The Comrade., 1910-02-04

1 + on .LOelT OUCldl. correspondence, WOulu
NJ undoubtedly follow the example Of pri,
vate business houses in utilizing me-
! chanical contrivances for moistening and at:
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.
It 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
q officials have found 1t most satisfactory to
have the manufacturers Of book typeWriters,
adding machines and other standard office
helpers simply vary or modify their stock
Il 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.
! A notable case in point is the new style card.
punching machine invented by James Powers,
mechanical expert in the service Of the depart.
4 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 100000
900 individual cards. Other examples Of the
products of inventive genius when bestirred
\ In behalf OF the government are found in the
unique numbering machines at the United
States bureau OF engraving and printing!
4 sort Of gigantic outgrowtn Of the familiar
hand dating machine found on almost every
office desk. The machines designed and CON.
. structed for the treasury departme not only
print in red ink but set their own type and
number cons ecutively from to 1,O0O0OO00Os
The 1at-top desk, with It's numerous con.
veniences, not to mention sanitary advap.
1 tages, is rapidly gaining vogue in of1cialdom
D as ID the business world. AS specimens Of
costly furniture the desksSo OF most Of our pub.
4 llc men Will not bear comparison with the
massive mahogany pieces to be found in some
& banks banks and IN the Offices Of some wealthy cor
poratlons but your progressive public man
has q; a his desk equipped with all those attach.
ments which grease the grooves for high ten
I sion WORK. There is q swinging stand to shift
B tne typewriter out OF the way when the ma
{ chine ls not ~ use; q balanced arm, adjust
able IN all directions that lifts the telephone
4 #aslde te1 when IT AZ not needed; ; special desk
B lamps that focus their rays on the work while
{ sheltering the eyes Of the worker from the
I glare, and rubber stamps with s. clockwork
attachment at which print not only the date but
the hour at which each letter or report has
been received or been given attention. The
improved pencil sharpeners and the cutting
devices which open a whole package Of let
ters at one sweep by clipping the ends Of the
envelopes deserve mention in the same cate
CORY Of time savers. SO, likewise, do the varia
Gus forms Of printing telegraphs which record
orders or bulletins simultane at various !
points sS sg8
as The newest wrinkle In the conduct 81
Uncle Sans business establishm amely2
the scheme for purchasing the supplies for all
the government departments at washington
through one general purchasing agency
expected to bring to the attention 81 our mn.
lie officials many new Office appliances and
numerous impro vements on Old devices de
signed to adapt them to overnrnental reo,,ire.
4 zments. n With Uncle Sam's purchases Tins
Jumped, the contracts to be awarded viii has
enough To- stir inV Ventors and manufacturers
70 the greatest energy ii producing novelties
that officials will include in their office
installations The central purchasing agency
Will also insure quality in all supplies ~
means ct thoro1lgh II is safe Is says
under this new regirne there viii be no reneti.
tions of the erence of The official Who@re.
Gently ruined more than $50 worth 81 r,,hher
stamps through the ses of q new An.
1lcfl he had not had an pportunity Is
try out ere It was III BIS ofices