The Washington herald., 1910-06-26

In a report 10 Congress yesterday the
printing investigation commission de-
clared the reason for abuses in public
printing is lax and antiquated laws, but
that $1,000 had been saved Uncle sam
through the Congressional probing.
The commission, through Senator SmooL
of Utah, chairman, reported that SS.-
S4S.24 had been saved in one year by
abolishing the printing Offices in the
Treasury. Interior, and Agriculture de-
partments.
It advised that the printing establish
ments in the state. War. and Navy de-
partments be done away with. The
Investigators asserted the government
would save SS0SiL6O a year by it.
During this session the commission has
confined itself TO an investigation Of
methods in the Government Printing
Office and its branches.
Would Revise Laws.
The commission recommended that the
printing laws be revised and cOdified. that
a law be adopted requiring all govern
ment printing 10 be done by government
shops, and that the heads of the several
printing divisions come to a better under
standing with the Public Printer.
The principal saving brought about this
session, according TO the report. was IN
abolIshing the useless printing OF docC-
ments for Senators and Representatives
often used as campaign material. More
than $4,000 has been leaking out this
way every year.
Another reform was doing away with
the reserve of documents. BY an anti
auated law the Public Printer was forced
to bind and keep every document. no
matter how trivial, turned out IN his
plant. In 1907 nearly $125,o00 was spent
in useless binding. This year, under the
reform ruling, less than 800 vas spent.
sold as waste Paper.
The law made it mandatory that the re-
serve documents be printed in cloth. and,
as a result tons OF beautifully bound
books had to be sold as waste paper.
More than 10000 useless documents were
sold this year.
The printing commission stated 1t is
planning to recommend cutting down edi-
tiOns for the coming year. The commits
sion discovered that the superintendent
of documents has distributed T,906, ,S9-
government publications TO libraries in
fifteen years, and that these books have
been coming back, discarded by the Ii
braries. at the rate of 10000 annually.
The only way they could account fOI
these figures was that thousands of du-
| plicate volumes had been sent out.
Extended probing developed the fact
that only two departments had carried
out President Roosevelt's order foI
standardizing departmental printing and
binding.
Remedy for System.
As a remedy for the present system oi
disposing of public documents by Civ,
| ing them TO Members and Senator'S, which
| is branded as "eXtravagant and waste
full the commission advised that eaet
member of the House and Senate be giver
limited credit at the Printing Office.
The commission reported that the aver
age printing for each Senator is S2, 400 {
year, and the average for Representa-
| tives 81 1000 annually. The new plan, I
asserts. viii save hundreds of thousand
a year.
Inc commission GiSO NiSCVNfi6u tia
the departments have nine separate en-
/ craving and lithographing plants In oper
alton, not including the Bureau of En-
! craving and Printing Of the Treasur.
Department.
Cost of Operation.
These plants were operated at a cost o
Ss4S,z7117 the last fiscal year. In addi
ton, the total awards to outside estab
lishments amounted TO SS17, ,66492. MAXIM
a total OF $685., $500 expended by tn
/ government for engraving and litho
graphing last year.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing
is confined TO printing currency. banl
notes. stamps, and the bke.
The commission is now investigatin
the advisability of having more of tn
engraving and lithographing for the gov
ernment done in its own plants. some o
which are equipped to perform additiona
work
The members Of the commission ar
Senator smoot. Of Utah: Senator Bourne
Of Oregon; Senator Fletcher. of Florida
Representative Cooper, of Pennsylvania
Representative Sturgis. of West Viz
ginia, and Representative Finley. O
South Carolina.
Front TAtsar- ..laxgd SAG Go Auseea