The Washington herald., 1907-01-20
EXPLAINS AUDIT SYSTEM.
Writer COrrects Wrong Impression
Concerning G. p. o. Innovation.

Writer COrrects Wrong Impression
Concerning G. p. o. Innovation.
Editor The Washington Huald.
Please allow me space TO correct a
wrong impression regarding the new sys-
TEN Of auditing recently introduced at
the Government Printing Office.
According to a statement OF one Of the
employees quoted In Wednesdays Wash
ington HeraId-the system requires the
printers to account for their time by
drawing a line on the record sheet every
twelve minutes. This. your informant
says, consumes a great deal Of valuable
time. And so It would. If true; but it
happens 10 be a misstatement of fact
throughout.
More or less friction is to be expected
in changing from a lOng-esta biished Gus
tom 20 "a radically new system. What is
simple enough to some is perplexing to
others Before fairly understood, the
new system seems complicated; but as a
matter Of fact it is simplicity itself. as
most intelligent printers will admit within
snort time.
The system may be briefly described as
follows: According to the custom Of years
past. the forenOon's work commences at
o'clock and ends at p One-haIf hour
Is then taken for lunch. At 1880 the
afternoons work commences and con
tinues to 40, when the days work is
complete.
There are two blank forms about eight
inches square) for hand compositors. one
for the forenoon and the other for the
afternoon. Each OF these is divided into
twenty-five columns, half Of which are
blank. some to be filed out by the com
positor and others By the office
Under the head "A. NJ" for instance.
clock time is printed. increasing by
twelve minutes, thus: 500. SIP. s.24. SIS,
&c. 10 1900. Under "P. NJ" sheet No. .,
is 1890. 1886, l2.lS. &c. to $3.50.
When the compositor commences work
in the morning and receives copy he en-
ters the Jacket number Of same in the
column under that head and opposite 500
o'clock. Now. instead Of having to stop
work and draw a line every twelve
minutes" as your informant stated, the
cOmpositor is not required 10 make an
other entry on his record until he IS
through with that jacket number, or
until he takes up other work. Then. and
then only, he records the change of work
by simply drawing a straight line under
the hour, which need not consume more
than ten seconds. Sometimes a single
jacket number will run for several hours
The point, or column. at which the line
drawn by the compositor stops, desig-
mates the work performed, whether COM
position. office corrections. authors cor
reCtions. makeup. distribution, or mis-
cellaneOus.
When the system is fully understood
by all and faithfully carried out it will
present a fairly accurate account If the
work of the Office II viii enable the
Public Printer to readily ascertain just
what each man. or each division, or
branch Office is doing. The worker, as
well as the drone. may be spotted"
One great advantage Of the new sys-
TEN will be in its showing the cost of
authors corrections. Under the old sys-
TEN Tor lack OF SYSTEM this has been
difficult to arrive at. Authors changes
and corrections (the printers nightmare
will sometimes raise the cost Of a job
to nearly twice what it ought to be. This
is one Of the principal reasons why gov
eminent printing often costs more than
similar work done by private concerns.
The system will have a tendency to
cause authors to carefully revise their
manuscript before sending it to the
printer.
The old custom Of stamping a slip on
commencing a take and repeating the
process on it's completion. occupied more
time than Is required under the new
system.
It required considerable nerve. no doubt.
to get out of the old ruts and adopt this
new and unique system of keeping tab"
but the results will amply repay the
Public Printer for his foresight and any
chances he took. CHARLES II. COE,
TaDpdoD d c