The Washington herald., 1908-02-19
GUARD G. P. 0. FUNDS
Unprotected Millions of the
Printery to Be Watched.
CONGRESS MAY TAKE HAND
Legislation TO Cause Supervision of
Public Printers Expenditures Ex-
ton Is Misunderstanding Commits
sion Has Approved Such Action.

One Of the undisputed facts which have
so far stood out OF the fog which en-
velops the Government Printing Office
and the system" is that Congress must
certainly take up the question of how
far the Public Printer Of the future is
10 be allowed TO exercise his own sweet
will over the many millions given him
each year in an appropriation bill.
As the law stands to-day. the Public
Printer is not accountable 20 any one for
his expenditures. except that he must
each year make an annual report 70
Congress. showing figures for what he
has spent. But the details are all in
his hands. He can spend million for a
pair of roller skates. for all that any
one at present could do 10 stop it. If the
skates were for the Government Printing
ONCE.
Congress Must CurtaII.
This position that Congress must cur
tail the powers and keep an eye on the
expenditures authorized by the Public
Printer was outlined in the first report
of the Printing Investigation Commission.
made some time ago. Since the dis
closures recently made by The Washing
ton Herald of affairs in the Government
Printing Office. and the prediction also
made in this paper that Congress would
likely act in this matter. sentiment has
grown up among the men concerned in
the investigation that some supervising
hand shall be laid upon the grip Of the
Public Printer.
1t was stated yesterday that there is
no doubt that some member Of the COM
mission will, before the present investi-
cation is finished, present a bill 10 Con-
gress embodying the legislation now con-
sidered 10 be absolutely needed along this
line.
The report Of the printing investigation
commission. advocating the legislation
above referred TO. reads as follows:
1.-The commission is further of the opin-
ion that the Public Printer should be
placed in the same relation 10 Congress
and the executive departments that a pri-
vate printing establishment bears 10 its
customers. The Public Printer should he
required 10 keep an accurate account of
the actual. rather than the theoretical.
cost Of all work performed in his office.
charging to Congress or the executive de-
partments. who are virtually his custom
ers. an amount only sufficient to cover
such cost.
Congress and the departments, on the
one hand. watchful of their appropria-
tions. would naturally scrutlnize the items
Of cost involved in their printing, while
the Public Printer, on the other hand.
would be subject at all times TO the ne
cessity' Of verifying. with business pre-
Cision. the accuracy Of MS charges. To
effect this reform il would be necessary
TO place at the disposal Of the Public
Printer a fund sufficiently large to main
tain his office and meet its operating ex-
penses as any printing establishment
would require. pending the receipt of re-
turns for work actually performed.
This system would involve in the Sc
lection of Public Printer careful consid-
GRAFTON OF those qualities Of executive and
administrative ability which insure sue
cessful management of similar institu-
tons in the field of private enterprise.
1t would operate cOnservatively in linn
ting the Public Printer 10 the applica-
ton Of the funds placed at his disposal 10
the specific purpose for which they were
intended by Congress, rather than as I'M
der the present system. making available
for his use without restraint or super
vision, other than a belated public senti-
ment, all uneXpended balances Of appro-
pTiatiOns made under present methods. a
power which. in the hands OF an unscru-
pulous or incompetent official would tend
10 extravaganza, II il did not lead to
censurable results"