Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-24
MORE WORK AT BIG PRINTERY
PRESSROOM AND BINDERY
BUSY ON SECOND EDITIONS.
Machine-sewed Books Preferred in
New Orders Received Under
Congress Resolution.

4 decided Increase in the volume of
work passing through the pressroom and
bindery al the government printing offic
is stated to have it's origin in the opera
ton of resolution No 13. passed by Con-
gress several years ago. which had an i'm
mediate effect in reducing the volume Of
printing ordered by the several depart
ments and independent offices.
This resolution provided that the num-
Der of copies of any public document or
report authorized to be printed for Con-
gress, the departments or independent
offices may be printed in two or more
editions. Constant agitation resulted in
a reduction of the volume of printing to
the lowest ebb for many years. it is said.
and cuts in the number of copies were
made in volumes not covered by the reso-
luton. Now it is said that first editions
have become exhausted and large num-
Der of orders have been placed for re-
prints.
1t has been the practice of the big print
cry to make electrotype Or stereotype
plates of such publications as the officials
believe will be required for subsequent
editions. and these pages are sent from
the plate vault when reprints are ordered.
AS a result, these reprints do not increase
the work of the printers. as a rule, but
in the press division and bindery the
operations are the same as if they were
new jobs.
The activity of the officials of the big
printery is all that has prevented a fur
Tough among the printers, it is said. for
work has been decidedly slack in the
composing rooms. Ordinarily the print
ers were so busy they hardly knew which
rush to pick up first. official stated,
but the new orders relative to hurried
work have relieved a condition which was
rapidly becoming chronic
Not only has it been the practice of
the office to accept the requests of differ
ent issuing offices as definite ORDERS said
this gentleman. but the departments
were informed by special order that all
they had to do was to request special
faciitation of their work and 1t would be
followed. Thank goodness. we are get
ting back to normal conditions these
days"
There is said to be an improvement
noted in the demands for government
printing. which is interesting to book
binders. Since the advent OF machine
sewing on books it is understood that
even persons connected with the depart
mentS who have no technical knowledge
of the trade have expressed a preference
for that class of work on small pamphlets
instead of the cheaper wire stitching.
With machine sewing the pages open out
in better shape for reading, it is con-
tended.
Two publications for the guidance of
technicalists of the big printery have
been prepared, one containing specimens
of type faces available for machine and
hand composition. and the other relating
to imposition of standard forms. In the
latter the lay-outs of various jobs are
given, together with the space necessary
for margins, saving of both time and
energy in proper imposition for press.
Frank A. Kidd chief of the editorial
and proof section and president of the
Typographical Union. is at his home in
Chicago. His place has been temporarily
filled by John A. Huston, assistant chief
of section