Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-13
WASTE OF MILLIONS
Senator Smoot Begins Speech
on Printing Revision Bill.
SEEKS TO REFORM METHOD
Instances of Extravaganza at Gov.
eminent Printing Office
UNEARTHED BY COMMITTEE
Investigation Shows Reckless Ex-
penditures, the Senator Declares,
and Remedy Is Required.
UNEARTHED BY COMMITTEE

! bases his plea for revision on the finan-
clal loss-running into the millions in the
| past few years-in the present system.
Numerous instances of waste, amounting
in practically every case to thousands of
dollars, were cited during his speech
yesterday afternoon. Owing to the fact
that an early executive session was de-
sired to discuss the nomination of Chan
| celor Pitney of New Jersey to the United
| States Supreme Court bench. he was
unable to complete his enumeration of the
| losses which the bill he advocates aims
| to prevent.
| Big Annual Saving.
Estimating the saving that will be eff
fected by the bill at $6OO.OOO annually.
| but predicting that it will really re-
suit in much greater economies,
Senator SmOOt yesterday told of the
great accumulations of government
documents that have finally been sold as
waste paper; of the duplication of print
ing the same thing in several different
volumes; of the creating of positions,
with good salaries and high sounding
titles, in the government printing office
that are regarded as furnishing super
agances of public printers made possible
by the great authority to make purchases
and spend money given to the head Of
the establishment.
Pointing to the fact that the bill for the
revision of the printing laws is the prod
uct of the printing investigation commits
sion of Congress, Senator Smoot began
by declaring that this commission is not
the only body person to see the need
for revised legislation.
Complete Revision Recommended.
s"Esyeery commission committee or OK
pert WHO has investigated the subject of
the public printing and binding in recent
years." he said, has recommended that
a complete revision of the printing laws
must be undertaken by Congress before
the government printing office can be put
upon a. modern business basis and the
proper economies effected which will end
many of the gross extravagances that
are either possible under or are caused
by the Anticipated and obsolete laws gov
erning the public printing and binding.
Every department and branch of the gov
eminent has urged that this work be un-
dertaken and carried to success
When the government was started.
Senator Smoot said, the cost of the
printing and binding for the first ses-
sion of Congress was $o,957. That has
been steadily increasing through the
years, until for the fiscal year 1911, 1t
amounted to S2,O36 416.79. There has
| since 1895, it was pointed out. and the
| cost of the public printing since then has
been increasing enormously.
Before outlining the features of the
the history of the public printing, and
| touched some of the scandals" that
have been exposed. He recalled that
| when Congress was moved to Washing
ton in 1901 there was no printing office
here large enough to do it's work, and
at that time John Randolph informed the
House that. lowing to the state Of the
machinery in this place" certain printing
could not be completed for twenty days.
The history of the days when contracts
times to the printer who would make the
largest contribution to campaign funds,
was briefly touched upon.
Authority for Investigation.
Coming down to the appointment of the
printing investigation commission, he
said
THE act of 1895 seemed to operate SUBJ
isfactorily for nearly ten years, the long
est period which Congress has permitted
to pass without printing investigation.
However, during thoose ten years in which
Congress refrained from an investigation
of the public printing and binding, the
expenditures for the government printing
ONCE more llldH uOuDleu. III 1880, "ItIt
the present printing law was enacted. the
disbursements of the public printer
amounted to SD, 473, 1902. For the fiscal
year ending June 80 1904. just prior to
the creation Of the printing investigation
commission, the public printer expended
s7OS0, 9O673. an increase of $780,, 125. 81
for the ten-year period.
LET me state right here that the ex-
penditures of the government printing
office began to decrease rapidly after the
printing investigation commission got to
work In 1905, and for the fiscal year 1910
the expenditures for the public printing
ard binding We're S9SS 4tS. y less than for
| the year prior to the establishment of the
| commission. That decrease of nearly a
million dollars q year was due to legis-
lation recommended by this commission
and to numerous economies which it eff
| fected in the public printing and binding.
| This saving in the government printing
was secured despite the fact that the
volume of printing and binding increased
during the same period. and it was ac-
complished without impairing the public
service In the slightest degree"
Cp to date, he said, the commission has
cost the government less than $4,000 and
has already effected saving of several
! million dollars in the printing bill, rec
| ord he thinks that is uneGualed by any
other commission in the history of this
government.
L y