The Washington times., 1906-10-04
Latitude Given Public
Printer in Purchase of
Office Machinery Said
to Be UnWiSe.
CABINET CONTROL
ONE SUGGESTION
RecommendatiOnfor Inaugu-
rating Cost System for
Work Is Now Be-
ing Carried Out

Picturing the Government Print
ing Office as one of the anomalies of
Government organization-a huge.
/ expensive establishment, under sup
ervisiOn of no cabinet officer. re-
sponsible only to the President. pur-
suing it's own way because there is
not adequate law to bring it into
subordinatiOn, spending money. as
in one contract in a lump sum Of
| half a million dollars, absolutely
without superyision--the Keep Com
mission has made a report that
strongly suggests the necessity of
radical legislation in order to make
reform effective.
One of the strange contrasts of
this existing system, as pointed out
by ne commission, is that in buy
ing paper the Public Printer must
have the approval of the joint Com
mittee of Printing of the two
houses of Congress; but in contract
ing for purchase OF machinery. he
is without any supervision what
ever. Illustrate of this remarkable
latitude OF the Public Printers dis
erection, 1t is pointed out that at
one time he bought over $4,000
worth Of typesetting machines with
out the necessity Of receiving ap-
proval from any superior.
Former Recommendations Carried Ont
over a year ago the Keep Commission.
under orders from the President made
"A thorough investigation OF the print
shop methods then Ia vogue. Oscar J.
tickets was at the time acting Public
Printer. and on September 80. 1905. he
submitted 20 the President a statement
on The cost OF the public printing. which
was referred 10 the Keep Commission.
The report OF the Keep Commission
was submitted 10 the President some
time ago, Much OF Il has heretofore
been printed, especially that part re-
lating 10 the duplication OF department
reports. and excessive numbers OF re-
ports and documents issued by Congress.
Also the loose methods EMPLOYED In
sending Government publications 10 pub
lie Libraries, by which as many as three
COPIES Of one publication would often
be sent 20 one institution.
One effect OF the Investigation has
been a reduction in the size Of reports.
and also in the editions But this was
only a minor affair compared 10 the
comment made by the commission on
tl.e authority vested IN the Public
Printer by Congress IN the matter of
purchases. in which the head Of the
gro a.raaa
vision or control"
Make Public Printer Bureau Officer.
In it's report to the President the Keep
Commission says the Acting Public
Printer admitted that the cost Of print
ing I'm the Government Printing Office
can be reduced by better administration,
by better dicipline. by better methods
Of purchasing supplies. by increased use /
OF labOT-saytng machinery. and by dis
pensing with unnecessary employees. %
Some Of the shortcomings OF the Print
ing Office, the commission states. are
due in large measure to the statutes
which govern the office. While the com
mission does not make a formal recon- |
mendation, the suggestion is made that
new law governing the whole subject
should be enacted. II IS suggested that
the administration Of the Printing Of
flee could be materially improved by
making the Public Printer a bureau Of !
fcer under the supervision Of a Cabinet
officer
After commenting on the unit cost Of
work turned out in the Printing Office /
the number of employees, the absence Of
an efficiency record and the easy method
by which employees can slip out of the
building during working hours. the
commission devotes considerable space
TO the Importance of establishing a
proper system of cost-keeping.
Cost-Keeping System Urged.
In its report to the President the
commission says:
There Is not. and never has been, a
system of cost-keeping In that estab-
lishment. The charges made against
the various departments for work or
dered TO be paid for out of the depart
ment allotments for printing do not ac-
curately reflect the cost of the work.
Badly prepared or unedited copy some
times doubles the cost OF turning out the
work without a corresponding increase
in the charge made against the depart
ment furnishing such copy. II the extra
cost of printing, due to badly prepared |
copy could be accurately shown in dol /
lars and cents, and especially IL the de-
paTtments had to paw out Of their allOt- /
ments for printing the extra expense
due 10 such copy and excessive author 8 I
corrections, more care would be taken I
and the waste OF public money from /
this cause materially decreased. An sc