Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-17
.CHIEF HAVENNER'S REPORT
Impossible to Say Whether Cost Has
Also Advanced.
STATEMENT BY MIR. STILLINGS
Admits That Rates Are More, But
ernment Is No Greater.


of the division of printing of the Depart
ment of Commerce and La Dor, on the
comparative cost of printing for the exec
! utve departments was made public today
! by Chairman Lands of the House com
mittee on printing. The Havenner report
! was submitted to the President Janual y
2S. but has not heretofore been released
! for publication
ner says:
Within the past year the government
I printing office put into operation new
scales of charges, which in near
! ly every instance are in advance
and frequently greatly in advance.
of those which have been in use
for many years. AS a result. there is an
Increased cos: To- each of the departments
for its printing. 1t is my opinion that
the cost of printing has increased both
apparently and actually within the past
few months. without corresponding in
crease in the quality of the product, not
outstanding that the tendency. owing to
the increased use and efficiency of type
setting and other machinery, should be to
decrease,
Mr.. Havenner mentions that the in
creased charge for composition was first
noted by the Department of Commerce
and La Dor December 16 last.
No Comparison of Cost.
Mr.. Havenner says that notwithstanding
the aid given by the public printer .'u
has been difficult to get fair compari-
son of the present cost of printing and
that of past years because of the made
uuacy of the old cost-keepins system
and the lack of experience with the new
That there has been decided increase
fI1la ..t1.
IS accompanied with corresponding in
crease IA cost cannot he stated with ceT-
tainty.
The most notable increase in the cost
of printing is in the charge for compo-
sltion. according TO Mr.. Havener. He men,
lions that ne was unable to get any fig
ures showing the percentage OF increas Sc
In the charge 10 the consumer for either
the linotype or the monotype product as
these machines were only recently intro
duced in the printery and are required
TO do a great variety of work
After covering in detail the result OF
his inquiry into the increased charge for
bindery operations. materials. services
and ether features of the -printery's work.
Mr.. Havenner says:
That there has been an increase i'm the
charges of printing for the several eXecu-
tive departments is demonstrated by fig
ures given in this report. and is admitted
by the public printer That there has also
been an increase in the actual cost OF
public printing due to burdensome over
head cost is apparent: and the fact that
a deficiency appropriation MAY not be
needed for the present year should be
considered side by side with the addi-
| tional fact that the general attitude of
| the executive Departments toward printing
! has changed in the past two years to one
! of strict economy.
ITO determine the exact increase in
| the cost and to what extent present over
! head costs are excessive is a work of mag
ntude and compleXity, and would require
weeks of the most searching investiga-
| tion into the numerous details that en-
! ter into the cost of the product
! such an investigation. if. IN your
opinion. the occasion calls Tor II. could
| best be pursued by a commission COM
| posed of practical printers. who should
also he conversant with the theoretical
! end of the business and familiar with the
I conditions under which government print
ing is done
! Explanation of Stillings.
! In his reply To the Havener report,
printed with that document Public
Printer StiIlings admits that public print
| ing and binding is costing the depart
ments more money than it has in past
| wears but says public printing and
| binding is not costing the government.
| relatively speaking. more money than 1t
| has in past years: the government print
| iug Office Is beng operated al a cost "eli
| within the appropriation for public print
| ing and binding. and the receipts from
various sources paid from appropriations
other than those made TO the government
| printing Office
Il do not anticipate the possibility of
! any necessity arising for a deficiency ap-
! prop ration for the government printing
Office for the present fiscal year.
| The methods heretofore prevailing in
the government printing office prior to the
of I1tll IL,
costs of manufacture We're theoretical.
unreliable and had no basis in fact which
! was susceptible of proof.
"'rh" systems at present being installed
/ in this office have proved by past expert
cnrc in commercial plants to have pro-
! duced absolutely positive and unques-
toned results: their operation in the gov
icrnrucnt printing office up TO the present
time has resulted in the tabulation of data
| which has been proved and has been
| found to be reliable.
AS a guide to intelligent action. in the
direction of eliminating any element or
unnecessary cost, these systems are in
valuable
Tabulated Cost Records.
Immediately after February II, 1905.
| the tabulatcd cost records of this office
will be in such shape that | shall be pre-
! pared TO go into details more fully: at
| the present time the systems are just be-
ginning to develop the true conditions.
aud are placing the costs of production
where they properly belong. and where
they should have been placed years ago.
| Beyond this point. | am not prepared
to go into the matter of cost of public
printing and binding at this time. except
TO state that the running expenses OF
the government printing Office SO
| we'll within the appropriations. and that
the increased volume of business is so
apparent even without record in sub
| stantiation, as to prove conclusively that
the actual cost of production by this Of
flee in the execution of public printing
and binding is less than in past years
| From the facts above stated II may be
clearly shown that the remedy for the
present emha IRA ssment to the depart
mentS because of increased charges lies
i'm a readjustment of the allotment fol
public printing and binding under the
sundry civil appropriation act for this
fiscal year
Senator Whyte Passed Good Night
i BALTIMORE. Md. March 1I.-Senatoi
William Pinkney Whyte. who is confined
Ia his home here with an attack of cry.
sipelas passed Il good night and was