The Delta independent., 1924-06-06
THE GOVERNMENT
PRINTING OFFICE

PrlntlnS o1llce is the DeSt printing
plant in the world. 1t does not use
as much white paper or have as many
presses as some of the other plants.
but none turn out such large
amount of work.
Perhaps the biggest job in the es.
tablishment is the printing and bind
ing of 100000 copies annually of the
Agricultural Year Book, requiring
100000 pounds of paper, 17O, 900, 900
pounds of binder board $4,000 yards
of vellum for covers and $50 spools of
| thread.
Next in size is the publication of
the Congressional Record, during the
sessions of Congress. Ever since 1917
Congress has been in continuous ses-
sion, practically, so that the Con-
gressional Record has been during that
time daily publication, almost, ex.
cept Sundays.
Reporting the debates in the SEN
ate and House for the Congressional
Record is a tremendous job requiring
the most expert stenographers. There
are six official reporters in the Sen
ate and four in the House. They take
down the debates stenographically,
taking tricks of ten or fifteen minu-
tes each, Immediately reading their
notes into a dictaphone, from which
typewriters put the recorded words in
typewriter form or copy" for the
typesetting machines.
1t is some trick to follow an excit-
ing debate in either Senate or House
and catch every word spoken and the
name of the speaker.
Within Is minutes after the close
of the session, the notes or copy
are all ready for the printer, or for
revision by the speaker If he wishes
to make corrections or hold for pub
lication at another and later day.
The copy for the Congressional
Record, running from so to 100 pages
each day, is delivered to the Public
Printer at o'clock in the evening, and
unless there is night session prolong-
ed into the early hours of the morning
/ the complete printed proceedings Of
the day are in the mails by o'cIo. k
in the morning.
The Government Printing office
prints stationery for the members.
millions of documents. reports,
speeches and bills; all the reports
of the executive departments: mes
sages of the President, proclama.
tions, millions of pamphlets on every
conceivable subject pertaining t.
the business of the government: also
100000 postal cards a day and 160
100000 money ortiers in a year. In
fact, all of the government printing
save the printing of paper money.
bonds, certificates, etc, for the Treas.
ury department is done at the Govern.
ment Printing office. 1t runs day and
night.
In the typesetting department there
are SS linotypes, 100 monotype ma.
chimes and 126 monotype casting ma.
chimes. The number of forms sent to
press in a year is about III 900.
Here are the most intricate and
wonderful machines for bin ling,
stitching and covering pamphlets. No
printing shop in the world can do work
so swiftly. expeditiously and so ac.
curately as the Government Printing
office.
The publication of the report of
the Conference on the Limitation OF
Armaments 90 pages, was set up,
printed and bound in 40 hours after
the manuscript was received in the
printing office.
The report of the sinking of the
Maine was sent to the Government
Printing office by President McKin.
ley late in the afternoon. BY morn.
ing each member of Congress received
printed. bound and completed COPY
of 300 pages of printed matter with
"a full-page illustrations.
The Government Printing office Is
under the control OF the Congressional
Joint Committee on Printing. Each
member of Congress is allowed a fixed
sum for stationery, but must pay at
cost for all extra stationery, speeches,
reports. pamphlets, etc, he obtains
, Also he is allotted a certain number OF
of copies of the Congressional Record.
All others he must pay for at cost.
J The highest union wages are paid,
and the entire institution, with its
thousands of employees, is run under
strict discipline.
/ On the top OF the big building is
large rest and recreation depart.
ment with a restaurant and cafe. II
is a refreshing retreat for the EN-.
ployes during the hot nights of the
summer.
The magnitude OF the work Of the
Patent office is indicated by the fact
that so of the 81 linotype machines
used in the Government Printing Of
, flee are kept constantly busy on Pat
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