The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-12-06
State Printing.

I'd
ing plant, claiming it to be a reform
in line with Governor-elect Roberts
platform declarations. The State ne
claims, pays $4,000 a year for its
printing.
This is probably what Mr.. Cald-
we'll really feels to be good move
ment. Now, the State does pay some
thing like the sum mentioned for its
printing, but Mr.. Caldwell has never
really studied the government own
ership proposition very extensively
to have come to the conclusion that
the State printing could be produced
much cheaper than $4,000. The
fact is the first year or two under
his socialistic theory the printing
might be produced within the bounds
of economic figures, probably not
more than $4,000, but in the course
of wears it would cost ten times that
much, and keep on climbing. We
are figuring the cost of printing
alone, not the cost and upkeep OF
the plant. We are also discussing
the question of cost, not of political
principle. The principle of socialism
is odious enough to the really true
democrat, but when it comes TO
adding to that doctrine the manifold
evils of graft and cost accompanying
government utilities it is a mistake
for democratic legislators to argue
reform thru that channel.
We have a very notable example
of the cost of public printing in the
Government Printing Office at Wash
ington City. l haven't the figures
for exhibit here, but they ere really
not necessary for one who has served
as compositor in that institution for
a number of years. 1t is enough to
quote that the plant ;nd buildings
of the Government Printing Office
cost several millions, and there is
a force of 5000 people employed in
the plant at wages ranging, nearly
ell of them, from five to ten dollars
a day each.
Nearly every citizen knows the
number of public documents that are
sent free from his Congressman and
Senator. These documents come from
the Government Printing Office, and
notwithstanding there may be some
reason for each one of them
in an educational way, the cost
of these documents is greater to-
the extent of twice the amount or
more that they would cost if let
out by contract to private institu-
tionC. l know that bccGuse l have
had experience in both Government
and private offices. The cost of every
thing that goes into the public docu-
ment or book is moro than it would
be if done by private publishing
houses. In the next place the Gov
eminent pays bigger salaries for it's
work. Then the time put on each
work is infinitely more. More time
is given to preparation of copy, and
more men are employed for that pur
pose. 1t is the rcd tape of the thing
one man for each branch of the
work, and he does not cooperate
with the other branches. Then the
composition requires more time,
twice as much and more in some in
stances. l know of the printing of
the Presidential papers. This work
was done so carefully and so much
time was given to the minutest de-
tail that even the moving of hair
space sometimes absorbed a half
hours time for several men. This
was really uncalled for but there was
no check held over the Public
Printer.
There is another example in the cost
and nuisance of public printing done
at the Government Printing Office.
Nearly geographically not one of
the older public buildings in Wash
ington City that is not filled in base
ment and cellars with public docu-
ments from the Government Print
ing Office. We can name first the
Capitol, the War, State and Navy
building, the Treasury department,
the Census office, the Office of the
Interior and many others. Room in
these buildings is devoted to the
storage of printed documents and
books that are entirely superfluous
and will never in the history of this
country be used, room that could
have been used to take the place of
new public buildings which the peo-
pie of the country have been taxed
to build since the old buildings were
erected.
1t could be stated with positive as
surance of being within the bounds
of fact that the printing done at the
Government Printing Office has cost
the people of the United States not
merely twico tho oOct n would howe