Annual Report of the Public Printer

48th Congeess, SEKATE. ( Mis. Doc. 2d Session \ No. 24. ANNUAL EEPORT OF THE PUBLIC PKINTEE, SHOWING THE CONDITION OF THE PUBLIC PRmimG, BINDmG, ETC., i FOR THE FISCAL YEAE END^G JUNE 30, 1884. January 19, 1385. —Eeferred to the Committeen on Printing: and ordered to be printed. WASHINGTON: G-OVERNMENT PRINTINa OFFICE. 1885. — ANNUAL EBPOET OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER. Office of the Public Printer, Washington, December 4, 1884. Sir : I have the honor to transmit to Congress, through you, the annual report of this office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884. I am, sir, with respect, your obedient servant, S. P. BOUNDS, Public Printer. Hon. Geo. F. Edmunds, President of the Senate pro tempore. In obedience to the requirements of the statute, I have the honor to report the condition, the amount and cost of the public printing, binding, lithographing, and engraving; the amount and cost of all papers purchased for the same; a statement of the contracts entered into for the purchase of paper ; all payments made during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, including those for material and labor for the Congres- sional Eecord ; the amount of work ordered and done, with a general classification thereof, for each Department ; the number of persons employed in the Government Printing Office, and the time each has been employed, and the amount each has received. The law also provides that the Public Printer shall report such further information touching all matters connected with the Printing Office as may be in his possession." In my report last year, I called attention at length to several impor- tant matters in connection with the economical management of the Government Printing Office, and with the experience of another year I should enlarge u^^on them, but at the last session of Congress the Joint Committee on Public Printing was authorized by legislation "To examine into the numbers printed of the various documents, reports, bills, and other jjapers published by order of Congress, or of 3 4 REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER. either House thereof, and of the Oono^ressional Eecord, and to report bill in December next, making such reductions in the numbers and cost of printing, and such changes and reductions in the distribution of said publications, as they may deem expedient, with a report giving their reasons therefor ; and that the said committee is also instructed to investigate the printing and binding for the Executive Departments, executed at the Government Printiug Office and at the branch printing offices and binderies in the various Departments, and report a bill in December next making such reductions in expenses and imposing such checks as they may deem expedient, with a report giving their reasons therefor; and said committee is further instructed to make any other investigations calculated, in their opinion, to reduce the cost of the public printing, and report the result thereof; and the said committee is hereby authorized to summon and to examine experts and witnesses, and to- call upon the heads of Executive Departments and tbe Public Printer for such information regarding tlie preceding matters as they may de- sire; and any expenses necessarily incurred in making the investigations aforesaid shall be defrayed equally from the contingent funds of the two Houses of Congress." In the organization of the Government Printing Office it is apparent that the wants of both Houses of Congress were first to be considered, although it was also intended that work for the various Executive De- partments should be executed at this office. The Public Printer Is required to report direct to Congress, and is not connected with any of the Executive Departments. The work of the office has grown from year to year, and Congress has recognized the necessity for some addi- tional legislation, looking to a better and more complete organization of this department. In view of the above enactment it would not seem proper to antici- pate the action of the committee in this report. CONaRESSIONAL PRINTINa AND BINDING. During the first session of the Forty-eighth Congress, up to and including the 30th day of June, 1884, there were ordered printed for the Senate 3,837 bills and joint resolutions, 201 executive documents, 118 miscellaneous documents, 820 reports of committees, 63 resolutions, and 29 confidential documents. For the House there were ordered princed 9,109 bills and joint resolutions, 173 executive documents, 59 miscellaneous documents, 2,023 reports of committees, and 72 resolutions. Dur- ing the first session of the Forty seventh Congress up to and including June 30, 1882, the Senate ordered 3,234 bills and joint resolutions as- against 3,837 at the first session of the Forty-eighth Congress. During the same period the House ordered 7,898 as against 9,109. These two- items will show the increase and constant fluctuation of orders made by Congress. The amount of printing completed by order of the Senate during the year was $149,143.62 as against $64,464.77, and for theHouse $276,333.40 as against $175,267.39 for the previous year. REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER. 5 THE CGNaHESSlONAL RECORD. Under the joint resolution of Congress approved June 20, 1874, the Congressional Printer is directed to keep a separate and exact account, in detail, of all expenditures for printing, mailing, and binding the Con- gressional Eecord, &c., and ijubiish the amounts thus yearly expended in his next succeeding annual report, and each succeeding report, sepa- rately from the other disbursements of his office. This information is given in Table ]S"o. 6. The Record for the first session of the Forty- eighth Congress, including index, made seven volumes, comprising 7,508 pages. The number of copies of each volume printed and bound was 6,000, aggregating 42,000 volumes. These have been disposed of as shown by Table 24. Xot unfrequently at the close of the session it requires one, two, or three issues of the Record to publish speeches held for revision. It Tvoiild be an easy matter to give all of them in one issue if members :filed them with the Public Printer within five days after adjournment. I would suggest also that, after such adjournment, revised si)eeches be transmitted through the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House, respectively, as otherwise the Public Printer has no discretion, and must print and i^ublish as the permanent record of Congress any matter that may be filed b}^ a member withholding his speech for revision. While it is true that this question is one that belongs especially to Congress, still the Public Printer should have some protection in the premises. EXECUTIVE PRINTING. Work executed for the Executive Departments shows a slight increase. On account of the insufficient allotment made several of the Departments, it was necessary during May and June to almost wholly suspend orders from three of the Executive Departments. CENSUS WORK. During the year the census work completed amounted to $293,009.12 as against $134,006.35 the previous fiscal year. The office responded promptly to all calls made upon it by the Census Bureau, and no delays of any kind have been caused by or can be justly attributed to it, as the records of the office will clearly demonstrate, although delays have occurred in the return of proofs, which I am advised was not the fault of the Census Office, but of various x>arties throughout the country to whom the proofs were referred. There has been some delay in the pub- lication of these reports, and without desiring to reflect upon any one, it is due to this office to make this statement. So long as the Govern- ment employs agents engaged in other occupations to investigate and report upon the special topics referred to, these delays may be expected. The facilities of the Government Printing Office are such as to justify the statement that Congress can always depend upon prompt service in the printing of these reports. 6 REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER. REBELLION RECORD. This office was authorized to sell volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the Eebel- lion Eecord. Volume 6 and subsequent volumes are to be sold by the Hon. Secretary of War. Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are out of print. The stereotype plates are in possession of this office, and, in order that the public may obtain complete sets, I recommend that authority be given to print 2,000 copies of each volume for sale, under the' law. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. The scientific publications printed by this office for the Geological and other Bureaus have received marked commendation for their typograph- ical appearance from both foreign critics and those in our own country. These reports are very valuable, and I have endeavored to bring the letter press up to a higher standard of excellence. In order to meet the demands for this class of cut-work 1 have added three of the latest improved stop-cylinder presses, which will turn out a finer grade of work than that heretofore printed. In the production of these books very much depends upon first-class presswork, aud it is my purpose to have this class of printing especially creditable to the Government. PAPER CONTRACTS. The system of contracting with the lowest bidder for paper is not, in my judgment, the best method for obtaining such suj>plies. Past experience has shown that bids have been submitted much lower than the cost of production, and the consequence is, in too many cases, that there is throughout the year a contest between the office and the contractor as to the proper grade and quality.

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