Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04
BIRTHDAY OF THE G.P. O.
WAS OFFICIALLY ESTABLISHED
FoRTY-FIvE YEARS AGO.


by vote OF 100 to SO passed joint reso-
luton May 81. 1850. providing for the estab-
lishment of a government printery. and
June 10 the Senate concurred by a vote of
81 to IA. Previous to this time the public
printing had been subjected to a varied
existence. Congress in 1859 made small
appropriation for printing the Acts OF
Congress and 700 copies Of the Journal
OF Congress, afterward known as the Con-
gressional Globe and now the Congress
sional Record. The public printing was
the cause of acrimonious debates in the
early history of legislative action, partisan
contention and bitter quarrels often re-
sulting.
Until the year 1910 the public printing
let to the lowest bidder, which proved
both expensive and unsatisfactory IN
March of that year a resolution was passed
authorizing the election of printer and
fixing the price to be paid for composition
and STIMULATING the quality of paper and
size of type. Efforts TO dismiss the printer
in lS4l nearly resulted in a duel between
Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky and Sena-
tor King of Alabama. The head OF the
office in 1867 was known as Congressional
Printer. but in 1876 the office of Pubilc
Printer was created, and many of the
present printing laws were enacted IN a
primitive form.
The amount expended for public printing
at the present time does not seem so large
compared with S510.Si4.i2 appropriated In
1861 The names and succession in the
office of public printers is as follows; John
D. Defrees, Cornelius Wendell. John u.
Defrees, A. NJ. Clapp, Sterling +. kounds'
Thomas E. Benedict. Frank w Paimer,
Thomas E. Benedict, Frank W. PaIiiler ana
Charles A Stillings. The present mag
nifcent plant is the result of a strenuous
career from the $4,000 appropriated IN
1883 for 'Firewood, stationery and print
ing work" and it's future is bright for a
more satisfactory and better appreciated
exemplifcation of the topographic art.
No Reduction in Ruling Room
One of the departs ents of the govern
ment printing office that has not been seri-
ously curtailed by the reduction in the
public printing is the ruling room. In
many cases the departments are using
blank books for recording and filing in
stead of having printed copies, and this is
said to tend TO increase the work OF the
job division and the press and runng rooms;
Ii is understood that more complicated
work is turned out by the ruling division
than from any similar workshop In the
country. Automatic feeders on many OF
the machines give regularity or acton ana
rapidty for long runs while the other
mocha nism in the division is appropriate
for rapid and active work. The use OF
Langvoit's bars, the invention of a former
foreman enable ten patterns TO be run al
one operation, besides picking up different
footing.
The failure of the present printing law
to provide for depositing copies OF hearings
before congressional committees IN sofne
suitable library is alleged to result IN the
loss of much valuable information Ihese
hearings cover a wide range OF SUBJECTS,
and the committees endeavor to bring out
all the facts connected with the subject
under investigation. Matters relating 10
ship and irrigation canals, railroad rate
legislation, polygamy intemperance, strikes
and many other subjects which Will again
come before Congress have been thoroughly
gone over In some instances these hear
ings are reprinted as congressional docu-
ments but many times the printing Is only
for the use OF the committee
The public printer is authorized to retain
not to exceed five copies of every volume
turned out at the big printery, but custom
has decreed that every copy Of committee
hearing shall be delivered to the chairman
The usual number of copies of committee
hearings printed is fifty. but the amount
is regulated according 10 the SIZE vi .lIe
committee and the Importance OF the SUB
Ject. -. o.,
The cost would be but few cents Tor
printing ten extra copies OF cominlutee
hearings" an official of the big prlntery
said recently. only this week the senate
found that Senator Tillman was reauihs
from a committee hearing and tnat there
were only enough copies Tor tne Use 80, ol
a rush order TO print several thousand laore
for the use of senators and others inter-
ested."
In Heaps on Floor.
ut is also too bad that the thousands OF
valuable books thrown in miscellaneous
heaps on the floors of the old building could
nor he assorted and made available to the
reading public" added the printing once
ev,ert ."These volumes were received
fro m the different departments In exchahse
for other publications or TOT ocnments and
among them are many books that Woulu
bItug ldige sums If sold at auction. Lh ie
are .Cports. histories maps DIG ,ra
ek,.tcl es and other interesting Voiulhes,
many of them printed fifty or sixty years
ago they are not all government PUBL
cetions either and there they lie, taxing
up valuable space ana OF not nc con-
value to any one III 'heii
The drinking water at the governnl zen
printing office is said to De the pest Luz ,
pished at any of the large places Oh en-
nIovment in the District. The water Is III
cred twice. and then run through tank
containing a coil Of pipes, ana "heH ~ -
drawn from any of the seventy usii t,3
fountains II is at temperature OF ABOUT
~ degrees The refrigerating plant Ior
cooling the water is run by smai uyha-
mo. and IL is said that some months ago an
inexperienced employe allowed the enhi i
10 run too fast. and in rev minutes
everything about the refrigerating appa-
ratus was frozen solid.
What turned out to be a practical joke
was played on an employe OF one OF tle
caustic comments on the system or vent!ia-
ton OF the new building, and saying that
the exhaust fans at the top OF the exhaust
shafts were not running. he was asked TO
throw his soft hat in front OF one or the
registers which was ten or twelve feet from
the floor He did so. and to his surprise
the hat was held there by the current OF
air. and he was compelled to get long
pole in order 10 recover his hat.
Report of Philippine Commission.
The report of the Philippine commission
is passing through the big mill, - and gives
evidence of instructions TO cut out every
thing but the essential parts.
II should think the editor would get a
rubber stamp and print the word omit
with il instead of taking the time to write 1t
out so many times was the comment of
an employe.
The report will contain much information
regarding matters pertaining to the Ameri-
can occupation of the Islands. 1t Is said
that the report on matters relating to the
establishment OF schools and the anxiety of
the people TO acquire an education will
prove especially interesting to educators.
The hot water supplied to the wash rooms