The Jackson herald., 1910-01-27

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Il ments are sent TO more than 10000 ad.
II dresses In all parts OF the United
States In one government office where
envelopes are addressed by means o;
chain apparatus. employing links In
which the necessary type is held.
~ young man devotes his entire time to
N setting up new addresses in the NOV.
able rubber type as names are added
TO the mailing list. and in making cor.
rectons Of street addresses. etc. In
the addresses already in type. Not
only are envelopes mechanically ad-
dressed to Uncle Sans regular CORE
spondents. but said envelopes. after
p their destined contents are in place.
L9) are sealed by electrically operated en-.
~ velope sealing machines, each Of which
~ 4 does the work of dozen men. Our
Y public men. II they used postage stamps
on their official correspondence. would
~ undoubtedly follow the example Of prl-
vate business houses In utilizing me.
chanical contriyances for moistening and af.
fixing postage stamps but this Is unnecessary
because governmental mail is transmitted un.
der frank or in penalty envelopes which are
impressed at the time of manufacture with
that dead head" inscription in the upper
right.hand corner which answers in lieu OF
postage stamps.
II is significant that the demands OF the
government service for mechanical aids for
economical business administration has be-
stirred many inventive minds among the fed.
eral employees In some instances government
officials have found II most satisfactory TO
have the manufacturers of book typewriters.
adding machines and other standard Office
helpers simply vary modify their stock
models In order to meet the specific require.
ments of the government service but In other
cases men on Uncle Sans payroll have in.
vented apparatus that was adopted in pref.
erence to anything evolved by outside experts.
notable case in point is the new style card.
punching machine invented by James Powers.
mechanical expert In the service of the depart.
ment Of commerce and labor-a type of semi.
automatic apparatus that will be employed for
compiling the greatest card index In the his
tory of the world. namely the federal census
OF 1910, which will require more than 90 00O.
600 individual cards. Other examples OF the
products OF inventive genius when bestrred
in behalf of the government are found In the
unique numbering machines at tho United
States bureau OF engraving and printing!
sort Of gigantic outgrowth OF the familiar
hand dating machine found on almost every
office desk. The machines designed and con.
structed for the treasury department not only
print in red ink but set their own type and
number consecutively from l to 1000 900 900
The hat.top desk with its numerous con.
veniences. not TO mention sanitary advan.
tages. is rapidly gaining vogue in oficadom
as in the business world. As specimens OF
costly furniture the desks OF most of our pub
lie men will not bear comparison with the
massive mahogany pieces TO be found in some
banks and In the Offices of some wealthy cor
porations. but your progressive public man
has his desk equipped with all those attach
ments which grease the grooves for high ten.
sion work There is swinging stand to shift
the typewriter out OF the way when the ma
chine Is not In use; a balanced arm, adjust
able In all directions that lifts the telephone
aside when It Is not needed: special desk
lamps that focus their rays on the work while
shelterng the eyes OF the worker from the
glare and rubber stamps with clockwork
attachment which print not only the date but
the hour at which each letter report has
been received or been given attention. The
improved pencil sharpeners and the cutting
devices which open a whole package of let
tiers at one sweep by clipping the ends OF the
envelopes deserve mention In the same cate
CORY Of time savers So, likewise. do the var
Gus forms OF printing telegraphs which record
orders or bulletins simultaneously at various
points.
The newest wrinkle In the conduct OF
Uncle Sans business establishment--namely
the scheme for purchasing the supplies for all
the government departments at Washington
through one general purchasing agency-is
expected to bring to the attention Of our pub.
lie officials many new office appliances and
numerous improvements on old devices de-
signed to adapt them to governmental require.
ments. With Uncle Sans purchases thus
Jumped, the contracts to be awarded will be
enough to stir inventors and manufacturers
to the greatest energy In producing novelties
that federal officials will include in their Office
installations. The central purchasing agency
will also insure quality in all supplies by
means OF thorough tests. II is safe to say that
under this new regime there will be no repetI-
tions of the experience OF the official who re-
Gently ruined more than $50 worth of rubber
stamps through the use of new "quick.dry.
ing" which he had not had an opportunity to
try out ere II was introduced in his Offices.