The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-22
Joint Committee Seeks to
Cut Off Much of Its
Cost.
MUCH DEAD WOOD"
MAY BE REMOVED
Change IN Personnel at Plant
Likely 10 Be Recon-
mended.

A complete reorganization Of the
Government Printing Office is contem-
plated in the report of the joint
committee OF the House and Senate
appointed TO investigate the whole
system. and to recommend 10
Congress such reforms as may be need
ed in the transaction Of its business.
and such economies as can be insti-
tUted without impairinE the usefulness
Of this big establishment.
In the first place the committee is
bent on saving some OF the money
which is now expended by this bracnh
OF the Government To ia this less
printing must be done, and the printing
which is done viii be systematized on a
business basis, as would be the case Il
the plant were operated by an indi-
viduaI for profit If It becomes neces-
sary. this committee viii even shake up
the personnel Of the printing Office.
and Il Is strongly iutimated by members
% the committee that considerable
dead wood" has already been found in
the force now employed in the plant.
Useless Matter Printed
At yesterdays melting OF the joint
committee many lines for reform were
suggested II was shown that thou
sands upon thousands OF copies Of COM
Daratively UnimpOrtant reports made By
the departments were printed and imme-
diaIeIy stored away Sometimes a few
hundred copies OF these would be called
for and distributed. with the remainder
left on hand to occupy valuable space
III the printing Office, and 20 be forgot
ten ever after
So great has become this accumulation
that at present there are $4,000 copies
OF various documents IN the possession
q the printing Office none Of which
probably viii ever be called for There
Is a dead loss Of thousands OF dollars
IN these papers already. and the Gov
eminent Is now forced TO rent a storage
warehouse at a cost OF 5000 a year in
which to store this mass OF useless
printed matter.
The committee now proposes 10 place
a limit spon the amount Of matter
which the departments shall be allowed
20 print All reports or Importance viii
70 excepted Of course but the various
petty documents which are now being
issued IN vast quantities viii be held
within reasonable limits, and only such
numbers Of copies printed as may be
needed for actual circulation
May Change Personnel
Senators and Representatives viii be
asked 10 assist in the plan for econ
omy- It has been one Of the practices
Of the various member of that body
TO place every library I'm their resPec-
tive districts upon the mailing list for
all the official documents Many Of
these Libraries are small and have no
use for the mass Of stuff which Is sent
them There are even hundreds Of
these Institutions which refuse TO &C
Cept the matter and il comes back 10
Washington with the transportation
costs both ways charged Up to the Gov
eminent
Along with other reforms viii prob
ably come THAI in the personnel Of the
Printing Office Members Of the com
uiJtee say that II their inquiry devel-
OBS a need for q wedding out OF un-
necessary employees and they intimate
that Il viii, considerable dead wood
vii be dropped from the pay rolls
Tie printing office IS operated directly
under the Supervision OF Congress-. Il
vas originally designed TO print only
Congressional documents, but its field
has so expanded that II now prints all
the reports and other matter needed BY
the various departments. So great has
become its business that its paper bill
alone amounts to $50, O00 a year