The Washington herald., 1908-01-22
PRESIDENT ORDERS
AN INVESTIGATION
Continued from Page One.

q
TO figure out costs for him. has failed to
do work in manner pleasing to officials
of the government
The Washington Herald has already
stated that the cost of proof reading in
the Government Printing Office has in
creased under Mr.. stiIlings almost 80 Is
per cent. This one fact is enough to in
dicate that he has not reduced the cost
of printing The fact that the cost of
one portion of the complicated work Of
| printing reports, documents. &c. has in
creased TO such an alarming figure is
said to clearly show that under Mr. Still
lings the work of the Government Print
| ing Office has not only not reached a
higher plane, but has deteriorated.
Mr.. Sullings, il is known. has. in sew
eral Instances. discharged employees Of
the Government Printing ONCE VINO
were entirely capable Of getting out work
and getting it out well. In some Of the
work which Is Of "a special nature, IL is
known that Mr. Stiliings now requires She
| services of several men where formerly
the service of one or possibly two was
required
1 In the cost of composition. Il is as
serted. Mr.. Stillings has not effected any
reduction. in spite of his red tape in
| troduced by The Audit System. II the
| time which employees lose, marking their
time slips En- accordance with the order
promulgated By Mr.. Stillngs. requiring
instant dismissal for failure TO comply
herewith, is counted. Mr.. Stllngs has
certainly greatly increased the cost Of
composition.
Increased the Cost.
Even without reckoning this added cost.
| II has already been shown I'm The Wash
lngton Herald that Mr. Sunings has in
creased the cost Of composition lie has
largely increased the wages OF many
compOsitors. leaving many out, however.
He has collected about him an executive
force. which. il not charged to compost
ton. must be charged 10 something
In The Washington Herald 10 has al
ready been shown that in the instance Of
work done FOR one department of the
government, Mr. Stillings succeeded in
doing the work for one-third more than
the department had L. pay. This in
stance, which was lately given. was
briefly this. a certain government de-
partment had about S2l5000 10 spend on
its printing in one year The Government
Printing once took the work. and, il IS
alleged, found when it had finished it.
that the cost To the Office had been ap-
pr0Ximately $4,000 more than the amount
the department could spend II is alleged
that somehow or other the Government
Printing Once. or The Audit system. with
It's cost audit and inventory knowledge.
lXed up the bill sent 10 the department
so that IL came within the limit named.
Il has been shown that on another oc-
casiOn the Government Printing ONCE got
SO badly tangled up with an original esti-
mate ard an actual cost Of the work that
il was almost % per cent out OF the way
when the Job was finally completed. IN
this instance the department for which
the work was done ascertalned that out
side firms could have done the work much
cheaper than the Government Printing
Office
1t has been shown by The Washington
Herald that Mr. Stllings. disregardiug
the customs Of all his predecessors in Of
fee placed around him an executive
force, which has increased the expenses
OF the Government Printing Office almost
Sieo CO. a year.
some NoOu Positions.
The Washington Herald knows Mr.
SulIings has created many highly paid
positions. ranging In salary from $500 a
years that the Office could be run. and run
a year. since he has been in office. The
predecessors Of MI Stulings found for
years that the Office could be run, and run
well, on a comparatively small executive
force. not alone considering the number
Of clerks employed on executive work but
considering the superintendent Of de-
partments and men IN positions Of SINH
lar nature.
The Washington Herald has shown that
any apparent reductions IN the cost Of
running the Government Printing Office
were not due TO the increased efficiency
Of the force of executives he gathered
about him, but To the fact that the Presi-
dent ordered the various departments 20
curtail their reports. documents. &c.
The fact that the President has or
dered an investigation of the cost OF
printing 20 the departments seems, it Is
generally believed. 10 indicate there is
also great doubt among government Of
1cials as % how and where Mr.. StilIings
has reduced expenses.
The only reduction which Mr. SuIings
is known 20 have made is that effected
through the discharge Of a large number
Of men. Even 10 this. Mr.. Stiuings can
claim but little credit. because the move
was made necessary by The decrease in
the volume Of work coming from the
departments, after they complied with
Ia Gre