Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-15
Controversy Over War Depart
ment Branch Printery.
SECRETARY RAISES ISSUE
Public Printer Would Have Work
Done at the Big Office.
COMPOSITORS TAKE A HAND
Congress and White House Also Ap-
pealed to in Dispute Promising
Interesting Results.

| There is four-sided controversy in
progress, with Secretary of War Dickin-
son, Public Printer Donnelly, Congress
and number of discharged printers as
| the principals. which promises some in
| tereSting results.
| 1t all came about because the public
printer conceived the idea Of abolishing
| the branches of the government printing
office in the several executive depart
ments. AS a matter Of fact Mr.. Don
| nelly has succeeded in transferring sew
eral of the branch printeries to the CEN
| trail printing plant. But 1t seems he
struck a snag when he attempted to
abolish the branch at the War Depart
| ment
| In the meantime the typos and other
| former employees who were thrown out
| Of work by the transfers have placed
| their grievances in the hands of a local
firm of lawyers and the outlook is that
number of suits will soon be filed
against the United States for loss Of posi-
| ton and compensation. 1t is understood
| the plaintiffs will aver that the public
| printer was without authority in law to
abolish the departmental branch printing
offices. In the language of one of the
officials, there is q peck of trouble in
store for some one
Both Sides Determined.
While Mr.. Donnelly seems determined
J to abolish the branch at the War Depart
| ment, Secretary Dickinson Is equally de-
termined to retain 1t. and has carried the
matter to both Congress and the White
House.
| In his communication to the House Of
Representatives transmitting statements
relating 10 the proposed removal Of the
War Department branch printing office to
the government printing ONCE proper, and
which was referred to the committee on
appropriations, Secretary Dickinson calls
attention to the statement Of the public
printer, made before subcommittee, In
! which he says the work of the War De-
partment branch printing Office could be
done by him in the government printing
Office 'as expeditiously and satisfactorily
| as at present In the branch ONCE and
at a, saving Of Sc. year.
"The War Department does not concur
In the views Of the public printer on this
| subject" Secretary Dickinson says. land
desires to submit a statement for con-
| sideration. While the War Department
| branch printing off1ce does work for all
tained largely for the performance of the
emergency printing of the adjutant gen.
erals office. especially the general and
| special orders and circulars pertaining to
the army, and station and other lists
showing the location Of troops and the
| status and whereabouts Of officers. Be-
cause Of the greater distance of the gov
ernment printing Office from the War De-
partment it would be physically impos-
| sible to do the work now being done at
the branch printing Office as expeditiously
and satisfactorily as 1t is now being done,
and as to whether 1t could be done at
the main government printing office as
| ex peditiOusly and satisfactorily as the in
terests of the service require that 1t
should be done. attention Is invited to
| the accompanying memoranda of the ad-
5utant general. dated October 16, 1909,
and December B. 1905.
Operated at Profit.
ION the question Of economy. attention
| is invited to the fact that the War De-
partment branch printing office was oper-
ated last year at a profit Of $17. $50 "a to
the government printing office, as will ap-
pear from the statements contained on
pages 74-77 and 112 of the annual report
of the public printer for the fiscal year
1909. which show that the total cost of op-
| Grating the War Department branch Of
fce was $4S.9S7.32 and that the total
charge made by the public printer against
| the War Department allotment for print
1
| Department branch office was $66, ,27666 a
profit OF $17. .2s934, 35 per cent Of the
| operating expenses.
| III 1t is claimed that this charge Of
SIT $50. "a on S4S.3s7.32 worth Of work is
not a profit but the necessary overhead
charge for doing work at the government
printing Office, then II would appear that
printing is done much more economically
at the War Department branch office
than at the main Office, since the War
Department branch office does for $4S.-
9S7.32 a volume Of work for which the
main office finds II necessary to charge
SOC, 6.66. in order to meet its general
expenses for repairs, renewals to plant,
expense OF labor in handling material,
bookkeeping, and other incidental mis-
celaneous expenses over and above the
actual cost of the product in labor, paper,
material, etc.
All Employees Fully Occupied.
LAS the proof readers. maker-up, i'm
posers. compositors. pressmen, press feed
ers helpers and skilled laborers at the
| War Department branch printing Off1ce
were all Of them regularly and continu-
ously occupied in productive operations.
| !, is Of course apparent that the work
done by them could not have been turned
| out by any fewer people or at any less
| cost at the government printing Office
| in fact, il is stated by the government
| printing office in letter to the depart
ment, dated August 81, 1909. that the
/ charge for the work would have been the
| same had 1t been executed at the main
| office'-so that the maximum saving to
the government. IL any, that could by
any possibility result by the transfer in
question would be the amount of salary
of the foreman, whose work, being su-
pervisory, is not Of a productive char
acter.
His salary is 5000 a year. 1t is
questionable whether this possible saw
ing of 5000 would not be onset by the
cost OF the increase in the messenger
service that would be necessary, and In
any event about $4,000 would be lost in
the operation, because the printing would
no longer be done at a profit OF over
S17. 600 However. in my opinion any saw
ing that would he possible would not
| compensate for the impairment In the
efficiency Of War Department and army
administration that would result IL the
i War Department should be deprived OF
Its branch printing Office, or of its opera
ton exclusively for the War Department
and its bureau&
/ Public Interests Would Suffer.
In concluding his communication to
Congress Secretary Dickinson said "ex-
| cept for what the War Department re-
CARDS as an excessive charge against It's
allotment for printing and binding for
service rendered by the government print
ing Office in connection with the branch