Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1909-03-25
Printers Robbed by Government.


When speaking about the govern
ment being our worst competitor, |
take it for granted that, with rare ex-
ceptions, every member of this associa-
ton conducts in connection with his
newspaper job printing plant, for i'll
is only in the job printing line that the
government completes with us.
We all know, of course, that the gov
eminent conducts the largest printing
Office in America in our capital, Wash
ington. The printing plant through
which the government becomes our
worst competitor is not situated in
Washington and doesn't belong to the
government, and yet the government
maintains in even the smallest village
ansagency, part of the duties of which
is to solicit work for this plant, to the
detriment of the printer Aside from
this, the government spends thousands
Of dollars for circulars and other adver-
Using to help get these jobs of printing,
and it delivers the finished work to the
customer by registered mail free of
charge. SO hard does it work to salts
fly the customers that ii even employs
experts in the agricultural department
to test the paper, and SO anxious is the
government to get this printing for the
office it represents that it does he
work at what some of the employees
of the government estimate that is,
guess II to be its cost.
The printing office for which the
government acts as general agent and
sales manager, and for which it also
conducts the accounting, delivery and
collection department, secured through
ths governments agency during the
fiscal year ending June l. 1908, work
amounting to 81, 672, 789 Sc, taking the
same away from printers in every state
and territory. For this work the print
ers of this country should have received
about $1,000, 600. This printing Office
is situated but few miles from Spring
field, at Dayton, Ohio, and the work
it turns out is stamped envelopes.
During the last fiscal year it ground
out every working day nearly 1900, 600
of these envelopes, of which about
$500, 600 had the return card of mer-
chant, manufacturer, banker or other
private Individual or corporation print
ed thereon.
| am informed that there are in the
United States somewhere in the neigh
borhood of 10000 job printing offices,
and | estimate, from the figures con-
tanned in the report of the postoiiice
department, that the government is
taking out of the pockets of each one
of these 20, 900 printers each and every
year profits amounting to somewhere
near 500 through the sale Of so called
special request" envelopes and put
ting this money into the tills oil wealthy
manufacturers, merchants, bankers and
professional men. 1t has been doing
this for many years and to all appear
ances intends to continue doing so for
years to come. Have we worse COM
petitor than that?
From the figures contained in the last
report of Third Assistant Postmaster
General Lawshe am convinced that
instead of the government making
money by conducting this agency for
an envelope factory and job printing
concern, it has lost on the deal some Of
the money which you and | have con-
tributed to help sustain it. As nearly
as can ascertain the government
loses on the sale of stamped envelopes
annually in round numbers $3.50, 600.
Isn't it a shame that the government
should rob us of business which every
person with but the slightest idea Of
what is justice must admit, rightfully
belongs to US =?
Why don't we get after congress and
insist that stop be put to this lnlus-
tice toward the printer? In doing that
we would not be asking for favor, |
but we would simply be requesting the
of practice which, |
while it damages us, brings the govern /
ment no benefits. | am satisfied that
if the case is brought before him IN the
right light, there is not senator or
in congress who would .
not see the injustice the printer is be-
ng put to by the postofiiee department
in this regard and who would not sup
port a measure to put stop to 1t. If
the country press, the great power
which has created and fostered IN the
infancy of his career, nearly every
statesman Of note which America has
yiven to the world, demands such a
there will be few reckless
,nough to proclaim themselves as enc
MES Of that power by opposing It, n