The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-05-06
PRINTING BILL
IS EXCESSIVE
CONGRESSIONAL JOINT COMMIT.
TEE TRYING HARD TO MAKE
SOME eio REDUCTIONS.
MANY PERIODICALS CUT OFF
Expensive Plants Maintained by varI.
Gus Branches Of the Government
May BE observation-disclosures to
Conserve Paper Not Needed.
BY JAMES p. HoRNApAY.


BY JAMES p. HoRNApAY.
Washington. - The congressional
lolnt committee on printing II doing
It's best TO bring about some reforms
IN government printing. The investi-
cations made by this committee show
clearly that the federal government
Is an inexcusable offender so far as
the excessive use Of white paper and
the unnecessary expenditure OF money
are concerned. For years the desire
or nearly every activity Of government
TO have a printing press has grown.
The world war increased this desire
and the result Of II all Is that the
government printing business during
the last year has simply run wild.
The Joint committee ON printing dis
covered early In Its inquiry that 266
Journals, magazines and periodicals
were being published by various
branches OF the government service
mt a cost 10 the government OF ap-
proximately s2.5O0OOO n year. As a
result Of the committees activity and
the regulations adopted by Il. III OF
these periodicals. which cost approx
mntely S1.D0.Oo0 n year, have been
discontinued. The committee found
1877 printing plants which were main
tained In the various branches OF the
government service for printing and
binding. In addition 60 that procured
from the government printing office
or ordered from commercial printers.
The equipment Of these 1877 plants
cost approximately S1,OO0.OO0 and in
clnded 800 presses, 40 typesetting ma
chimes and vast quantities. Of other
printing and binding equipment. These
plants are scattered all over the Uni
ted States and employ more than 800
men nj an annual wage OF approx
mately 100000.
Large Waste In Printed Matter.
The joint committee reported TO con-
gress the other day that few Of these
field plants have been discontinued as
a result OF the committees efforts to
centralize as much printing as possible
In the government printing office, and
the committee expects that there will
he a further material reduction In the
number OF these plants the coming
year.
The Inquiry disclosed large waste
In publications and other printed mat
ter sent to members OF congress by
various governmental agencies. Mem
bers OF congress have appealed TO the
committee for relief from the food
Of useless printed matter that the de
partments are constantly pouring down
on them. The committee has there
fore requested the various departments
10 revise all their regular mailing
lists at least once year by making
inquiry as 20 whether the publications
so distributed are desired by the per
sons receiving them. The committee
discovered that many mailing lists had
not been revised for years and that
consequently large percentage OF
the publications being sent out are
wasted
An appeal made by the committee
To the heads Of the departments TO CO.
operate In conserving print paper by
suspending at least temporarily many
government publications has not thus
far met with hearty response. The
committee has said 10 congress that
unless the departments themselves do
take prompt steps TO curtail the I'M
necessary printing and check the
great waste OF paper, an order will
be issued by the committee suspendlng
an additional number Of publications.
Another interesting discovery made by
the committee was that many thou
sands OF dollars have been invested
by governmental agencies In mimeo-
graphs and other duplicating devices.
To considerable extent these dupli-
eating devices have taken the place
Of branch printing Offices which con-
gress abolished number OF years ago.
Probe OF War Expenditures.
II will soon be a year since the
lower branch OF congress created n
committee of fifteen, ten republican
representatives and five Democratic
representatives, % investigate the
business side Of the war. During
the intervening period FIVE sub-commit-
tees, each of these composed OF two
Republicans and one Democrat, have
traced every step the executive de-
partment took In getting the United
States into the war and sustaining Il
after II was In. The investigation will
probably go on record as the most
sweeping ever made by either branch
OF congress. II has cost up to this
time about S2,OO0,O0O. One sub-com-
mittee was sent 20 Europe and other
subcommittee visited various sections
OF the United States In search for
facts.
The subcommittee are now report
ing. Thus far there has not been
unanimous report from any sub-cOm
mittee. In every report so far pre-
scented 10 the house the majority mem
bers OF the committee have made one
finding and the minority members an
other finding II is understood that
there is no likelihood Of my sub-com-
mlttee OF the general committee or Of
the general committee Itself making a