Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-12
BIG PRINTING PLANTS
Systems Adopted by Govern
ments of the World.
UNCLE SANS THE FINEST
Large Sums Of Money Expended and
Many Men Employed.
JAPANESE EXHIBIT PROGRESS
Mexico the Only Southern Republic
Which Owns a Plant-United
States Equipment.
UNCLE SANS THE FINEST
JAPANESE EXHIBIT PROGRESS

Mr.. Charles W. Paf1ow, author of The
Mysteries of the Winter Palace" and who
Is employed as proofreader at the gov
eminent printing office. has spent much
time In securing accurate information with
regard to the public printing of the other
nations OF the world In this he has been
aided by the State Department, which put
him in communication with the United
States consuis at the leading capitals OF
Europe and with those at the seats Of gov
ernment in Canada Mexico, the principal
south American states, Australia and Japan
From these gentlemen he received a vast
fund OF authentic data about public print
Ing all over the world.
A representative of The Star recently in
terviewed Mr. Paffiow upon this subject
and In the course Of the conversation he
stated that he had In his possession reliable
data on the subject Of public printing from
practically all civilized countries, except
those In the municipalities of the Danube.
Inc EnguSh government he stated Is
extremely conservative and Is slow In maxi
ing changes. The Office of royal printer in
England Is more than 400 years old and
the incumbent still adheres to the plan
OF letting its printing to private contract
as it adheres to the plan Of buying and
seiilng commissions in the army. The gov
eminent printing of England Is under the
control Of His Majestys Stationery Of
fce." This office contracts for the print
Ing and the material used The total cost
OF this branch of the service for the year
1903 was nearly $40O0O00. Messrs. Eyre e
Spottiswoode are the principal contractors
or the printing. comparison of the cost
OF printing for England with the expense
OF our government printing in proportion
to population will show at a glance that
our work is done more economically.
Colonies Have Their Own.
All the leading British colonies have their
own plants and do their own work In
Canada the contract system was In opera
ton up to 1889, when the government estab-
lished its own printing office.
The late DR.. Dawson, kings printer. in
his last report to the dominion parliament
refers at length to the beneficial results
from the change from the contract system
10 the government system and sums up
the whole question in the following sem
tence: "A government contractor cannot
nave the interest Of the government at
heart' but Ia working in the contrary d.
rectlon-to make the most he can OF his
contract. The case Of the printing bureau
1s the case Of government ownership of
capital, resulting in benefit to the public
py having It's work better done at a lower
cost, and In benefit to the work-people by
anordfng to them out of what would other
wise be private profit the most favorable
conditions. of labor compatible with econ
omy and efficiency
The Canadian government nrtntjng Of
flee favors unionism decidedly; no work.
man can enter there unless he is member
OF the union of his trade The government
realized saving of some $4,000 year
since the establishment of it's own print
Ing office. Australia also has its own
printing plant.
The French Equipment.
France does its own public printing. The
rOVal nripftnp dat hoe
the civil wars interfered with its develop
ment and the imprimerie rationale was
really founded by Louis XIII in 1910. It
claims to be the best equipped printing
| plant in the world, and Is said to possess
| 1900 different faces Of type A newspaper
account of the visit of Pope Plus VII to
| this institution a hundred years ago saws
| that when the pope passed each of the $50
| presses 1t printed pater noster In a DIFF
ferent language. Altogether there were
used on this occasion as European as
Asiatic and II African languages The i'm
| primerfe employs some 1,300 compositors
and the total expense of the printing for
| the year 1908 was 100000 francs
Germany's Civil Service Rules.
| The imperial printing office of Germany
| was established soon after the organi-
| zation of the German empire in 1871 1t
| employs some 1880 persons under civil
service rules similar to those prevailing
| here. After ten years of service the en-
ployes receive If invaded, in addition to
| the old age insurance, a regular pension
| which is fixed according to the conditions
and circumstances in each individual case.
The budget for 1904 of this institution was
6.45O.0 marks, of which 2,225, 900 marks
was for labor. This establishment operat ties
Its own type foundry, which turns out
$1,000 pounds of type annually.
The imperial government printing office
of Austria was established lin 1904. The
building was destroyed by fire in 1884.
The new plant was completed and occupied
in 1891. The building is seven stories high.
costing some 100000 forms. In appear
ance II looks much like our own printing
Office here In Washington. The number
of employees Is something over 1000. I
have no exact data relative to the annual
cost of the output of this institution. Like
the German printing office. the employees
receive pension and sick benefit.
Russia's Plant.
Russia has a government printing Of
fee The state printing Office of Rus
sia was founded in 1925, and 1t does gov
eminent work and private printing as
well. The total number OF employees Is
500 They work ten hours per day, with
two hours for dinner. a holiday of a week
on Christmas and three days on Easter
The annual expense of the institution Is
100000 rubles for the main office at st.
Petersburg. There are. in addition print
ing offices in most OF the provinces oper-
ated by the central government, besides
a number of municipal printing offices in
the leading cities.
The state printing Office is located at The
Hague, where there are employed about
100 compositors, forty pressmen and ten
binders There are also municipal printing
offices In the leading cities under the con-
troll of the burgomasters, but I have no
accurate information in regard to the cost
Of these institutions.
One Of the Best In Europe.
Portugal has one of the best equipped
government printing offices In Europe. 1t
was created by the famous Marquis of
Pombal in 176S This institution does all
the government printing and also private
printing for profit. and not only pays its
working expenses, but contributes some
what important sum to the public treasury
Empoyes when incapacitated for further