Evening star., 1909-03-07
WHO HELP TO RUN UNCLE SANS BIG PRINTING OFFICE

one of the best known and cordially liked
officials in Washington. The many years
which he has represented the public print
er at the Capitol have given him an op-
portuntty to acquire A valuable fund OF
information concerning men and national
affairs. His congenial manner and pleas
ing personality win for him at once the
confidence, and very soon the friendship,
of all with whom he comes in contact,
particularly senator's and members with
whom he is constantly called upon to
deal.
Z RANK f. ELDER. attorney for the
government printing office. has been
connected with the office for quite a num-
Der of years in various capacities. He is
a member of the bar of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia and of the
Supreme Court of the United States.
In addition to acting as the public
printers legal adviser, he examines and
passes upon all checks. vouchers. speci-
ficatiOns. contracts etc. in the govern.
ment printing office which have to do
with expenditure Of money. He also han
dies all questions arising between the
government printing office and the several
executive departments. individuals and
corporations.
The office of attorney was created by
Public Printer Leech who found himself
confronted with numerous legal PROPOSE
tions. the settlement of which involved a
knowledge of the law. and the posi-
ton of attorney is one of highly con-
fidential nature, Mr.. Leech, because of the
close personal friendship existing between
him and Mr.. Elder. requested the Pres.
ident to appoint him by executive order
stating I'm his request that he must have
a man In whom he had confidence and
on whom he could depend.
*
EVERY disciple of Gutenberg and
- Franklin in the Capital city knows
John r. Berg. While eligible to the
ranks of those who work in their cuffs. u
as editors and others similarly employed
are termed by printers. his specially is
supervising the mechanical operations
necessary to the production Of the brain
energy of government writer's in the form
of the printed book.
The first Monday In December. 1SSS. Mr..
Berg entered upon what was to be an
eventful career in the printing service. A
long stretch" of hard work as compos-
itor in the Congressional Record and job
divisions. together with monotonous as
sembling of individual types in the old
Botany bay or piece division, led to the
assistant foremanship of the Record In
1897, full charge of that publication in
1904. and superintendent Of work In June.
1908. Mr.. Berg has been through the en-
tire evolution from hand to machine COM
position. and now supervises the work OF
nearly 1000 employees.
While foreman of the Congressional
Record Mr.. Berg handled the largest
number of pages ever printed of this gov
ernment daily. This particular issue is
considered the biggest stunt ever pulled
off at the printery by hand composition
For portion of the night over 300 print
ers. some borrowed from the bill divi-
sion, threw the unyielding types into the
form of words and sentences, and at the
end over 100000 ems had been as
sembed. At a later date thirty-five type
setting machines composed Record OF
$50 pages containing approximately as
many ems of nonpareil.
One of the important matters settled by
Supt Berg has been the placing of cur
rent work on regular schedule. thereby
eliminating unnecessary delay and pre-
venting Interruptions to the work of the
issuing offices. Black work jackets now
are regular, green signifies special.
while a red jacket indicates that the de-
partment Is willing to pay % per cent
over ordinary prices that the work may
be rushed to the limit. Every charge is
made up for the current month. that the
various printing appropriations may be
easily ascertained.
Washington printers have twice honorcd