The Washington herald., 1908-01-01

I 10 not WdiL 10 iuSt tuEH lBDS lVi a HIS
/ take in a pencil mark
| Red tape. therefore. runs through the
whole great building Red tape is about
every man and woman. Ii is found from
the top floor to the bottom. II eGciTeies
the hands OF all employees. even the su-
tperintendents whom Mr.. Stillings has cTe-
ated under loose phrase, IL is alleged. in
a sundry civil appropriation bill. which
runs, for salaries, compensation, or
wages of ali necessary clerks and en-
ployes."
But under this loose phrase. it is al
legged, Mr.. Stillings and The Audit Sys-
TEN have been enabled to build up
large following. which will support them
in all moves No man, II is alleged, can
curse The Audit System, in which few
believe-can curse il openly and retain
/ his official head.
The Audit System, Mr. Stillings said.
is working under contract in the matter
OF finding this lost motion in the office.
What the contract price was, Dir. Stilliugs
will report 10 Congress; until then 1t is
not known. Another emplOye Of the Gov
ernment Printing ONCE, who is in a po-
sitiOn to know absolutely, said that The
Audit System has lost money
Supplies Through The Audit system.
Mr.. stillings was asked by the reporter
whether The Audit System has ever been
awarded any contracts for supplies. He
said 1t had but only a small proportion;
and these We're only in cases in which it
was able 10. and alone able to- furnish
the material or supplies wanted by the
government.
Employees connected with the vital part
Of the Government Printing Ofce assert
/ that The Audit System has secured
either for itself, or for firms which it
represents through It's agent, many con-
/ tracts on many different lines.
/ II is also alleged that The Audit Sys-
tenn has, in scores of instances, given out
/ information to certain employees that con-
tracts on certain material are 10 be
/ without competition
/ Mr.. Stillings told the reporter that the
contracts made for material and supplies
were, like all government contracts, made
/ with the lowest and best bidder En-
plOyes who likely know as much about
such matters as Mr.. Stillings say that
many contracts are awarded by Mr. Still
/ inss to firms which The Audit System
/ has recommended. when lower bids for
practically the same material could have
/ been-and in some instances were-se-
cured from other firms, not favored by
The Audit System.
The Audit System therefore which a
+ high empl0ye Of the ofice-speaking with
0ut thought of what he might be telling
said was losing money on its contract TO
ind the lost motion is getting few
4 contracts for material and supplies and
/ also supervising the letting OF contracts
\ TO other firms.
/ What chance. say these employees, has
an outside firm against The Audit Sys-
F tenn IN the matter Of securing contracts?
What chance has such outside firm Of
receiving an award, when that award
must pass through the hands Of The
Audit System. and then to the Public
F. Printer, with or without the recommen-
datiOn Cf The Audit System?
Who Runs the Institution
Who, therefore, runs the Government
! Printing Office that Charles A. Sullings
is paid $500 each year TO run? Is it
The Audit System. which. 1t IS alleged.
has the power TO remove or promote
men; which has headquarters from which
they direct the minutest detail Of the
work OF the office: which has the power.
+ It is alleged, 10 recommend contracts OF
material of many kinds, other than
paper. &c, which has hundreds Of men
afraid 10 speak out against anything
that they may see. and which they do
not like? or is it Public Printer Charles
( a. Stillings?
MI StiHings is willing to talk He was
not lo8th 20 admit TO d reporter that he
was put in the Office TO get out the
( u-orL 4bfo r,b-a g. argz hr- ffra xr-oF1
/ ing Of his preface TO his first report he
imputes that his predecessors did not get
out the work.
/ Possibly this is true. But Mr.. Stillings.
who has thrown out more than a thou
sand old employees, who has cuTtailed
other expenses, who has The Audit Sys-
TEN to find lost motion" for him. who
has orders making mistakes punishable
with suspension or discharge; who has
! the power. and who. il is alleged. has let
many contracts. TO or through. The Audit
! SysJem-thereby getting just what he
wanted in the way of material-has not
( greatly improved the product or the man
ner or time of getting it out, according 70
men who have been in the office many
/ years Without discounting the fact that
many employees will necessarily be dis
grntled by Mr.. Stillings' iron Tuie-part
of which, no doubt, is needed-haye his
improvements made It possible TO ''get
out the work" more quickly, in better
/ shape, at less cost. than heretofore
Is Efficiency Really IncreRseds
The cost Of proofreading alone In the
/ Government Printing Office, it IS alleged.
has increased now 10 80 Is per cent OF
the total cost Of composition. This means,
( q. 10 ur
in setting up copy than were ever made.
Has the red tape of Mr.. Stillings been ef-
fective I'm this particular? Employees say
it has not.
Has Mr. SuIlings force Of highly paid
/ executives and his small army Of execu-
| tive clerks. Increased the efficiency Of the
service? Employees say that the executive
/ officers get in each others way, but that
/ their titles sound well, and that having
been raised by Mr.. Stillings TO their high
places. they are necessarily loyal TO him
/ and his regime.
/ Has Mr. StHings increased the loyalty
/ Of his men, which may be not practical
/ question in a business establishment. but
which does. nevertheless. make such enOr-
/ nous corporations as the Standard Oil
/ Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad
the finest kind of organizations. The fact
/ that employees are willing TO disclose the
| facts here given, is enough to answer that
/ Mr. Stillings has not made many friends
in his handling of his office.
Eight-hOur Law Violated.
Mr.. Sullinss. it is alleged. has contin-
ualy failed to enforce the eight-hour law,
| governing Federal workmen, and, on the
contrary. has violated that law repeated
| I,- If he is petfing ont The work better