The Washington herald., 1908-02-04

Ter Public Printer Stillings adminis-
IN Of the affairs Of the Government
Printing Office the cost Of printing To
the various governmental departments
has increased all the way from . to l2g
per cent. There has been no correspond
ing increase in the quality of the product.
This is the finding of DIR. George c.
Havenner, chief of the division OF print
ing In the Department Of Commerce and
Labor who was recently selected by the
President 10 investigate the charges Of
an increased cost of printing at the q.
p. o Dr. Havenner's report has been
In the hands of the executive depart
ment for several days, and the dis
closures embodied in the document were
made public yesterday.
The result OF Dr. Havenuer's investi-
cations bears out in every detail the
charges that under the regime Of Mr..
Stllings and The Audit System the much
talked-of saving has not materialized. In
brief. the report OF the Presidents in
vestIgatOr may be summarized as follows:
II is shown that the cost OF printing
has increased without an increase in the
quality Of the work performed.
Should deficiency appropriation for
printing for the present year be unneces-
ssry. IL viii be due solely TO the strict
economy practiced by the departments.
Commission Is Recommended.
K is recommended that committee
composed Of practical printers be named
by the President 10 conduct an investi-
cation with view of ascertaining the
exact increase in printing cost, and to
what extent overhead, or administrative.
costs are excessive.
Dr. Havenner's report has been for
warded TO Mr.. Suuings for reply. The
3ublic Printer is expected to answer the
statements OF DT. Havenner in detail
tie has not completed his reply, but is
expected TO do so to-day or tomorrow.
Interest centers about the nature OF Mr..
Stillings answer to the charges.
In just what satisfactory manner he
viii be able 10 vindicate his administTa-
ton of the blame for the increase in
printing cost those who have followed
he recent Investigations closely are
puzzled to foresee-
DR. Havenner's report, in part, is as
follows:
Giving due weight to all considera-
tions, it is MY opinion that the cost
Of printing has increased both appar-
emily and actually within the past few
months, without corresponding increase
in the quality Of the product, notwith-
standing that the tendency. owing to
the increased use and efficiency Of type
setting and other machinery, should be
TO decrease"
Big Advance In Cost.
In all the exhibits submitted by the de-
the Department of state shows
that the Government Printing Office
charged $40 per thousand for embossing
paper that had in other cases been
bought by the department under con-
tract for 81 per thousand. For en-
relopes the Office charged 50 per thousand
for embossing, as compared to 50 con- /
tract price
Another illustration from the state De /
partment shows that fer certain work the /
Government Printing Ofce charged SelgE5 !
per thousand in 1905, S219,43 in 1907. and
S2S3.73 tn 1878. For job Of fifty books /
printed in August, 1916. the department /
was charged Ho2.l5, and the same number /
OF books in July. 1907 cost the depart /
ment SI58.
THE Treasury Department submits a 4
number of examples showing an increase /
in cost ranging from per cent 20 III /
per cent,
The Post-ofice Department dnds that |
the average increase to them is between 4
10 and 70 Der cent. Tne department con-
cludes that as this state Of affairs was
not contemplated by the present allot-
ment Of appropriation to the department
for its printing, il produces a condition F.
likely TO lead TO a deficiency
Patent Printing Costly.
The Department Of the Interior sub
wi-s table showing that there has
been an increase OF j per cent in the
cost Of printing specifications Of patents
in the first six months Of this fiscal
year. while there is an increase Of only
l' per cent in the number Of patents
issued for the same period. A Job Of
10000 pamphlets that cost the depart-
ment ySL6l in February, 1895. cost 81
1856 In October, 1907.
The Department Of Agriculture states
that there has been an Increase OF about
. 10 per cent IN the cost Of reprints Of
Farmers Bulletins and certain other
bulletins, but taking the publication work
as a whole, il is believed the department
IS receiving as much for the money ex-
pended as heretofore
The Department OF Agriculture. Il Is i
stated, has a branch printing Office in
which most OF the small work is done
and that the increased cost Of job print
ing does not affect the department The
department enjoys some more distinction
In that no embossed letter heads are used,
the officials contenting themselves with
letter heads printed in the usual way
Consular Reports Expensive.
The Department Of Commerce and
Labor submits a statement showing
hat the Daily Consular and Trade Re
'erts have been reduced in size more
han "a per cent. yet the cost Of print
ng them has increased about 71-2 per /
,ent II
'The Bureau OF the Census reports a
on tabular composition from
ia TO S1 page, adding that the
'ensus. although not entirely satisfied
18th 4Nsc OH. no. .,v,4o,, H. - I q