Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-23
Printing for War
Bg Frederic j. HdSkin


man did, and they certain that so TAR as PRINT
ing goes there has never been war like this one.
At present they are struggling with the contract
of printing 30000000 blank forms and affidavls in
connection with the draft.
A few days after the sinking Of the Maine,
which precptated our last war, report concern
ing the disaster was sent to the government print
ing office and ordered to be printed. 1t contained
300 pages of text and required twenty-four full
page engravings. Although the rough draft Of the
report was not received until o'clock one after
noon. it was printed, bound and engraved and on
the desks of senator's and representatives at 9
o'clock the next morning.
The printing office was rather proud OF this
record in 1898 Today it is ashamed of it. Why,
could do ten times that amount OF printing,
binding and engraving IN twenty four hours nova
days" boasted one employe the other day. "In
fact. there really amt no limit to what we can
do" he added modestly.
Apparently this is no exaggeration. There is
practically no limit to the activities of the United
States prntery today. In times of peace it is one
Of the busiest departments of the governmental
government which is vigilant advocate of the
American prerogative of free and prolonged
speech. But the amount of work produced in the
government printing Office during the last two
months has established record never before
equalled in the history Of the plant.
With the declaration of war came hundreds
OF rush orders from the various departments
Every bureau wanted its bulletins first. Also, con-
gress started on legislation which required whole
books of hearings and enlarged the Congressional
Record to formidable size. Then, on the 10th
OF May the first number of the Official Bulletin,
published by the committee on public information,
was received. This bulletin makes eight pages,
and 82,l0O copies must be printed each day and
mailed out direct from the printing Office. So the
office, in addition to all its other multifarious
duties, now gets out daily newspaper on the side
The law requiring registration for the draft
called tor immense quantities of job printing, al
ways at moments notice. The majority Of this
printing had to be mailed from the Office. There
we're 25000000 registration cards, for instance
and 100000 copies Of certificates of registration
while the other necessary equipment, including
blanks, vouchers, kilograms and instructions to-
tailed approximately 100000 pieces.
The next rush order was for Liberty Bond pos
ters. The government wanted 100000 posters
printed in two colors, within three DAYS. and as
was placed for 100000 Boy Scout posters The
Boy Scouts themselves came to the rescue in the
latter case, number of boys coming to the print
ing Office and mailing the posters.
From the War and Navy departments at this
time came perfect deluge of reports which they
insisted must be printed Immediately. Most Of
these took the form of regular bound volumes
The first order was for 10000 copies of the Hand
3 BOOK tor Enlisted Men; next, 10000 copies of the
SOLDIERS Deposit Book then 100000 copies of the
Manual of Interior Guard Duty; 10000 Proyi
sonal Drill and Service Regulations. 100000
Manuals for Court Martial, 100000 Small Arms
FIRING Manual, 10000 copies of Rules of Land
Warfare and 10000 copies of Infantry Drill Regu-
lations. These are only few of them.
The Department of Agriculture has nlaced
krot.
i,oo00oo copies of the fifty-page book on the
home vegetable garden were printed and delivered
10 the departments division of publications. All
these booklets are profusely illustrated and must
be turned out by presses suitable for half-tone
work. Such volume as the Presidents Draft
Regulations containing seventy-eight pages is a
much simpler contract. The printing office turned
out over 100000 copies of the regulations without
delaying any other branch of its varied activities.
All this extra work required larger force and
additional equipment The paper cost alone rose
to $50O'0oO month, or $1,000 day. New presses
mad to be installed, and $50 new employees were
required. Formerly the army and navy had taken
care OF their own printing in branch Office To-
Gated IN the State, War and Navy building, but
TINS branch was abolished three months ago in
order to make room for the increased activities Of
| the two departments.
Inc regular work of the printing Office must
De continued, OF course, no matter how MANY rush
orders come in on the side. Every day it must
| print the Congressional Record, daily consular
| reports and financial statements issued bv the
United States treasury. The size of the Con.
gressional Record vares but not owing to anv
| consideration for the scarcity of white paner and
OF labor in the printing Office Not only do Our
legislators say all they want to say on the floor
OF the senate, bat they often extend their re-.
| marks IN the record for twenty or thirty papes
| ANY small book or bit of poetry, music or Sta.
| ustics that member particularly fancies, he NAV
nave printed in the Record for the edifcation Of
| his colleagues. "'''" u
=, new hre-proof, seven-story building houses
the present United States printery. the largest
| printing plant in the world Its working eo,in.
ment IS the very hnest that can be procured Elec-
tric trucks carry the material from one process
room to another. and an electric chute carries the
mail matter, OF which there is an immense uuan.
tity each day underground to the city postofice
mat hes between the printery and the Union Sta.
uon: Not traction of second is lost
| Inc government is fortunate to have such =
plant now that it is at war. When the Public
PRINTER says that a job will be completed at Ger.
| tam, hour, the government may depend upon II
Every employe is proud of the plants efficiency
| ana would work overtime to see that it maintain
ITS superior standard-if the government would
let him. However, in the interest of efficiency and
ms health he is allowed to work only eight hours
al stretch. Meantime, all the extra war printing
IS received quite cheerfully, For as has been said
there amt no limit to the plants capacity"
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