Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-28
on BUSINESS BASIS
Changes IN Official and Techni-
cal Routine at G. P. o.
SUPERVISION OF DETAILS,
Immense Output Of Printed Matter
in Year.
THoUsAEDs OF TONS OF PAPER
# Properly Placed Sheets Would
Circle Globe Three Times,
With Paper to Spare.
THoUsAEDs OF TONS OF PAPER

The plans evolved by Public Printer
Sfillfngs for placing the government print
Ing office on a thorough business basis are
becoming more apparent as the changes
In the official and technical routine are
made. the continuous chain scheme of car
rying on the work being so slowly devel-
oped that employees and executives have
no difficulty in conforming to the changed
conditions. The office of the foreman of
printing is developing into a more per
sonal supervision OF the details of the
work of the composing divisions, press
room. paper warehouse. foundry and other
departments having to do with the pro-
duction outside of the bindery which is
entirely under the control of the foreman
of binding. Messrs. Otis and Buchanan
act as Mr., Young's personal representa-
tives In matters pertaining to printing
while Mr.. Mcfarland, the latest addition.
TO the force, has supervision over the press
work, foundry and roller manufactory
Specific duties have been assigned to
the clerical divisions at the big printery
while the chief engineer now has charge
OF both buildings. supervision of the en-
gineer and electrical forces, the machine
and carpenter shops. the watch force and
the charwomen. A number of promotions
have been made in the clerical force of
the executive and documents Office to
equaiize the pay of employees to the same
rate for similar services.
Work of Press Division.
The vast amount of mechanical energy
exhibited in the press rooms OF the gov
eminent printing Office is the marvel of
visitors, especially to those with sufficient
knowledge of the technical detail to COM
prehend the immensely and perfection of
the output. The common expression of
owners of small plants when visiting the
big printery is that 1T beats the world"
and this is eSDeclallV frna Of no IF
ments where the naturalization of brain
energy becomes printed fact. The major
portion of the press work at the Office is
performed In the main press room, where
225 persons are employed and seventy
presses of the latest and most approved
pattern are in use.
An idea of the magnitude of the opera
tions Of this division of the government
publishing house may be gained from the
fact that for the fiscal year just ended
217.9o2,036 impressions were made, 1868
forms put to press and thousands of tons
of paper transformed from material to
the medium of conveying to the world in
formation as to the operations of the fed
eral government. The average number of
impressions per day for the past fiscal
year was 720,205. requiring the making
ready of 3o3 forms daily. The largest
number of forms put to press in one day
was 721, while the record for number of
impressions was 1,613,055 as days run.
The sheets of paper handled In the main
press room during the past fiscal year, if
pidtSa cho ~ Cilus Woulu iiiohS SSIip VI
paper thirty Eight inches wide, printed
both sides, long enough to reach three
times around the earth and then from
Washington to San Francisco and back
and still leave surplus sufficient to cover
a bicycle path from Washington to the
Black Hills in South Dakota! When it is
remembered that the average run is but
2,039 impressions the number of distinct
and individual publications gotten out at
the national printery can be compre-
hended
Absence Of Shafts and Belts.
The impression of neatness conveyed to
the visitor is largely augmented by the
entire absence of shafts and belts each
press being operated by individual
tor, the government printery being among
the first to utilize electrical energy in
manufacturing of this character. The card
press is perhaps the greatest labor saving
machine employed, wide rolls of cardboard
being transformed into cards printed on
both sides at the rate of 500, 900 per day.
This machine turns out duplicate sets of
four cards at one operation, the product
being largely used by the weather bureau
and the Post Office Department, and
jackets calling for several million cards
of frequent occurrence. All long runs are
placed on either the rotary machines or
the presses equipped with automatic feed
ers.
The presswork of the job composing
room is done in a separate division located
on the seventh floor for convenience in
handling the forms. A large part of the