Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-29
THE PUBLIC PRINTER.
A Billion Documents are Published
Every Year by the Government.

A Billion Documents are Published
Every Year by tho Government.
Between the various branches of the
United States government and the
country stands an intermediary which
works ceaselessly. 1t is ready at all
times, day and night, to send forth the
words of the government to the multi
tude. to give them proof Of what is be-
ing done at Washington or at other
points where some Federal office throbs
like the pulse Of a gigantic monster.
That Intermediary Is the government
printing office. which every year sends
out almost billion documents, rang
ing from single sheet announcements
to thousand-page books, all dealing
with the government and its work.
Each branch Of the government has
more or less printed matter, from mere
ly an annual report up to the output of
the department Of agriculture. which
annually sends out hundreds Of thous-
ands of leaflets and books on a multi
tude Of subjects. And these are all
printed at the government printing Of
fee, where approximately 1000 persons
constitute this well-regulated machine.
Aside from printing the Congression-
al Record. the bills, resolutions and
other congressional material, the chief
work of this office is the production of
department publications. This phase
Of the work, is in fact, the one most
apparent, as it is only in the wee sma'
hours Of the morning that the Congress
sional Record is printed.
Only by figures can the real magni-
tude of the work Of this office be fully
grasped. For instance, during 1911,
12,419,416 square inches Of work were
produced in the foundry, while the
number of forms sent to press was
171,410. There were 91,533,S33 sigma
lures gathered by machine; and 76,-
496,216 signatures were folded; 23,409,-
40 copies were wire-stitched; 25.206,-
667 sheets of paper were ruled; s3,-
075,sSS signatures were stitched; 1,s0o.-
421 tablets wers made; 1925, 400 cards
and sheets were punched and drilled.
and 2,014,514 cases were made.
AS to the production Of books. ETC.,
the figures are even greater in some in
stances. There were 56,393,550 letter.
heads, noteheads and envelopes printed
in 1911; while the number Of these ar
ticles embossed reached 10,564,554;
S04, ,107,525 blanks, notices, schedules
and cards were printed; 1921 blank
books with patent backs, and 105,939
without the patent backs. OF the pub
lications there were 6,674,57s Of these
smaller than octave, while Of the octa-
vo publications there were 44,764,501;
1,601,115 of the royal octave and g.
679,156 quarto publications. The mis-
cellaneous publications amounted to
1,74S,367.
Another insight into the real magni-
tude Of the office can be obtained from
glance at an itemized account Of the
various important things used in the
production of department work. The
paper used each year costs about $751;
900, while the amount reaches thous-
ands of tons. The leather represents
about $4,000, with the gold leaf cost
ing similar amount and the cloth used
in binding about $4,000. Then there
is the item Of glue and paste. This Is
of such importance that room with
special machinery is set aside for it's
preparation. The number Of barrels Of
flour used in a year Is about ITS, while
$4,000 pounds of animal glue are neces-
sary. Each time a batch Of paste is
made an entire barrel Of flour Is used,
which, when finished makes five large
buckets of paste, weighing 1876 pounds
each. Eighty pounds of glue are made
up each time.
AS for the other items: 100000
pounds Of pig iron; 10000 pounds of
tin and the same amount of tinfoil,
$4,000 pounds of copper battery plates,
$1,000 pounds of cast iron filings. 25.-
900 skins for leather bindings, 5000
rolls of book cloth, each roll contain
ing thirty eight yards; 100000 pounds
Of binders board and 100000 pounds Of
straw board, 10000 yards Of buckram,
and 125,000 yards Of cotton.
The list of items might be stretched
out almost indefinitely, inasmuch as
there are some 10000 in all. each neces-
sary to some process in the production
of books and publications. and each of
which must be kept track Of, in order
that the supply may not run out. Be
sides that nearly 1000 employees, a
pay roll amounting to more than s4.-
100000 or about $4,000 a day; hun
dreds of machines to be kept in run
ming order, and last but by no means
least, copy coming in incessantly, all
of which must be turned into neatly
printed, correctly bound books-that is
what the government printing office
stands for, and what Is being dtne
there all the time by the glare Of SUM-
light and under the rays Of artificial
light. Star.