Evening star., 1912-06-02
HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT
Strikes Out Salary Increases Fa-
vored by the Senate.
SUGGESTS MANY AMENDMENTS
Position of Deputy Public Printer
Is Regarded as a Use
less One

Three-qua rters of million dollars
year saved by changes in the govern
ment printing Office and in the general
printing laws is the total of the econo-
mics suggested by the House committee
on printing. which recommended yester-
day to the House the passage, with sun
dry amendments, of the bin for the re-
vision of the printing laws already passed
by the Senate. The report strikes out
every increase in salary which the Senate
passed and speaks of abuses which
have grown up in the laxity and in
completeness of the printing laws.
The more important committee amend
ments as reported to the House yester-
day are as follows:
Consoidates the positions of deputy
public printer and superintendent OF
work. and assigns the clerical duties
heretofore performed by the deputy pub
lie printer to a clerk above class 1.
Strikes out the increase in salaries OF
officials at the government printing once.
| Makes permanent provision for medl-
cal and sanitary officer at the govern
ment printing office.
Provides that the sale of all government
publications. other than maps and charts.
and with certain other exceptions. shall
be centralized under the superintendent
of documents, without the 10 per cent
added.
Provides that the distribution of all
lists of the executive departments. inde-
pendent offices and establishments Of the
government shall be centralized at the
government printing office.
Provides that either house may aDOISh
its folding room.
Provides for the publication of the
official register with the omission of un-
necessary matter.
The bill amends existing law by fixing
2,O as the maximum annual salary
that may be paid by the public printer
without any specific appropriation there
for. A number of assistant foremen of
work divisions are now paid by the pub
lie printer a little more than 5000 a
wear and the committee thought 1t wise
to make a limit.
Pay for Skilled Glasses.
The bill fixes the compensation of the
principal classes of skilled trades in the
government printing office comprehended
in the general terms of printers and
okbinders at 80 cents an hour.
These general classes" says the re-
| port. ARE segregated. and a higher
compensation allowed those exception
quires more than ordinary skill or en-
tails unusual responsibility, which dis
tinction is in harmony with the rules
of the trade.
1T provides that the compensation Of
job compositors. imposers. pressmen,
| gilders, marblers and bookbinder-
machine operators shall be cents per
hour higher than the compensation TO
be paid to the other employees within
the general classification. This Is an
| increase Of cents per hour in the
compensation of job compositors and
pressmen; all the other employees with
in this special classification are now
paid SO cents per hour; and 1T Is furth-
er provided that the compensation of
| proof readers. makers-up. printerlino
type operators printer -monotype key
board operators. pressmen in charge.
stereotypers and electrotypers shall be
60 cents per hour.
Purpose Of Amendment.
to do justice to a small group of en-
ployes of the government printing Of
lfce known folding machine operators.
by providing that they shall be in
cluded as bookbinders. at the rate of
so cents per hour. This affects not to
exceed fifteen employees. who are now
paid 40 cents an hour. The classified
ton as bookbinders of those folding
machine operators who have served at
least four years in the government
printing office is merited by these faith
full employees.
This section also AUTHORIZES the pay
ment to per diem or per hour employees
of 80 per cent. in addition to the regu
lar compensation for Sunday work.
which provision has been incorporated
in the sundry civil appropriation act
This section also provides for the pay
ment of 20 per cent for night work In al
ditiOn to the regular compensation al
lowed per diem and per hour employees.
which is rewriting of existing law
cept that per hour and per diem employees
are differentiated from employees receiv-
ing annual salaries, whether fixed by law
or regulation.
THE committee accorded a hearing to
representatives of the printing pressmen's
organizations. who urged that the COM
pensation of pressmen in the government
printing office be increased from ~ to go
cents per hour. instead of from 30 to .o
cents per hour. IS provided for in the bill.
After a careful consideration of the mat
ter the committee came to the conclusion
that the rate provided for in the bill is
fair and equitable one"
Rate for Pressmen High.
The rate for pressmen as proposed by
the bill Is higher. the committee claims.
than that paid in any other city where
pressmen are employed under similar
conditions.
Eleven sections of the bill are devoted
Ito establishing a general organization of
the government printing office, by the
specific designation of duties:
Public printers come and CO." says
the report. There having been Ave
public printers in the last six years,
each with his own ideas of organization,
and so long as the organization of the
government printing Office is to be left
entirely to the discretion end subject to
the whims and fancies of public printer.
the work Of the Office must be hampered
because of changes in the duties OF the
officials and the consequent changes In
the general procedure of the Office. each
change of organization tremendous loss
in efficiency, service and money"
The Senate bill raised the public print
ers salary TO S6.CGO; the House committee
recommends that 1t stay at $500 The
position of deputy public PRINTER Isl
recommended abolished. his duties to be
consolidated with those OF the superin-
tendent OF works
Another section of the bill consolidates
under the accountant supervision over all
accounting. compiling. etc. This will
eliminate one position. The bill author
izes the appointment of a foreman of
binding. but not at $3.50, as passed by
the Senate. The House committee be-
lieves $3.50 is enough. The same salary
is recommended for the foreman of bind
ing. a $3.50 reduction from the Senate bill
The amended bill also proposes to CEN
tralize the distribution of public docu-
| mentS.
ESCAPES FROM HOSPITAL.