OCR Text |
Show GENERAL. FORTV-l'OUIlTH CONGRESS. HOLME. FRIDAY'S SESSION CONCLUDED. Holman moved to amend by increasing in-creasing the item for inland transportation trans-portation from $14, 500,000 to $1j,-OiJO.OOO. $1j,-OiJO.OOO. Alter debate it was adopted. Without disponing of tue bii),. the committee rose, wiien Vance miuJe a partial report on the eubjec of the ! government printing oflicG. The report states that the congressional pnuler bus charged &r the work ol the executive departments. an excess ranging from SO la. lUo. per cent, beyond be-yond regular ra.Us; that he has been paying more than the ordinary retail market prices for many of the articles purchased for the office; that tie has invariably purchased supplies' from middle men, allowing them a heavy profit; that the prices paid !for labor are greatly in excess of those of other establishments, while the day's work is eight hours against ten hours in private establishments, and that as at present managed the printing print-ing and binding for congress and the departments costs more money than it would be done for by responsible private parties. The waste gold leaf for the last seven years, which has been appropriated by the superintendent super-intendent of binding department, is esti mated at $14,000. The report declares de-clares that the system of unparalelled uxtra vagance pervades every department de-partment of the government printing office. In regard to the printing ot the Congressional liecord, the committee com-mittee is of the opinion that it would be in the interest of economy to remove re-move its publication Irom the government govern-ment printing office and give the contract to Franklin Rivers. The report describes the bookkeeping to have been ot so loose a character as to be entirely unreliable, and says that the congressional prioter demonstrated demon-strated fully to the mind of the committee com-mittee his utter disqualification for the proper discharge of his duties, aud that bis subordinates aro very little better in that respect than their chief. The iuternal management of the office is represented as worse, if possible, than the bookkeeping, dome ol the details ol the mismanagement misman-agement embrace the lending of machinery and material to private rwi-iina- tho Piimlnvmpnt nf mpn nil account of political influence, who are totally unfit to earn their wages; the payment of employes while absent ab-sent at elections ; the selling ot Records and documents on credit, in violation of law; the execution and work loi private parties; the forcing of balances and falsifications of accounts. ac-counts. In conclusion the committee "expresses the opinion that the work at the government printing office costs half a million dollars a year more than it would cost if done by responsible private parties under a proper contract system sys-tem and that it would be wise to take immediate steps for the discontinuance discontinu-ance of the olfice. The committee also recommend that the proposition ot Frauklin Rivers, of May 2, 1876, for the printing and binding of the debates of congress, he accepted and a contract entered into, to take effect at the beginning of the next session, iand that the printing and binding of the departments shall be under the control of the heads of those departments, depart-ments, and shall be executed under tho contract. The report closes with a resolution instructing the Bpeaker to certify the testimony to the district authorities to the end that the Congressional Con-gressional printer may be indicted and prosecuted, instructing the judiciary judi-ciary committee to inquire whether he ia an officer who may be impeached, im-peached, and instructing the committee com-mittee on appropriations to report in the sundry civil appropriation bill a section for the abolition of the government gov-ernment printing otfice, and providing provid-ing for the printing and binding for all departments of the government. The report was ordered printed and recommitted. The speaker's leave of absence was extended for ten days. |