Evening star., 1922-12-07

subject plato and four subject plate
Tho utilization of eight-subject
plates will reduce below the 21S
stated. the number Of persons re-
"The plan recommended by the COM
mittee shows ar immediate economy
in it's operation. There has been in
cluded In the bill the sum OF $355.O00
for tho purchase and installation of
the f1fty-efght power presses. 1t is
expected that this will be accomplish
ed by June 80. 1923. There has been
reductions on account OF the plan
recommended. as follows:
From the appropriation for pay OF
| plato printers und Assistants. $746.655
from the appropriation for pay OF
other employees. $4,000: making q
total deduction from pay OF s7s6.555.
The cost for purchasing presses is
3356.000. which leaves a net reduc-
tion for 1924 OF e44l.555.
while tho net reduction for 1924
! Is more than 100000. 1t will be seen
that the saving in the ensuing years
after the presses have been paid for
! will be 100000 annually. If the pro-
| viscion which the committee rec
! ommends is not retained in the bill
l shall be compelled to offer amend
ments restoring to tho bill the
amounts above stated"
Not Untried Plan.
| The committee does not presen;
any new or untried plan. Half of
| the presses In the bureau now are
! power presses. Their capacity and eff
| ficiency are long tried and we'll
! established. Much Of the government
money during the past few years has
| been printed, fronts and backs from
| eight subject plates. This method OF
/ printing is proved and efficient
THE sole question involved in wha,
the committee proposes. stripped OF
all other considerations. is whethe,
or not the House IS willing to place
the bureau of engraving and printing
upon a basis that will permit it TO
, operate at an annual cost of $500. .0O0
| less than 1t Is now costing. even
though II may mean the elimination
from the pay roll of that bureau of
several hundred or more employees
Should there be any hesitation about
the proper thing to do in the interest
| of the taxpayers Of the country, who
are Insisting that the government
business should be placed upon most
, efficient basis?
F., ITO say to the Secretary of the
! Treasury that he shall operate half
| power presses and half hand presses
| is almost equivalent to saying to the
i head of another department that he
shall have half of a certain class of
| work performed by long hand writing
and the other half on typewrfters.
We have not hesitated in the reduc-
tion Of appropriations in other bu-
reaus and departments of the govern
| ment about forcing reduction in their
numbers of employees. Why should
we delay about it in this instance?
Commercial plants doing a class of
work similar to that done in the bu-
reau of engraving and printing have
! long since discarded hand presses and
/! four-subject plates. They are using
most improved types of power presses
and in some instances are printing
money from plates containing in ex-
cess of eight subjects EACH
| Emphasizing the dangers of counter
! feiting that it is claimed will be in
creased by proposed legislation INSTALL
ing power presses instead of hand
printing presses, members of Congress
received today circular headed: a
Plain Statement of Facts" relative to
the printing of notes and other securi-
| ties Of the government
"Anects Whole Country"
''This legislation affects every citizen
of this country and is one that merits
thorough investigation and thought
full consideration before any change is
made" the statement said. 1t points
out that legislation tending to reduce
quality and high standards Of govern
ment securities dates back to August 4.
| 1887. hen power presses were intro
! duced at the bureau of engraving and
printing.
The statement calls attention to
the fact that on August "a. 1912
after years of consideration: Congress
| decided to print the backs of all
paper money on power presses. real
izing that in retaining the printing
of faces by the better method of hand
press they Were providing certain
/; measure OF security against coun-
| terfeiting. The world war with its
excessive demands on. all resources
+. of government activities and the
demands for liberty bonds. in ad-
Treasury Department. made qlan-
tity production the paramount issue
rather than quality.
| The statement reminds Congress
! that the quality of paper money be
| kept on the highest point of printing
| excellence and has employed engrav-
! ers who were without peer to ex-
ecute the work of the Treasury De-
| partment.
Loss Through COunterfeitins.
The statement calls attention tha,
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