Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

sent to the superintendent of documents,
and on this slip is written a series of
key numbers, which direct him as to
preparing the mailing list for the bulle-
tin. Each mailing list bears its own key.
which number Is printed on each name
stencil Should 1t be a document FOR
which there Is no mailing list 1t would
be put in stock to await the miscella-
neOus demand for II.
Presently. from the printing office
comes the Jacket" for a work. a large
form page containing complete print
ing directions, style of type. compost
ton, paper. binding. etc. as we'll as the
key numbers showing the distribution.
The superintendent of documents,
being a storekeeper who occasionally
advertises his wares. must have an eye
ever for business. and II from a perusal
of the Jacket" the forthcoming docu-
ment looks salable. he may order an
additional quantity for the book store.
or even a complete new edition. This.
in the case Of a farmers bulletin. is
called riding the Department OF Agri-
culture jacket"
The bureau Of the superintendent OF
documents now occupies the old print
ing Office. which is separated from the
new building by a narrow alley. At
present books from the bindery are
old building on an endless belt. but
pamphlets are trucked across through
the tunnel under the alley. or on one of
the bridges above it. Eventually it is
the purpose to have all printed matter
come to the mailing room on belts.
Presently the first copies OF the
room. Meanwhile the Office system has
placed a card in the shipping clerk
index to tell him what disposition to
make of this document when 1t comes
from the presses. He sees on this card
the numerous key numbers Of a con-
siderable mailing list. Had there been
no numbers he would have stored the
complete edition in the stockroom. AS
1t Is he puts the edition aside for mail
ing. and sends one copy Of the new bull
letin. together with the key numbers.
to the chief Of the mailing section. This
gentleman Is charged with the duty Of
selecting the proper sort Of wrappers
for the pamphlet and having them ad-
dressed. II 1t is thin pamphlet with
out illustrations in all likelihood he
will order it rolled and wrapped, the
cheapest method. But II it contains
half-tones which might be injured by
folding it will be mailed fiat in en-
velopes
The mailing lists are made up &C
cording to classes-chemists are in one
list. stock raisers In another. fruit
growers in third. and SO on. From
these classiflcations the list has been
sent to all classes who might have a
possible interest in it. With the key
numbers the chief of the mailing sec
ton goes to his files of stencils and
The stencils are made of waxed paper
stretched tight over rectangular paste
board frames. and the stenciling is
done on ordinary typewriters equipped
~ v>fv
waxed paper. the ink Of the addressing
machine flowing through the pin holes
and printing on the wrappers.
1t is also part Of the duties of the chief
Of the mailing section to keep the mail
ing lists revised up to date. This is done
by sending at intervals proof sheets of
the lists to the departmental offices which
turned in the lists. A half-dozen stenog-
raphers are engaged in the work of
punching stencils alone. Upward Of a
million addresses are now in the mailing
lists, and this number is being constantly
increased as the departments comply with
the new law. After a busy day the floor
in the corner Of the room coupled by. the
stenciling typewriters is covered as if
by q light snow with the tiny bits OF
paper punched from the stencils.
A battery of six addressing machines is
now kept busy turning out wrappers and
envelopes, but this number will be in
creased as the work becomes better sys-
tematized. The stencils in this machine
feed down from a column. like the paper
drinking cups in the vending machines.
and the wrapper feeds from roll. the
machine cutting the proper length wrap
per as 1t prints them. Each machine is
capable Of addressing $1,000 wrappers per
day.
An economy effected by these machines
is in their ability to print the return
address of the office issuing the publica-
ton, as well as the postal frank. in the
same operation of printing the sending
address. 1t is also possible, in the case
Of envelopes already printed. to cancel
the frank on the envelope while printing
the address. When the machine is ad-
dressing the envelopes the latter feed in
from a bin over the machine.
The addressed wrappers or envelopes
are then sent to the shipping room. to-
gether with the index card containing the
mailing scheme. The shipping clerk first
checks up with the card to see whether