Parcel Post Conventions are now pending with all the Central and South American States, and it is hoped that the time is not far distant when the "Three Americas" will be embraced in one grand Parcel Postal Union, which will, in its way, aid this country in fulfilling its eventual mission, viz.: To control the markets of this hemisphere and become the leader in its industrial and commercial progress. Parcel Post Conventions, commencing less than a year ago, have already done more to promote the commercial relations with our neighbor nations than the gifts of money altogether ever voted to ship owners on the pretense of promoting commerce, in the whole history of the Republic.

GAINS IN HONEST SERVICE FOR SALARIES PAID.
Report of Absences of Employes of the Postoffice Department.

Fiscal year ending June 30, 1884..

Fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.

Fiscal year ending June 30, 1886.
Fiscal year ending June 30, 1888..

A saving to the Department of 4,782 days for 1888 as compared with 1885.

Whilst the work of the Department has steadily increased in all divisions, the force has not been increased to meet it, yet the work was never more closely up to date, nor performed more promply than at the present time. This is accomplished by requiring of the clerks their whole service during office hours, and by cutting off unnecessary leaves of absence, usually issued to party workers for Congressional, National, State, and even less important political campaigns.

15,119 days." .14,264 days.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

THE APPLICATION OF BUSINESS METHODS HAS IMPROVED ITS EFFICIENCY AND REDUCED ITS COST.

The history of the Government Printing Office, under Republican administration, for a long series of years, was a record of inefficiency, mismanagement and flagrant corruption. The facts in connection with the abuses nourished in the office became so well known that it acquired the title of the "Botany Bay" of the Government service. The management of the office was absolutely subservient to the "spoils system," so rigidly enforced by the Republican leaders in and out of Congress.

The politicians literally ran the office, dictating appointments as a direct reward for party service, securing the removal of experienced and competent mechanics because they would not declare their fealty to the Republican party, and enforcing assessments upon the employes in more than one exciting political campaign. The contracts for supplying the office with material, etc., were controlled by a ring of Republican favorites, who regularly received the same at prices so far above the market rates of the material, as to attract the attention of all observ. ant printers throughout the country, and this in spite of the fact that the law actually required the awarding of the contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, upon proper specimens, and that the best manufacturers and dealers in the materials covered by the contracts were constantly among the unsuccessful bidders. Political favorites filled many of the leading positions in the office, drawing the best salaries, while their work was done by more experienced subordinates. The best foremen in the office were repeatedly discharged during political campaigns, for lack of interest in the Republican canvass, and in some instances reinstated, only when the threatened collapse of the management made their return to the office a necessity.

CONTRACTS FOR MATERIAL AND MACHINERY.

The material and machinery supplied the office under Republican Public Printers was in many cases the source of grave public scandal. Exorbitant prices were paid for the lowest grade material, and much of the machinery put in the office was practically unfit for use. In spite of large and constantly increasing appropriations

by Congress, the public printing was neither promptly nor properly done. The amount of delayed work constantly increased, and the departments of the Government suffered the greatest embarrassment in consequence of the long delays in completing urgent work.

The office probably reached its lowest estate in 1881-'82. Its degradation threatened a grave scandal upon President Arthur's administration, and he made an effort to reform it. The appointment of S. P. Rounds as Public Printer in 1882 rescued the office in a measure from the contempt with which it had been regarded, and with lavish appropriations an effort was made to bring up the delayed work. The office was supplied with much new material, and an earnest effort seems to have been made for a time to improve its record.

WHEN THE OFFICE WAS AT ITS BEST ESTATE.

The period from 1882 to 1884 may be said to be the brightest in the record of the Republican management of the office. It was the acme of Republican reform. The office did not escape the control of republican politicians, however, and it was again run for all it was worth as an adjunct to the Republican machine in 1883 and 1884. All pronounced democrats in the mechanical divisions were removed, and their places filled by Republicans. Active politicians were appointed to the head of some of the principal divisions of the office, and were absent from the office for weeks at a time engaged in political work. The old ring of political contractors again got the upper-hand, and the remainder of Mr. Rounds' administration was characterized by a flagrant disregard of economy and of the public interests in the award of contracts and in the general expenditures for material purchased in the open market.

WORK FOR PRIVATE PARTIES.

The growth of illegal "private" work was a grave scandal upon the administration. An immense mass of binding was done in the Government Printing Office for private parties and in direct violation of law. It is needless to say that political and personal influences controlled this private binding. Thousands of elaborately bound volumes of public and private works were issued by the Government bindery as "presents" to personal friends of the favorites of the administration, while illegal requisitions for binding were borrowed for nearly every department of the Government. The office, and the Government departments as well, became demoralized by this execution of private work, and by the suspicious and extravagant influences that so evidently surrounded the management.

Nevertheless, the administration of Public Printer Rounds had been so evidently an improvement upon that of his predecessors, and the growth of the public printing had been so rapid, that, upon the accession of a Democratic administration March 4th, 1885, a change in the admininistration of the Government Printing Office was regarded as of doubtful expediency, and many of the best Democrats at the capital united in recommending to President Cleveland the relention of Mr. Rounds. It was not until September, 1886, that a change was made, and Thos. E. Benedict (then occupying the position of Deputy Comptroller of the State of New York), was appointed as the first Democratic Public Printer since the creation of the office.

WHEN AND HOW REFORM METHODS WERE INAUGURATED.

The new Public Printer, upon assuming his office, at once made a thorough and critical examination of its condition in every branch and division. A force of 2,420 employes was found upon the rolls of the office. This was found to be at least 400 in excess of the actual needs and working facilities of the office. It was also found that the appropriations available for the public printing were entirely inadequate to pay this excessive force, and a discharge of some 500 superfluous and in msot cases inexperienced and incompetent employes, followed at an early date. This discharge was based absolutely on the reports of the foremen of divisions, and the immediate result was an increase in the amount of finished work turned out of the office by the relief in working space and facilities afforded the more experienced mechanics who were retained.

This discharge was followed by a most thorough and comprehensive scheme for reforming the sanitary, mechanical and economical facilities of the office. The entire building (which was found to be in a decidedly filthy and unsanitary condition) was at once cleaned, whitewashed and painted from top-floor to basement. New doors were cut for the better ingress and egress of the tons of paper, material, and printed matter daily used and issued by the office. Hydraulic elevators were put in for the more rapid movement of work and material to and from the upper floors. Wooden staircases were replaced by iron ones, for the better protection of employes, in case of fire. Every division of the office was overhauled, its machinery rearranged with an eye to the most efficient service, and new and more modern facilities provided. An entirely new and modern electrotype plant was put in, and the obsolete method of letterpress work, then in vogue, at once done away with. New type and facilities were added in the composing divisions, new floor space and machinery to the bindery, and the folding room was relieved of a dangerous accumulation of printed and pressed work.

The methods of every division of the office were thoroughly reorganized in accordance with the systems prevailing in the largest and best modern private printing offices. Economy of material, workmanship and methods was studied in every direction, while the comfort and profit of all employes was sought in more roomy and convenient surroundings, and in the opportunity to secure better wages as the result of less competition and a larger opportunity for the display of skill and industry.

The working force of the office was gradually improved by the discharge of inefficient employes, as the result of a system of competitive examination as to merit, and the engagement of new employes subject to the same tests as to their efficiency as mechanics. All efficient and industrious mechanics of the old administration were retained, except in cases where the reorganization at the office discontinued their positions, as was in some cases necessary.

HOW THE IMPROVED SYSTEM HAS WORKED.

Some of the results of Mr. Benedict's reforms in the Government Printing Office may be briefly stated:

The completion of a large amount of delayed work of from two to eight years' standing. There were 233,765 volumes of such work, printed and gathered and collected, or pressed in signatures, awaiting the bindery in September, 1886. There remained in June, 1888, only 129,341 volumes awaiting binding.

The execution of a largely increased amount of work. This has been rendered necessary in bringing up delayed work and meeting the increased demands of departments. The following comparison of figures for stated periods of 1885-86, and 1887-88, representing equal portions of the years, including the first sessions of the forty-ninth and fiftieth Congress, show a few items:

All printing inks have been purchased under this administration at an average cost of 24.85 cents per pound, as against an average cost of 66.14 cents per pound in 1886, and the ink under this administration has been much better in quality at a saving of from $12,000 to $15,000 per year.

Roller composition of a much better quality has been purchased under the present administration at an average cost of 26 cents per pound, as against 45 cents in 1886, and a saving of upwards of 50 per cent. has been made in oil and material generally purchased for the press-room.

The books of the office show that a saving of from 10 to 40 per cent. has been made under this administration in all type and machinery purchased, and that a saving of from 10 to 350 per cent. has been effected in all material purchased in the open market, and better type, machinery and material have been furnished.

ECONOMY WITH WHICH THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE.

The expenditures of the Government Printing Office in 1887, the first year of a Democratic administration, were $388,302.57 less than in 1883, and $162,483.72 less than 1886, the last year of Republican administration, and the amount of work executed in 1887 was greatly in excess of any previous year.

In general, the present management of the Government Printing Office is in full accordance with the reform ideas of President Cleveland's administration. Business methods rule, and partisanship is subservient to honest methods and the highest possible efficiency. The books of the office will now bear the most thorough scrutiny, and in many respects the office is a model for the study of enter-. prising printers.