United labor bulletin., 1911-01-05
eovERNMENr pRlNrINe oFFlce.
Continued from Page ~

| u.
The matter is carefully edited by ex-
perts in the department of commerce
and labor, and is accepted as reliable
and safe guide by the nations traders
seeking an outlet for their wares in for
eign markets.
Since January l, 1910, upward of 25,-
100000 copies of speeches of senators
and members have been printed, a har-
binger of the appeal to the will of the
people" which will have been made and
the result declared before this number of
| The Bulletin is in the hands of its
readers.
| Contrary to general belief, the govern
ment printing Office is to some extent a
competitive establishment. An illustra-
ton of this is embodied in what is known
as the money-order department of the
Office. These money order blanks. total
ing each year more than 500 900 books
, of 2O0 forms each, had been given out
to private parties under competitive bids
for many years. but in December 1907,
the public printer made a bid on this
work. receiving the contract at that time
for all work of that class, his bid being
considerably lower than that of any rep
utable commercial printer. The section
where this work is done is one of the
most wonderful IN a wonderful estab-
lishment. There are 23 employees at this
writing and all are producing profit for
the government. The presswork is done
by specially built presses. and the paper
used is what is known as special safety
bond paper, watermarked ~. s. M. o."
and manufactured expressly for this pur-
pose.
Another case in point is the postal
card section, located in what is known
as the old building. This section sup
plies the enormous amount of postal
cards used by the American people,
Here. too. are used specially built ma
chimes. About 175OO0O0O cards each
months is the capacity of the equip
ment.
graphic view of the growth of gov
ernment printing is furnished by state
ment of the appropriations made by the
congress for the government printing of.
flee and for public printing and binding
during the past 35 years, where it will
be seen that the appropriation for 1876
was 81 ,GS3, ,125.26, while that for 1910 was
s.. .6S9, ,OSS.
The increase in buildings, material
employees. and expenditures, great as
they are. have not4kept up proportion
ately with the wonderful output of the
establishment This increase of output
can be traced to many causes, the two
principal of which are improved machin-
cry and the applications of correct busi-
ness ideas and methods.
An excellent innovation is the estab-
hoe toll
this being under the care of the medical
director of the establishment. 1t has
proven of great service TO those en-
pioyed in the Office. and its establish
ment and maintenance was one of the
wisest things of the printery's latter-day
development
After one has read of the magnitude
of this establishment and its great facil-
ity for doing all kinds OF work 1t would
not be out of place to say how quickly
such work can sometimes be done, and
here is striking example OF that.
"a few days since," said an official Of
the institution, there was set, read, cor
rected, revised. imposed, printed. bound,
and placed on board vessel at New
York City about to sail for Europe, to be
used before The Hague Tribunal, book
of ATS pages, all in the French language,
the copy for which was received at the
printing office just As hours
before the completed book was placed on
the steamer. The volume was OF con-
fidential nature, its contents to be used
in a case between this country and
Brazil"
The administrative forces are organ
hue Ill
pies. Headed by the public printer (the
chief executive). authority and responsi-
bility pass logically and systematically
to his deputy, a superintendent OF oper-
ations, three general foremen (of print
ing. of presswork, and OF binding), ana
and assistants of divisions ana
sections. So perfect is this vast indus
trial machine that the multifarious ele-
ments of its wondrous whole work In
perfect unity and harmony to accomplish
more remarkable results than Is to be
found elsewhere in the printing business
of the world.
In 1894 an executive order OF Presi-
dent Cleveland placed the establishment
under the provisions of the civil service
law The result has been an improve-J
ment of the service in its every detail, !.
insuring measurable permanency OF en-
ployment for faithful and eficient work
men, a higher standard of competency In
the crafts, and the elimination OF. care
less and ineffective operatives who may
have depended more upon influence
than upon merit
The skilled workmen are, with few ex-
ceptions. members Of the unions OF their
crafts. No effort is made by them to i'm
pose conditions as to hours, wages, shop
regulations, etc, these matters being
subject to legislation by congress.
Not all printed matter Is of an official
character. The following titles OF docu-
ments and papers taken at random. in
dicate the diversity OF thought, educa-