The Glenwood post., 1922-11-16
uacle Ted's Bed Time Stories
Current Events for the Children
and Grown-ups, Too
RUTH's POSTAL CARD
STARTS A STORY


"You know it rs postal card, but
/ I'll bet that's all you do know about
it, said Jack as he was talking to
Ruth, who was busily engaged in
writing note on one of Uncle Sam s
own postal cards, the kind for sale in
all the postoffices of the country.
"What else is there to know about
it?' asked Ruth. 81 know it IS post
card anl that it cost me penny and
that l can write a lot on the back
and mail it just that way"
"You don't know where it was
printed" replied Jack.
"Sure, it was printed at the bureau
of engraving and printing, Washing
ton - was Ruth's quick reply.
"Sorry, Ruth, but your wrong"
interrupted Uncle Ted. "Uncle Sans
postal cards are printed in the biggest
printing shop in the world, the gov
ernment printing office, at Washing
ton. They are printed along with the
thousands of government reports, Con-
gressional Record, congressional direc-
tory, money order blanks and I don't
remember what all. How about
story on that big print shopf Seems
to me you kiddies should know some
thing about it,
"Fine," replied Jack, "I'd love to
hear about it.
~ suppose there is no other publ
cation in the country so well known
ss the Congressional Record which
gives the daily procedure for both the
senate and the house of representa-
t:ves, as well as speeches of the mem
bers which they are allowed to have
printed in full This publication is
only printed when congress is in SEES
sion and is the biggest job in Uncle
Sans print shop. Nearly $4,000
copies are printed every day and work
doesn't start on it until 7 O'Clock in
the evening and every copy is deliv-
cred IN Washington and put in the
mail for the remainder of the country
before breakfast the following morn
ing. The cost of the Record runs
around 100000 a year There is no
finer shop in the world than the G. P.
o., and under the direction of the pres
ent public printer (for that is the title
given the man at its head), Mr..
George H. Carter of Iowa, the big
plant is being run as efficiently and
economically as any modern, success
full business.
"Let us look into the history of this
big business of Uncle Sans. WAY
back in 1918 congress realized that an
efficient plan, to handle the Job of
America 8 printing had to be figured
out. A joint committee was appointed
to look into the matter and recon-
mendations were made. But nothing
was done until 1861 when, under the
Act of June %, 1860, the first build
Ing of the two now in use became the
government printing office, and Presi-
dent Lincoln appointed John D. De.
frees |of Indiana as the first public
printer.
"From a small plant in 1861 the G..
P. o. has grown to the point where it
covers fourteen acres of floor space.
It's buildings are worth more than
$3,500,000 and the machinery in them
at least $3,000,00o more. The value of
the printing out each year approxim-
ates $14,00o,oOo, printed from more
than 10000 forms, as the type pages
are called. That is more than one a
minute for every working day of
eight hours.
"When we learn that this plant is
called upon to do $4,000 different
kinds of printing jobs on 1852 presses
in years time, we can see that real
effic ency such as Mr.. Carter has put
into the plant, must be maintained.
More than so daily, weekly and month
ly reports are printed, and the cur
rent publ cations include four dailies,
20 wecklies and 90 monthlies, and the
number of coples of these various pub
lications runs from rs to 235,OO0.
''You were talking about postal
cards. Try to figure out n pile of
1850, 100000! That many and then
some are printed every year, besides