The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-08-02
FLETCHER SEEKS.
To Do AWAY WITH.
PRINTING WASTE
WOULD INTRODUCE ECONOMICAL
METHODS THAT WOULD SAVE
IMMENSE SUMS
Changes Proposed in Government
Printing Office, the Largest
Establishment of Its Kind
(By Winfield Jones. }

Wy WAAuOAu SVuoU.J
Washington, Aug. 2.-Senator
Fletcher, chairman of the joint con-
gressional printing committee, II
| preparing to change the methods Of
doing business at the government
printing office, the largest printing
establishment in the world, and ex-
poets to save hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually to the govern
ment by the reforms that he will in
stitute.
A bill to revise the printing laws,
governing the government printing
office, which it is claimed will re-
suit in an annual saving TO the gov
ernment of $750.O00, is receiving
careful consideration by both the
Senate and House committees on
printing. That 1t will be favorably
reported by the committees, possi-
bly, at the present session, and that
1t will be passed by Congress and
become a law at the next regular
session was a prediction made to-
day by members of the senate COM
mittee.
Senator Fletcher. chairman Of tho
joint congressional committee on
printing, is strongly in favor Of the
bill and will do all in his power to
bring about the passage. Repre-
sentative Henry A. Barnhart of In
diana, chairman Of the House print
Ing committee, who has introduced
the bill in the House, is also strong.
ly In favor Of having 1t enacted into
law.
One Of the clauses in the bill is
that in consolidating the offices of
deputy public printer the supervisor
of work the title which will be Civ
en- this official Is supervisor of work.
and not deputy public printer.
Also the bill provides abolition Of
the folding rooms in both Senate
and House. The abolishment Of
these folding rooms It is expected
will save thousands Of dollars to the
government every year. It will
mean the concentration of the dis
tributing Of public documents In
the government printing Office, and
will do away with much duplication
work.
Another big saving to the gov
ernment provided for in the bill
will be brought about by changing
the method of distribution of pub
lie documents to members Of Con-
gress. In the past the law has pro-
vided that each member Of the
House shall have furnished him q
certain number Of every public doc
ument printed at the government
expense, for distribution as he saw
fit to his constituents. A member
from New York City was furnished
with just as many copies Of a docu-
ment farming as was the mem
ber from an agricultural district In
Kansas. The consequence was tho
New York member had no use for .
large number of these documents
and they became mere waste paper,
littering up the document rooms at
the capitol.
All this 10 to be changed and each
member Of the Senate will be givea
. credit Of $4,000 and each member
Of the House . credit Of $500, 70
be charged against the government
printing ONCE for public documents
each year. In this way each mem
Der will be able 10 select Just those
documents for which he has need. =
At present under the old systsm.-
there are 100000 obsolete publie
documents lying in the Senate
document room. which must be dis.
posed Of 40 waste paper. Three
years ago there was q million sue>
documents in the House document
room.
The powers Of the Joint congres-
sional committee on printing over
the printing ONCE are broadened il
the proposed new law. It will b
authorized to 90 into the printing
ONCE and make any investigation Il
desires at any time. without further
authority from Congress.
The bill is a non-par.isan measure
and has little, II any. opposition n
either branch Of Congress.
A reorganization Of the printing
oflce, abolishing many superduous
tcontinusd on Page 81