Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-08
SHOULD OWN PLANT
q. p. o. NAY HAVE ILLUsTRAT-
ING PLANT.

There win be a strong fight made at the
next session OF Congress to provide Hth-
ographic and general illustrating plant in
connection with the government printing
Office. 1t is claimed that such plant not
only could do the work at about half the
present price, but that It would do It a.
wen or better and much more promptly.
The beauties of private graft as applied
to public utilities are well exemplified in
the difficulties experienced by most of the
scientific bureaus of the government In get
ting out their illustrated publications with
In a reasonable length of time. Attention
has been called to the lamentable fact that
two important reports In the geological sur
vey on the f1uorspar deposits Of the Ken
tucky-Illinois district were held up for
months because the Illustrations were not
delivered. It is impossible to tell when the
papers may be available for distribution
although one of them left the authors
hands in June and the other in July of last
year.
In the meantime valuable knowledge Is
withheld from miners and investors that
might have been at their command for
months, had the private parties engaged to
supply the photographic plates used as Illus
trations performed their work as promptly
as the government employees did.
Reports Delayed.
There have been times during the past
winter when dozens Of important economic
reports have been hung up on the peg In
all of the scientific departments of Wash
fngton awaiting the convenience of some
lithographing from New York, Chicago
Boston, Buffalo or Cincinnati.
Government Cheaper.
1t is easy to show that the work could
be done more quickly and more cheaply
and more satisfactorily in government
plants erected for the purpose in Washing
ton One chief cause of delay lies in the
fact that so much time is consumed in the
transmission of proof sheets, corrections
and letters Of explanation through the mail
and express office. If the illustrations were
made in Washington by government en-
ployes authors and illustrators could work
together more intelligently, and a class OF
illustrators would gradually be trained to
the special needs of government work.
When the matter of expense Is considered
the experience of certain scientist in the
United States geological survey, who under
stands photography as well as geology, is
instructive. While connected with the
geological survey of a certain northern
state he told the state geologist that he
would engage to do a certain piece OF litho-
graphic work at half the sum named by
the lowest outside bidder, whatever 1t was.
The lowest sum was 81 300. He took the
job at $500 and declares that 1t Melted him a
profit of $500. Later, while In the employ
of another state survey, he did the litho-
graphic work of the year at the regular
contract price of $4,000. He not only pro-
vided about twice as many plates as outside
parties had furnished for the same sum
during previous years, but he had $4,000
left over to pay him for his trouble. II
would seem that 1t should cost the federal
government no more to do its own litho-
graphing than it does now to farm 1t out,
and the results should be more satisfac-
tory.