The Washington times., 1906-09-20
SPELLING MUTINY
GROWS MANIFEST
IN DEPART TMENTS
Public Printer and Off
ciaIS At Odds Over
Presidents Order

The simplifed spelling which the
President has ordered the Public Priu-
ter 20 use in the publication Of execu-
tive and departmental correspondence.
and departmental publications, has al
ready provoked some sharp comment
IN several departments. And again
the matter has been brought to the
Presidents attention with a request
that he once more state exactly what
he means"
Last week Public Printer SullIngs
received the first kick" against the
simpHhed spelling. The protest came
from the Department Of Commerce and
Labor and the Bureau OF Education
The copy as sent 20 the Printing once
was written according to standard
spelling. but when the proof came back
to the authors they found many sim
plihed words. and they proceeded to
correct them" But the revised proof
showed up prominently without the
corrections. And then the departments
jumped on Public Printer Stlungs for
not following copy. The Public
Printer. however. only smiled and
called attention to the order he had
received from the President OF the
United States, the order setting forth
that the Public Printer was 70 use the
new SlmpllueQ SpelHnB.
Follows Presidents Orders.
As the Public Printer said today 10
a Times reporter, he had no discretion
IN the matter; that he had received his
orders from the President. and until
the President modified the order sim
plihed spelling would be used In the
Printing Office. Public Printer still
[ ings said he wrote the department Off
Cials stating that he was carrying out
the Presidents instructions IN using
the simpllhed spelling, and that II any
one thought be was in error there was
/ only one thing for the department 90
do, and that was 10 submit the matter
TO the President for a decision.
But tie Department Of Commerce
and Labor and the Bureau Of Educa-
tiOn are not the only ones to give a
holler" against the new order Of spell
ing. The Navy Department and the
Treasury Department have also emit
ted a fierce yell because the Public
Printer still insists on following the
Presidents order.
Naval Officials Kick.
The navy officials are specially sore
at the neW way of spelling passed. %
OHicIals Of the Bureau OF Navigation in
slst that the title passed assistant sur
geOn" should not be spelled phonetically
past" that the law spells II passed.
and 1t should be so printed IN all orders
issued by the bureau. Changes in the
copy OF the letter press from the Hy-
geographic ONCE brought from the Off
/ GERS OF that bureau q terrific scream.
! They are set against the slmplided
spelling. They called the matter 20 the
attention Of Secretary BOnaparte. with
the result that he has now put II up
10 the President
Comptroller Of the Treasury. TrdceWell
and Comptroller of the Currency Ridge
/ ly ordered some stationery from the
/ Printing Ofice. When they received u
thev found that the title OF their office
/ had been shortened by one letter %
/ conform with the new spelling or Con
trOller." This was too much. Trace
/ well is quoted as saving there was no
/ such office as Controller" He was hot,
and so was R1dgely. But, as an Official
( or the Treasury said, Il the two gentle
men would consult webster" the
/ Century" or the STANDARD" dicti0n-
I aries they would find that Comptroller
had long since been anglaclzed and Is
now almost universally spelled Con
/ trOIler"
Public Printer Stillings said today that
tns complaint or the Navy Department
oIncials mad not been made 10 him. Jhat
ne knew nothing about II except what
ne nad read II the morning papers.