Evening star., 1932-09-22
u. u.S.L|THOGRAPH|NG s.
SCORED IN PROBE
Federal Plants Competing
With Others Unfairly,
Witness Ayers.

graphic plants in six different Govern
ment departments and bureaus, which
by competition adversely affected pri-
vate commercial engraverS and lithog-
raphers, was made today by Louis B.
Montfort, secretary of the Graphic As
sociation of Washington. He testified
before the special committee headed by
Representative Shannon, Democrat. OF
Missouri, which Is investigating Gov
ernment competition with private en-
| terpriseS under House resolution.
Various Plants Listed.
The Government nthographic plants
complained against are: Department OF
Commerce: In the Coast and Geodetic
! Survey, established in 1908: in the Bu-
reau Of Foreign and Domestic Commerce,
established in 1881. Interior Department:
| In the United States Geological Survey,
established in l889-90. Department of
Agriculture In the Weather Bureau,
established about 1892; in the engineer
reproduction plant, established ABOUT
1916. Navy Department: In the Hyolo-
graphic Office, established about 1900.
| In the Bureau of Engraving and Print
! ing, established in 1914. and IN the
| Government Printing Office, established
| in 1926.
| Mr.. Montfort told the Investigating
Committee that not only have these
Government agencies been for mum,
ber of years increasing in numbers and
In competition with private plants for
work Of the departments or bureaus
| with which they are connected, but
| some of these plants also have been
| in competition with private hthogra-
pliers for Government Work ana State
| work for many Government agencies
| in no way connected with departments
or bureaus in which these plants are
| located.
Points to Extension.
He called attention that within the
past few months there has been IN
stalled and now in operation In the
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com
! merce a second photographic plant du-
plicating equipment OF an already ex,
isting plant and requiring additional
personnel. .
The result, he said, Is a constantly
reaching out by some Of these plants for
work from all available sources and TAX
ing from private photographic plants a
large volume of Government work.
Mr.. Montfort argued that no Govern
ment agency should be allowed to COM
! pete with private enterprise on low
cost basis He called attention that
each Government employe in Govern
ment lithographic plant performs q
maximum of 1,784 hours labor per year
while in a private plant employees work
approximately 2,440 hours per week. He
! figured that employees in private plant
average 656 more hours per year than
the Government employe.
1T is a we'll known fact that the
daily wage paid Government employe
| in this line of work is in excess OF the
| daily wage paid for equivalent work In
| a private plant"
Differences between the textile In
dustry and the administration over
manufacture of prison goods were
| argued also.
Robert P. Hooper, president of the
Cotton Duck Association, complained ol
| competition from Atlanta Prison.
Bates Expresses Sympathy.
Sanford Bates, superintendent o.
Federal prisons, expressed sympathy
with the complaint, but asked cooper
alton of private industry in finding
employment for prisoners.
There Is no present intention to ex-
pand the cotton ducking industry al
Atlanta" he said. adding that every
effort had been employed by the Gov
eminent to prevent unfair competition
by prison labor.
I'VE are following the program o.
Congress, seeking to diversity and tt
spread Government competition" HI
said. I'VE are trying to find source!
| for prison labor which will not taks
| jobs away from men in everyday life
but unfortunately in every direction W.
| turn we seem to hurt some one. I thinl
it is generally agreed that prison labol
should be employed. The men whose
problem we are struggling with today
are the men who yesterday would have
been recognized members of society
Laws passed in the last 10 years have
made a new criminal class"
Big Output Revealed.
Hooper said the Atlanta prison turn
out about 5,500,000 yards Of canvas an
nually for use by the Government.
| Norman E. Horn of New York ant
w. Ray Bell, representing the Associa'
ton of Cotton Textile Merchants, joined
Hooper in pleading against any expan'
sion of the textile industry in Fedora
| prisons.
| CHARGES u, s. HURTS TRADE.