Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-02-20
BIG CUT IN PRINTING BILL
Federal Commission Reports Saving
of Half Million Yearly.
BILLIONS OF USELESS PAGES
Enough Books Found in Storage 70
gfn Freight Train Three Miles
Long--Chanees in Law
sussested.

/ WASHINGTON, Feb. f9-Constant and
uninterrupted growth OF the cost OF public
printing has increased this item OF public
expense from $4,000 in 1870 TO more than
s. 200, 900 in 1906, according to the report OF
the printing investigation commission
created four years ago, which submitted
today to congress report covering its ex-
tensive inquiry. The commission consists
Of the two committees on printing OF the
two houses OF congress, and Senator Plat
is it's chairman.
Savings Of more than $4,000 year are
being effected, according to the report as
the result OF legislation recommended from
time to time. giving the joint committee
on printing certain powers OF supervision.
It states that under recent legislation y7s,-
59S.Ss7 printed pages, including such ex-
pensive publications as the congressional
record. the publication OF the geological
survey and the year book OF the Depart
ment OF Agriculture were eliminated from
the surplus printing which had formerly
been piled up in warehouses 30 be finally
condemned and sold as waste.
Billions of Useless Pages.
The report makes 1t clear that this print
ing was entirely an undistributed surplus.
these surplus copies being equivalent to
55S.l9s volumes OF 500 pages each for the
year 1907 The saving on these three classes
OF publication was about 100000 These
publications had been piled up until there
were more than $500 tons In storage,
enough to fill an ordinary railroad train
more than three miles long. Rent for that
portion OF these publications stored outside
OF the government buildings was more than
t13.500 year.
Many department reports have been re-
duced In volume and others have been
recommended for discontinuance as a re-
suit of discovery by the commission that
the various executive departments and
bureaus wers submitting their reports 10
congress and had them put in type at
congressional expense. after which the de-
partment used the plates for its own pub
iications. The growth OF expenditures, It
is shown has been driven backward until
the expenditures for the last three years.
compared with 1906 show an average an
nual reduction OF 10 per cent.
The commission holds that revision Of
the printing law. which Is the growth of
seventy years. is necessary citing the fact
that. white the printing statutes cover
probably fifty pages, the decisions OF the
coraptrollers and treasury and the opinions
OF the attorney general in relation thereto,
would fill large volume.
Plans for PRinting Law.
The report says that the commissions
policy has been TO build a printing law by
distinct parts which could later be intel
lIgently codified and that II has laid the
groundwork for this revision by securing
in advance legislation which would enable
committee representing both houses OF
congress to protect the printing service
from the effects OF errors or oversights
which might result from the numerous
specific repeals necessary to an Intelligent
revision and codification.
Buckram instead sheepslxin Is 70 he used
IN future in binding the books for the Of
ficiai files OF the government deposited in
state aud territorial libraries and the de-
Asnated depositories OF each congress
sional district.
Recommendation are made for a dis
continuance OF bulk" appropriations ana
providing for reports from the public
printer showing the product OF the office
The commission Is composed Of Senators
P1att Elkins ana Milton and Representa-
lives Landis Perkins and Finley.
Loose 20 he Elecfroeuted.
NEW YORK, Feb ls-Carl I.oota tha