in connection with the appro-
prations for the public printer. For some
months past commission has been hard
at work inquirng into the expenditures of
the government printing office ana next
week a bill will be introduced in the house
embodying the views of this commission.
The two men who have given the most
thought and attention TO this work of
economy are MIR. Lands of Indiana ana
MIR. Perkins of New York. The latter was
asked to outline the proposed changes ana
in response he said
Il have prepared a bill modifying the
present printing laws. This [ shall sub
NIT to the printing commission, consisting
OF Senator German, Mr.. Lands and my
self, and / trust we shall report a bill be-
fore long. How far they will adopt my
views | 10 not know, but after all our
investigation ! think we should have some
legislation. l don't like investigating and
then doing nothing, and the way to i'm
prove the situation is to make some reason
able changes.
The cost of the government, printing
has increased from s2.00O,OOO ten or twelve
years ago, to about S1,GO.00O. 1t is I'M
necessary 20 say that this increase is out
of proportion and that there has been
was;efulness in every branch. Much of
this waste can be remedied by improved
administration, and l am glad to say that
already. under the impetus given by this
investigation, there have been great i'm
provements. Mr. Stiliings, the new public
printer, is an excellent man. He is intelli-
gent and he is not afraid.
Editing saves Much Waste.
In the departments, the various subordi-
mates have had impressed upon them the
fact that they must get their reports in
some sort of shape, condense them as much
as possible, and that the manuscript must
be sent to the printing Office in such con-
dition that the cost OF composition won
be doubled by corrections made in the
proof. These changes soon come to very
large figures. The saving in the report Of
the comptroller Of the currency for 1900
when compared with his report for 1904, will
be $4,000, and the report for this year will
be more serviceable than the former one.
An enormous amount OF useless detail has
been cut out The reports of the commits
soner of education are published every year
at the expense of the government, contain
ing a detailed list of the attendance of every
school i'm the country. filling almost two
great volumes with figures that nobody
reads Such detail is OF no value. There
has grown up in many branches of the
government diseased taste for statitics,
no matter what the cost of collecting them
and OF publishing them. and no matter how
little the practical value OF what Is col
lected. II these school statistics furnished
by the commissioner of education were pub
lished once in five years this would be am
ple. ard there would be a saving of at least
$50 800 year on that item alone.
''In the bill. as have drawn 1t, there is
a reduction I'm the number OF many gov
eminent publications. When million vol
umes have accumulated in the house and
senate folding rooms and nobody wants
them IL Is perfectly clear that we are fool
ing away the peoples money. either by
publishing things they don't want at all. or
by publishing larger editions than are re-
qured by the governments needs,
May Cut Ont a Half Million.
''I should say, at a guess. that II all
the changes ] propose are adopted, the
number OF volumes turned out from the
government printing ONCE would be at
/ least 100000 less annually than are now
/ turned out by the provisions OF the law
and possibly 10000. 1 don't hesitate 10
say that the publication of these 10000 or
/ 5OoOOO books could be stopped without any
| harm TO anybody. Barns and cellars would
| no longer have 10 be hired by the gov
/ eminent to store trash that cannot be
| distributed Some of the chiefs OF minor
bureaus, who think that the government
exists only TO exploit their greatness.
would have to send out somewhat
smaller number OF their own effusions I;
they would have 10 curtsll their length
and reduce their cost. The people could
! bear up under this without repining.
"Of course / don't suppose that all the
recommendations I have made will be
adopted by the committee, and probab bly,
even II they all were adopted by the com
mittee some OF them would not be adopted
bv congress Any reduction i'm govern
mental expenses affects the purse the
pride or the vanity OF someone. Still, these
efforts are not without their use think
the expense OF the government for print
ing during the present year will be $4,000
less than they were last year, and II all
the reforms and changes are carried out