The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-17

Total paid or contracted to be paid 10
Audit system Cor installing cost-accouutirg
system and making inventory 80
The Audit System also undertook 10 re-
I form the bookkeeping of the office. but
their operations in that branch OF the es-
4 adjustment We're not successful At the
/ present time there is practically no book
keeping. as il is understood elsewhere.
and the confusion is such tEst in many
! Instances il has been very difficult TO Sc
cure trustworthy figures.
The Government Printing Office cost
problem seems. indeed 20 have been
much larger than any similar problems
which Mr.. Raynor had previously han
died. and I am inclined 10 believe, from
the statements made 10 me. that he made
frequent mistakes OF judgment in his or
ganizing operations. the cost Of which
was borne by The printing ONCE. In
Vulnerable blanks were designed in con
nection with the system. many OF which
were scarcely put into use before being
discarded. and some, understand, were
never used at all.
Inserted on Blanks.
Moreover. The Audit System. with the
Public Printers sanction, inserted upon
every blank (some Of which were
standard printing Office blanks. while
some were estimate blanks, bnIheads.
&c, possessing no symptom OF original
ity). proprietary line. Designed for the
exclusive use Of the Government Print
ing Office by The Audit System. 81 Duane
street. New York This offensive advar-
tisement outraged the sense Of propriety
of every employee. for whatever the fail
ings Of Federal employees may be- the
discipline and atmosphere OF the civil
service Of the United States unquestion-
ably creates keen pride in government
work. and q sensitiveness TO any DEPART
ure from official dignity IN connection
Herewith.
The amount and variety Of blanks de-
vised by The Audit System were bewil-
dering. Much OF the time OF the lob
room was consumed upon work Of this
character. From October. 1906. to Feb
ruary, 1S0S. Sos pieces Of printing. directly
or Indirectly required by The Audit Sys-
TEN. were produced in the job room. 7
find ii difficult. without a great deal Of
clerical labor, TO separate the cost Of dis
tinctly audit printing from miscellaneous
printing requirements of the Office but
the cost of blanks. &c. bearing the audit
imprint, made in the printing Office from
July l. 1907. to February 10 1908. was
Sl4,Sl63. In addition. prior charges ap-
pear for aUdit-system blanks amounting
70 Ss.77s.47. and incomplete work SSi2.1S
The total Of these three items amounts 20
81 s046 This, however was BY no
means all the requirement Of the sys-
TEN.
Many Ruled sheets.
In addition 10 miscellaneous sun
plies large numbers Of ruled sheets. sim
liar to many which are daily manufac-
tuCed by the Government Printing Office
Tor the executive departments. and which
the latter are not permitted 10 buy any
where else. were made in New York and
sold TO the Public Printer BY The Audit
System II the departments are COM
PEELED to have such blanks made for them
by the Public Printer. there would seem
10 be Improperly at least in ordering
from other printers ruled sheets which
he could have made himself for less
money
This fact raises serious considerations.
Mr.. Raynor and his assistants, although
operating under a contract. were paid
for personal services. II in a legal
sense they were employees Of the govern
ment or assistants" to officials Of the
printing Office. the law was violated when
they sold the first dollars worth OF ma
terial TO the government.
In addition 10 the blanks. Sc. supplied
by The Audit System. as above described.
other material was sold TO the Public
Printer 70 the amount of s15.100S2 Of
this amount. $3.50 was paid FOR twenty
six oak desks at $40 each. for use in con-
neetion with the analysis OF cost secured
by the system Such an expenditure was.
In my opinion, entirely unwarranted for
a manufacturing plant. Few Of the
higher clerks or minor officials In the
executive departments enjoy the use OF
such expensive office furniture For file
cases. $4.1S710 was paid 10 The Audit
System. Both Of these purchases were
made under conditions which Justify
sharp condemnation. Irregularities in
these important matters We're invited by
unwise methods OF handling bids. There
were also many purchases made Of deal