Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-28

%HE United States has the lars-
est and finest printing office In
the world. 1t represents an
expenditure of more thu n
s16,OOO,OOO for construction and
equipment and an annual expenditure of
more than s6oOO.OOO for maintenance and
operation. A thousand different impor-
tant books and pamphlets are published
by it every year, to say nothing OF the
large number and variety of circulars.
bills and other small jobs which go to
make up the years work of the govern
ment printing Office. 1t issues daily and
weekly journals. monthly perie deals and
large number of yearly publications.
These range in frequency and Importance
from the daily Congressional Record to
tine annual report CT small bureau Of
ficials, and in subject matter from an alb
stract report of the bureau of standards
upon the Standardization Of promoters
to horse book by the Department of
Agriculture. or Jefferson's Bible by the
authority of Congress.
The aggregate work of the government
printing Office during a single year Is
vast In it's proportions. In 1910 1t set up
mere than q million pages of type. and
printed nearly 5000. O0O, COO pages of mat
ter. to say nothing OF nearly 701.O0OO0o
blanks, schedules, cards, etc. 72.OOo,GCO
Ietterheads and envelopes, and 9th r
things in proportion. Nearly million
and half copies of various publications
were bound. The composition costs were
nearly 100000.
In spite Of the fact that every known
practicable labor-saving device is used at
the government printing Office, more than
$4,000 GOO a year is paid out in wages. and
1t requires more than $780, a year to
pay for the extra help required when
the regular force goes On its vacation. 1t
requires more than a million dollars
worth OF paper and upward of SttD,GoD
worth Of other material for a years
operation at the big printing Office. In a
single month it was able to turn out
1J6. 100000 postal cards. One begins to
appreciate the immensely of the plant
when he considers how great are the lit
tie things on its bill of expenses. The
annual soap supply costs 5000. while S13
worth OF screw-diivers. IS. worth Of pens.
$500 worth OF lead pencils. 1900 worth OF
machine oil. twenty-four tons of printers
ink and other things in proportion are
used. Waste paper is reduced to a mimi
mum, every possible piece being utilized
IN tie operations of the big print shop.
and yet 10000 worth OF it is sold an
nually. Simply by changing the style OF
OF $4,000 was effected. BY changing
from egg coal to pea coal a saving of
$4,000 was effected. The printing of the
Sunday euio2y editions of the Congress
sional Record Monday morning repre-
sents an outlay nearly 5000 create.
than would be required if this edition of
the record could be released Tuesday
When one goes through the big print
shop he finds many wonderful things.
One room cont aims about eighty linotype
machines. the largest number to be found
In a single room anywhere i'll the world.
In another room are melting POTS With 4
capacity of fifteen tons Of molten metal.
In another room is a series of presses,
whose combined output is more than
million Impressions every hour. Although
there are eighty-seven presses in this
room there is not pulley nor a belt in
sight. each machine being driven by its
individual electric motor. Printers ink
Is applied to forty tons of paper every
eight hours. There are card presses.
which turn out million cards each day.
The job Office is one OF the most remark
work in single day than the average
job office of the commercial world could
turn out In full week. The most per-
feet equipment that money can bIy is
to be found throughout the entire plant.
The public printer is able to give a good
account Of himself with this superb
equipment when heavy demands are
made upon him. When the naval court
of inquiry into the destruction of the
Maine made its report President Nc
kinley transmitted the document to Con-
sress one afternoon. The next morning
1t was printed and in the hands of every
member of the Senate and House and
Of the various members Of the press.
1t contained twenty-four full-page illus
trations, one Autograph in colors. and
nearly 800 pages Of printed matter,
When q congressional committee was
making an investigation into the matter
of haz:ng at West Point the government
printing Office was able. in thirty-siN
hours. to print and deliver to Congress
he ..fG0-page report of that inquiry.
Congress makes heavier demands upon
the government printing Office than
any of the other branches of the gov
eminent. Its annual printing bill amounts
to more than $2.O0O.OOG. The Congress
sional Record and the printing of hear
the maior portion of this amount. Dur
ing a single year the government print
ing Office printed for Congress more
than a million copies of octave pubica-
tions. 1900 copies OF the Congressional
Record every day. some $50 copies each
of more than $4,000 bills and other things
in proportion.
The next most liberal patron of the
government printing Office is the patent
Once The very large expense attached
~ tho issuance of the Patent Office Ca
zotte Is responsible for this. This pub
iication is issued weekly. each Issue con-
,airing the drawings and specifications
Of ali patents issued during the proceed