Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-07
GP0 Indifferent
To Fuss Over
Budget Cutting
Worlds Biggest Print
Shop Gets NoFunds,
But Makes q Profit
By Hugh Humphrey

When the annual spring budget
cutting festival gets into high
gear on Capitol Hill, there's one
Federal outfit that views the en-
tire muiti-billion dollar debate
with complete indifference.
The worlds largest printing
plant, the Government Printing
Office, doesn't have to ask Con-
gress for money. It gets no appro-
priation, yet this year 1t will turn
out a record 500 million in BUSH
ness, with a stable net profit for
the Treasury.
It never worries about imitation
or depression. AS long as men,
bers Of Congress make speeches
and Government officials write
orders and documents, the prod
tucts of the GPO will be in de-
smand.
Operated like a giant private
industry, it produces more than
10000 different printed items
each month, ranging from beau
tifully Illustrated books to the
now-not-so-lowly two-cent postal
card.
Printers Word Stands.
After economy minded law
makers dig into departmental
budgets, they send for John j.
Deviny, public printer and top
man in the GPO. With price lists
in hand and an eye on protection
Of his profitable business-like Or
ganization, the 70-year-old Mr..
Deviny drops around.
He listens patiently while fiscal
experts explain why a certain
agency's printing bill must be cut.
Then he always gives the legisla-
tors two choices:
That agency can either stop
writing SO many orders and spe-
cial documents or you can in
crease its printing budget. The
GPO price is rock-bottom, and
you can't get it cheaper"
Mr.. Deviny, who was born near
the site of the sprawling GPO
Building at North Capitol and
H streets, is the first civil service
career man to become Public
Printer. The original possessor of
the title, John D. Defrees, was
appointed by President Lincoln in
1861. Before that time, official
Government printing work was
done by private shops.
Agencies Must Payer Else.
Like his predecessors, Mr.. De-
viny-who now lives at 1871
Brandywine street N.W.-is con-
cerned primarily with keeping
GPO on a sound financial basis.
His bookkeeping department bills
each Federal agency by the month
for printing orders delivered. If
an agency is slow in settling its
account, the GPO collection de-
partment swings into action, send
ing duns and letters requesting
prompt payment.
When the deficiency days ar
rive, his planning experts take no
chances. They keep close watch
on the financial condition Of every
agency and Office and if an order
Is received from a department
whose funds have, run out, the
red flag is up. It's cash on the
barrelhead then-or no work.
Best known for the Capitol's
daily newspaper-the Congress
sional Record-the GPO's $500
employees work around the clock
to produce an average Of 10000
printed words each day on all
jobs. The Record, ranging from
Is pages to more than 450-de-
pending on the vocal abilities Of
Congress-averages 42,500 copies
nightly.
Besides making money for the
Government, the GPO also serves
as an unofficial back-stopper for
Congress. There have been times
many times-when a lawmaker
inadvertently introduced into the
Record some comment or letter
that could have been embarras-
sing in public print.
They Get Them Out Of Bed.
The GPO's editors never hesi-
tate to rouse a member Of Con-
gress from bed at midnight to ask
if he really intended such COM
ment. The score for good catches
is heavily in favor Of the editors.
Hurry-up orders are no particu-
lar problem, thanks to the more
than 5000 skilled craftsmen in
the 33-acres Of working space.
Last fall, when the rate on post
cards was jumped to two cents,
the GPO started production OF
the new cards. From November
! to December rs, it turned out
exactly one billion, five days be-
fore the January l deadline.
Little known to many persons,
almost half of the GPO work is
1d1111CO OOt W pA4VdUV P4AA4VAAAS
plants on a standard rate scale
which is q bit higher than GPO's.
1--WE just can't handle it all here"
Mr.. Deviny says.
Closed to Visitors.
Oddly, the GPO is closed to
visitors despite its obvious tourist
attractions A large number Of
secret papers is printed each
month and the strictest security
regulations are enforcerd.
Most money from its sales
the books and pamphlets usually
have a low price tag-is pure gravy
for GPO. The type is already set
and initial cost has been borne by
some agency. The sale of these
publications is well over the mil
lion mark each year and mail
order business alone accounts for
more than 100000 items.
Profit? Approximately SIS mil
lion net.
Like any book shop, the Docu-
ments Room has its best seller. a
perennial favorite which has