Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-11
REIMBURSEMENT OF CHARGES
PUBLIC PRINTER FIXING RATES
ON COMPOSITION.
What It Will Cost the Departments
to Have Work Done.
G. P. @. Notes.

After several years of changes in the
composition charges of the government
printing office, there Is said to be every
reason to believe that present operations
will bring about settlement OF the
question. y reimbursement Of press and
bindery charges will also be made, 1t is
thought, after thorough comparative
analysis of the quality, quantity and
character of the different classes of work.
For nearly year the question of costs
of production has been given particular
attention at the big printery. Public
Printer Donnelly is said to have carefully
considered this problem since his induc-
ton into office, but is making haste slow
ly with view to an equitable settlement.
One of the peculiar matters in connection
with the charges of excessive costs is
that one class of work alone is COM
planned of.
Samples have frequently been display
ed, with statements that it is unreal
sonable to charge the government rate for
this class of printing. Investigation
reveals the fact that in a great majority
OF instances the selected samples are
what are termed by the trade straight
matter-plain text which can be handled
with ease-or comparatively simple tabu-
lar matter
a kick has never been registered against
tables carrying black faced type, small
capitals, and irregular divisions of the
numerous columns. Nor has an issuing
Office registered a protest against the
bill for turning out a volume so filled
with italic, black face foreign words.
chemical symbols. algebraic equations
and other difficulties as to be unintelli-
gible to the ordinary reader.
Blue Book an Illustration.
The blue book is given as an illuStra-
ton. Formerly printed as simple, cas-
lily printed tabular statement at double
price, now it is sent in as a mass Of alb
breviations. capital letters and punctua-
ton points, at one and one-half prices.
Thus the bureau is saving over one-Quar-
ter of the expense of composition, yet 1t
costs the government printing office more
to place each name in type and read
the proof Sheets owing to the time eX-
pended in verifying the authorizations.
1t is explained that the simpler forms
of composition can easily be handled at
the present charge with reasonable
profit. The complications presented in
much of the government printing, how
ever, run the actual cost for composition
over the rate received. Thorough study
of the subject of public printing demon
strates that this also holds in other de-
OunUTy, press anu.
work are fixed charges. while slight
difference in technical detail divides the
line between profit and loss.
The joint committee ON printing will
lend the aid of Congress to a final set
Element of the matter. One question is
vital, however. The government print
ing Office cannot adjudicate charges on
the merits of each individual job. That
would be a reversiOn to the SQuabbles
and haggling between employer and en-
% 6nx- md a
few years ago under the new system of
accounting.
Depend on Watchmen.
A cleanup of all lost and found"
articles turned in by the watchmen
within the last three years recently re-
suited in restoring many personal eff
fects to the workers. Hereafter there
will be a list of such articles posted once
month on the bulletin board in each
wOrkrOom.
The nautical almanac is at last a ma
chine production When the iron print
ers were first talked of it was customary
for the oldtimers to say, with an air OF
finality: They can't print the nautical
almanac" BY intelligent study of the
question the officials of the big print
cry are prepared to send anything to
the machines"
Annunciators for the use of night
WdtcilileH are inc idteSI hiio"dlloi.
From the fact that this offers uncOn
trovertible evidence of faithfulness of
the rounds of inspection, their appear
ance have been the cause of rejoicing on
Capt. Harlow's force.
Post office advertisements for carrying
the mails have added somewhat to the
run of fall work A separate pamphlet
is printed for each state, giving the
towns, length of route and time of
rival and departure on each contract.
A recent job of the carpenter shop has
been a large number of low bookstands
to be used by the bookbinders in storing
their product before and after compile
ton.