The Washington herald., 1909-02-11

viii perceive that & total expenditure Of
S14.540l4 to private contractors has pro-
duced work OF an entirely satisfactory
and, indeed. excellent character. which
would have cost 81. s54-7s II produced IN
the Governmest Printing Office. an excess
OF s, per cent" Mr. ROssiter has quoted
S4,lI7.4s as the cost Of paper, which added
to Sn,75257, and S6000O for travelling ex-
penses and freight shows total cost Of
the production Of the Cuban Census as
SIC. 1905. A copy OF the Cuban Census
Report has been procured BY this Office.
and the Government Printing Once esti-
mate for producing this work based on
/ the present scale OF prices. including the
cost Of the sans paper as used In the
work. Is SIC, SS7Os N02ss less than the
total cost OF producing the work by pri-
vate contractors and this includes g in
serts as compared with u inserts, as the
/ Government Printing once does not print
/ two plates on one sheet. according 20 Mr..
Rossiter's figures.
I desire TO say further. that based On
the present scale OF charges used by the
| Government Printing Office. had the
Cuban Census Report been produced IN
the Government Printing once and
printed on the same quality OF paper as
| is used en- al census bulletins and pub
/ locations, II would have cost SIS. ss9 O, srep
resenting a saving Of 2,5o1-oS 70 the Cen
sus Bureau over the cost OF having the
work produced by private contractors;
and in this connection attention should be
given TO the fact that the scale OF prices
as charged By the Government Printing
/ once includes the element Of wages -
per cent higher than that paid By the pTi-
vate contractors. and il is not q fair as
sumption thar because the private con-
tractors in this intance were able % pro-
duce this comparatively small Job at
such low figures as Is claimed for them.
that the entire work Of reports OF the
Thirteenth Census, consisting OF eight
volumes OF twelve hundred pages each,
could be produced as cheaply. It IS iun-
thinkable that this great work can be
/ farmed out and peddled around 20 coun-
Try shops or low wage binderies and re-
suits obtained which would be satisfac-
tory TO the Government
I consider II my duty, however. to call
your attention to the following statement
from the Director OF the Census which
appears on the same page OF the Congress
sional Record:
NoNA ana EAHEUAAltM.
IN addition to the question Of cost
there is also the very important ques-
ton Of expedition. The pending bill
requires that the Thirteenth Census
shall be compiled and published within
two years>1rom the date Of the enum-
Grafton. Here again the matter Is en-
tlreiy beyond the control OF the dlrec-
tor. unless some latitude is given. The
copy for the current census report
upon the annual mortality statistics.
almost entirely tabular matter, con-
sisting OF over 500 pages. was sent to
the Public Printer more than one
month ago. and the Office is still
awaiting the proofs for some Of this
report II has been explained. fl re-
Spouse TO frequent inquiry, that the
Printing Office IS much crowded With
tabular matter, and that tbs Census
Office must take its turn with the rest 2
and that delays. especially when Con-
gress is IN session, are Inevitable II
delays are 10 occur in handling the
Thirteenth Census. similartc those no~
encountered in the mortality report,
and in other reports, il viii be I'M
possible 10 comply with the provisions
above quoted. requiring publication
within two years. Necessarily, the
printing OF the final volumes must be
largely crowded into the last months
Of the last year Of the census period,
when Congress viii be IN session
In reply 70 this UnwsTranted reflection
upon the inability Of the Government
Printing Office 10 perform the census
work. I submit the following statement:
The first inStsllment OF copy OF leo
foiios was received IN the Government
Printing Office on November i, 1903. The
tracing folios had 10 be placed on this
copy BY the copy editors Composition
was started on November 3. 1913 Ia Sun
day and a holiday INTERVIEWED. Additional
copy was received on December 2 g, and
;. but the last inStsllment Of copy was
not delivered 10 the Government Print
ing Office until December Is. 1903
DOnneny Explains.
The first proofs were sent 10 the Census
Office on December 8. 1908. and these
proofs were not returned 10 the Gov
eminent Printing Office until January p
1903 Proofs were sent to the Census BIZ
reau by the Government Printing Office
on December Is, .. 3, q. and ., and
January and g. and on January Il COM
p0sition was conlpIeted and tho last