Evening star., 1912-01-21
HARD FIGHT AHEAD
Bureau Employees Stubbornly
Oppose Power Presses.
ON IN EARNEST THIS Week
Question of Changing Method Of En-.
craving Has Committee O. K.
MONEY RAISED FOR DEFENSE
Hand Roller Pressmen Said to Have
$35, ZOO for Use in Effort to
Defeat Measure.
ON IN EARNEST THIS Week
MONEY RAISED FOR DEFENSE

The fight in Congress over the proposal
to substitute power presses for hand
roller presses in the printing OF money
in the bureau Of engraving and print
ing will probably be on In earnest before
this week is over. The Senate commit
tee on printing has put its o. K on the
Smoot bill for the revision of the print
Ing laws. in which the substitution is
provided. and Senator smoot has an
nounced that he will call up the measure
in the Senate soon.
There were important DEVELOPMENTS
yesterday, preliminary to the struggle
that is to start in earnest this week, and
some still more important developments
are expected within few days.
An investigation by the congressional
printing committed of charges that much
! money is being raised and used by the
plate printers of the bureau in their fight
against the substitution is regarded as
not unlikely. Members Of the committee
received Information yesterday, 1t is un-
derstood. that the organized plate print
ers have about $50, 900 In their treasury
to be used In the fight, and that about
5000 is being added to the fund each
month through assessments levied on the
members Of the organization.
May Probe Use Of Fund.
Some members Of the committee. it is
understood. are anxious to know how this
big sum is being used or Is to be used,
and there has been suggestion that the
committee undertake an Investigation.
That the plate printers are well into their
fight against the proposed substitution is
evidenced by the large number of petit
tlons that are reaching members Of Con-
greSS from many sections OF the country,
chiefly from labor organizations protest
ing against the proposed change. The
main argument Is that the money printed
by power presses will be easier to coun-
terfeit than that printed, as at present,
by hand presses.
To study the use Of power presses as
AGAINST hand presses several members
of Congress went to the bureau Of en-
craving and printing yesterday after
noon. The party was headed by Sem
ator Smoot, chairman Of the joint COM
mittee on printing Of Congress-. and in
cluded Senators Gallinger of New Hamp-
shire, Page of Vermont and Chiffon Of
West Virginia and Representative Barn.
hart of Indiana.
While none Of the party expressed an
opinion as to the relative merits Of the
were favorably impressed with the work
OF the power presses. Power presses
are now being used in the printing Of
postage stamps and internal revenue
stamps, having Doen substituted Tor
hand presses several years ago. 1t was
noted that. even when power presses
are used, the plates are wiped by hand
as we'll as by machine brushes, and
that that feature, held so important by
the plate printers, will still be kept
with the power presses.
Saving in Power Presses.
Director Ralph Of the bureau gave the
visiting members of Congress an idea Of
the saving which the adoption Of the
power presses will accomplish. when he
told them that unless the power presses
are adopted. he would be compelled to
ask an increase Of appropriation OF $780,
900 for the bureau for the coming year.
Director Ralph also assured the con-
gressmen that no efficient employe of the
bureau would lose his Job II the power
presses were adopted. and In that connec-
tion, he pointed out that the provision OF
law, proposed by the Smoot bill. would
allow the replacing Of only one-fifth OF
tie hand presses In any one year.
If the power presses are adopted, Mr..
Ralph also contended, the wages of the
printers will be increased 40 or so per
cent, and the work decreased by SO pei
cent. The woman assistants. he added,
will be able to sit down while at work
If power presses are substituted. instead
of having to stand up as at present.