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 INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN COMPLETING 
 
 THE WORK OF THE FIRST SESSION OF 
 
 THE FIFTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 
 
 Under the provisions of Senate Resolution 175, 
 Fifty-ninth Congress, First Session. 
 
 REPORT OF ALBERT HI HOWE, 
 
 Clerk CommiUee on Printing, United States Senate. 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1906. 
 

 
INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN COMPLETING 
 
 THE WORK OF THE FIRST SESSION OF 
 
 THE FIFTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 
 
 Under the provisions of Senate Resolution 175, 
 Fifty-ninth Congress, First Session. 
 
 California Academy of Sciences 
 
 Presented by.SSII.-fifiOrge_C.-ifir3^3 
 
 iWE, 
 
 to 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1906. 
 
v./'.'f' 
 
 
INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN COMPLETING 
 
 THE WORK OF THE FIRST SESSION OF 
 
 THE FIFTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 
 
 Under the provisions of Senate Resolution 175, 
 Fifty-ninth Congress, First Session. 
 
 REPORT OF ALBERT H. HOWE, 
 
 Clerk Committee on Printing. United States Senate. 
 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1906. 
 
CAT. FOR 
 DOC. DEPT. 
 
U(.(J3. 
 
 iOCUMENi:3 
 
 INQUIRY IXTO THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN COMPLETING THE WORK 
 OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 August 15, 1906. 
 Hon. T. C. Platt, 
 
 Chninaan Committee on Printing, 
 
 , U. S. Senate.^ Washington, D. C. 
 
 Sir: By your direction and in pursuance of the provisions of Senate 
 resolution No. 175, tirst session. Fifty-ninth Congress, wherein the 
 Committee on Printing is "directed to inquire into the reasons for the 
 delay in the Gov^ernment Printing Office in sending to the Senate, 
 especially in the last daj'S of the session, printed copies of bills and 
 joint resolutions pending and awaiting action on the part of Con- 
 gress," I visited Washington and conducted as thorough an investiga- 
 tion as was possible under the terms of the resolution. Considerable 
 testimony was taken, calculated to define the procedure of handling 
 bills and to reveal the causes of the alleged delays of which complaint 
 had been made, a transcription of which testimony is hereto annexed. 
 
 Attention is respectfull}^ drawn to the character of the resolution 
 under which the investigation has been conducted, which, ])y its fail- 
 ure to empower 3^our committee to summon witnesses, places at your 
 disposal in many cases second-hand testimon}^ leading to inference 
 rather than to proven fact. The absence of some necessary witnesses 
 and the disinclination of others to testify has served in several instances 
 to hamper and circumscribe the action of 3'our committee. Again, 
 the absence of provision for the defra3Miient of the expense of the 
 investigation will necessitate provision hereafter for the payment of 
 stenographic and other services. 
 
 At the risk of being didactic, the results of this inc|uirv will be bet- 
 ter understood by illustrating at the outset the processes involved in 
 the handling of supply bills by Congress; and in the illustration of 
 these processes it will be interesting to note the frequency with which 
 the functions of the Government Printing Office are exercised and the 
 respects in which the work of that office is accelerated or impeded by 
 the character of the engrossing and enrolling work of Congress. 
 
 It is understood that an appropriation or supph^ bill invariably 
 originates in a subcommittee of a House committee. During the 
 progress of consideration by the House subcommittee such ])ills are 
 frequentlv printed confidentially once or several times for the use of 
 the subcommittee, and when such a bill has attained the form in which 
 the subcommittee determines finally to report to the full committee, 
 the tentative measure is definitely though confidentially printed for 
 report to the full committee. 
 
 The full committee ratify or amend the work of the subcommittee 
 and, taking the print supplied hy the Government Printing Office 
 
 3 
 
 227 
 
4 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 for this ])iirpo.se. report u rutiticd or anionded draft of the measure 
 to the Hou«e of Representatives, which reported bill is given a num- 
 ber, and foUowiiio- Avhich the measure is then printed for the use of 
 Conoress. When the House of Representatives considers the measure 
 in Connnittee of the Whole, the amendments of the conunittee and the 
 sporadic anuMidments issuing- from the Hoor having- ])een agreed to or 
 rejected, as the case may be, the measure is passed. In the form in 
 which it passes the House it is engrossed l)}^ the clerical force of the 
 House and i)rinted in engrossed form on blue ledger paper, in which 
 form it is messaged over to the Senate. 
 
 The testimony accompanying this report will show that in cases oi 
 this kind the clerical force of the House, and the Government Print- 
 ing Office as well, proceed with an anticipator}^ engrossment and prepa- 
 ration of the measure with a view to its ultimate expedition; hence 
 when the hnal action of the House upon its bill is taken the engross- 
 ment and printing of the measure are already tremendously advanced. 
 When the measure is messaged to the Senate it is again printed, 
 carrying the action of being referred to the proper Senate committee. 
 
 In the Senate committee very much the same procedure is followed 
 as has been followed in the House. A subcommittee of the Senate 
 committee first considers the House measure, possibly requiring for" 
 its confidential uses several prints thereof. The subcommittee report 
 to the full committee, who in turn finally make their report to the 
 Senate, in which form the bill is again, officially, printed for the use 
 of the Senate, with or without amendments, as reported by the Senate 
 committee. This is the print showing certain matter lined out with 
 italicized additions. 
 
 After being passed by the Senate with the committee and other 
 amendments the changes are indicated in a separate print called the 
 engrossed amendments of the Senate. In the accomplishment of this 
 print the method of anticipation is again practiced with great effect, 
 both by the clerical force of the Senate and the bill force of the Gov- 
 ernment Printing Office, to the end that the absolute minimal time 
 may be attained in making the measure available for the use of Con- 
 gress. Vv^hen the measure gets back to the House, where it originated, 
 with the engrossed amendments of the Senate, those amendments are 
 numbered, and wdien the measure with the numbered amendments is 
 referred to the House the hill is ordered printed wnth the numbered 
 amendments of the Senate dovetailed into the bill. 
 
 The measure in this form is considered by conferees, who reach 
 fractional agreement or agreement en masse, as the case may be. Fre- 
 quently several conferences are ordered. At this point the enrolling 
 clerk of the House makes up the copj^ for the enrolled bill, which is 
 then printed on parchment, and after the same has been signed b}' the 
 presiding- officers of both Houses, and finally by the President of the 
 United States, it is printed as a public law, which is the final disposi- 
 tion until it is embodied in the statutes. 
 
 Apropos of the foregoing the enrolling clerk of the House of Repve- 
 sentatives, in written testimony contained in the exhibits accompan3'ing 
 this report, makes the following statement: 
 
 When a bill passes both Houses it is not ready by any means to be sent to the 
 President. The fact is that the actual work in perfecting it only begins, as it must 
 be prepared by the enrolling clerk, and, with the amendments, if any, sent to the 
 Printing Office (the distance between the Capitol and the Printing Ottice being great) 
 
PRINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 5 
 
 for proof; returned to the enrolling clerk, read, sent baek to he returned on parch- 
 ment for another reading by the enrolling clerk. If errors are found on one or more 
 sheets, those sheets are returned for correction and rejjrinting. When the correc- 
 tions are all made, the parchment, with the original papers — the engrossed copy, the 
 amendments, and the conference reports — are all turned over to the Committee on 
 Enrolled Bills, which conunittee rejieat the work of the enrolling clerk and his 
 assistants. If found correct, the bill is tlien taken to the Speaker of the House, etc. 
 
 At the risk of repetition, it may be stated that the enrollino- clerk 
 of the House, in making his enrolhiient, compiles his copy for the 
 printer from, first, the desk copy; second, the blue print; third, the 
 engrossed amendments of the Senate, and, finally, the conference 
 reports, varying in number; so that he is practically making his enroll- 
 ment from five or more difl'erent pieces of copy. In a bill having 
 mtuiy pages and many amendments, the work of enrollment is compli- 
 cated and magnitudinous in the extreme, and, considering the care 
 necessary to be exercised in order that not only the language of the 
 bill, but every punctuation mark and capital letter as well, raa\' be 
 absolutely accurate, umch time must necessarily be consumed. In 
 emphasis of this point, it may also be stated that, in the preparation 
 and acceptance of each print of the bill, in addition to the preparation 
 of copy, proof must be read, and the work of both the clerical forces 
 of Congress and the bill force of the Government Printing Ofhce 
 has to be fully verified. 
 
 In the light of this procedure, let us consider the two measures 
 leading to this investigation, namely, the general deficiency bill and 
 the public l)uildings bill. 
 
 The criticism attaching to the general deficiency bill concerns a 
 delay experienced by the conferees in securing what is known as the 
 numbered amendment print for consideration, this being the print 
 ordered b}^ the House after the bill has been returned to the House by 
 the Senate with the engrossed amendments of the latter dovetailed 
 into the bill. Omitting' the preliminary steps involved in the handling 
 of the measure, testimony attached will show that the bill passed the 
 Senate late Thursday night, June 28, 190(>. 
 
 A preliminarv copy, contain hig the Senate committee amendments 
 only, was sent to the Printing Office at 9 o'clock p. m. of that day Iw 
 the enrolling clerk of the Senate, who requested that proof be sent 
 him on the following morning. Proof was delivered to him on the 
 following morning (Frida}^) at 9.20 o'clock. Meanwhile the enroll- 
 ing clerk of the Senate was engaged until after midnight in compiling 
 his full copy of the engrossed amendments. Upon receipt of the 
 aforesaid partial proof, the enrolling clerk of the vSenate completed 
 his comparison of the proof with the copy and returned corrected 
 proof to the Printing Office containing the Senate _tloor amendments to 
 the bill (about twenty in all), at 10 a. m. of the same morning (Friday). 
 Proof of this latter copy was returned to the Senate by the Govern- 
 ment Printing Office at 11.30 a. m. for proper verification and neces- 
 sary' correction. 
 
 In this shape the bill was messaged over to the House some time 
 after noon. The official copy for the numbered amendments, which is 
 the form in which the measure is printed for the use of the conferees, 
 and which is prepared by the printing clerk of the House following 
 the receipt l)v the House of the bill from the Senate with the engj'ossed 
 amendments, was received at the Government Printing Office at 2.35 
 
6 FEINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 p. m., same day, and the completed bill delivered at the Capitol at 
 3.25 p. m., or within Hfty mimite.s' time. 
 
 The Government Printing- Office anticipated the action on this bill 
 and. without Avaitino- for the ofBcial copy, sent seven forms to press 
 before the oHicial copy reached the Printing Office. The other five 
 forms were either on the press or on the way down to the press when 
 copy was received, and fifty minutes after the receipt of copy by the 
 Printing' Otlice the print desired by the conferees was sent back to 
 Congress. The l)ill contained 96 pages and 95 amendments. The 
 enrolling clerk of the Senate, in his testimony, asserts that had the 
 proper clerk of the House sent to the Printing Office earlier in the 
 clay the conferees might have received the desired print an hour 
 earlier than they actually did receive it. 
 
 The testimony of the enrolling clerk of the Senate on this point is 
 as follows: 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, the print of the bill that Senator Hale wanted to nse in confer- 
 ence of course could not have been supplied to him before it was messaged to the 
 House and enrolled by the House? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes; it could have been, because the man who makes up the bills 
 with the Senate amendments numljered could have gone to the Printing Othce, 
 which we have done time and time again, and have made out his amendments there, 
 and then they probably would have received that bill at the House some little time 
 earlier than they did receive it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And you think the conferees would have gotten that print more 
 quickly if some attache of the House had taken the trouble to go and get an ad\'ance 
 copy? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes. I telephoned to that gentleman, I think, in the morning, that I 
 had the amendments ready and had sent them back to the Printing Oflice, and I 
 presumed that he would go down there, because the night before he asked me if he 
 went down there if it would do any good on that night. * * * I think there 
 may have possibly been an hour lost there, Ymt I would not say that for sure; but I 
 think there was some little time lost there. 
 
 With regard to the public buildings bill, it should be stated at the 
 outset that the procedure employed in the handling of supply bills was 
 followed in the consideration of that measure. The bill pussed the 
 House on the Monday before adjournment, June 25, was messaged to 
 the Senate Tuesday morning and referred to the Senate Committee on 
 Public Buildings and Grounds, which committee met on Wednesday, 
 its regular meeting da}", to take it up. The committee completed its 
 consideration of the measure Wednesday night and reported the same 
 to the Senate Thursday morning with approximately one hundred and 
 sixty-seven amendments. 
 
 As the measure was not privileged, its consideration by the Senate 
 during the day (Thursday) was considerabl}" obstructed, and it was not 
 finally passed until late Thursday night. It was messaged to the House 
 Friday morning. The House proraptW disagreed to the amendments 
 of the Senate and asked for a conference, to which the Senate assented, 
 and the conferees met at 3 o'clock, remaining in session until 10 o'clock 
 that night (Frida}'), at which time they reached a partial agreement. 
 The action of the Senate on this fractional conference report was 
 prompt, but the House, owing to a parliamentary situation, did not 
 act until 12 o'clock midnight. 
 
 From fourteen to twenty items remained in disagreement, as to 
 which the Plouse asked for a second conference, to which the Senate 
 agreed, which conference was held at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. 
 It was at this point that suggestions of delav were made. It is doubt- 
 less true, and the testimony will show, that if the conferees had met 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 7 
 
 after midnight, Friday, instead of at 10 o'cloelc Saturday nioriiino-, 
 two lioiirs might have been saved and the final adjournment of Con- 
 gress advanced to that extent; but the testimony additionally shows 
 that the conferees had been for the two preceding nights engaged in 
 the discharge of Congressional duty until after midnight and were too 
 greatly exhausted to confer on this bill on the night (if Friday. 
 
 After the final agreement of the conferees on Saturday morning at 
 10.30 o'clock, the clerks of the conference committee were obliged 
 to draft the conference report. This work consumed two hours and 
 a half. It was exacting work, invoLving the maximum of accurac}'. 
 Testimony shows that the clerks of the conference committee were 
 subjected to some interruption b}^ Members of Congress during the 
 progress of their compilation of the conference report, while the final 
 check of the report with the committee's data, which was deemed 
 necessar}' in the interest of absolute accuracy, made by the two com- 
 mittee clerks with Senator Warren and Representative Bartholdt, con- 
 sumed from a half to three-quarter"s of an hour. 
 
 Some time after the completion of the work of the clerks of the 
 conference committee the report was submitted to the House — 
 approximately at 1.4.5 p. m. A well-detined rumor tended to show 
 that dela}^ in the submission of the final conference report to the 
 House, between the moment of agreement by the conferees at 10.30 
 a. m. and the moment of the submission of the conference report to 
 the House at approximately 1.4:5 p. m., was occasioned b}" a confusion 
 in the minds of those officials of the House who define the parliamen- 
 tary procedure of that body as to the right of the House to first sub- 
 mit this second conference report, the impression prevailing that the 
 report should first be submitted to the Senate. 
 
 This confusion appeared to have resulted in each House waiting some 
 time for the other House to act. The written testimon}^ of General 
 Parkinson, the reading clerk of the Senate, whose duties carried him 
 to the House at this time, will show that upward of an hour was lost 
 as a result of this confusion. On this point General Parkinson testi- 
 fies as follows: 
 
 The Hou^^e authorities labored under erroneous inijiression that the Senate confer- 
 ees should submit their report first. At the suggestion of Mr. McDonald and Mr. 
 Piatt, made in the presence and with the acquiescence of, I think. Senator Hale or 
 some other excellent authority on the matter of conference reports, I told the House 
 people at least twice that the Senate was waiting for the House conferees to make 
 their report first, which they finally did, ])ut after a wait and delay of an hour or 
 more. 
 
 After the submission in the House of the conference report, how- 
 ever, the same was promptly messaged to the Senate and, with equal 
 promptness, agreed to by that body and then entered the hands of the 
 enrolling clerk of the House, from which he proceeded to prepare the 
 copy for the official parchment proof. It is shown in the testimon}' 
 that this copy reachecl the Government Printing Office at 4: o'clock p. m. , 
 Saturday, June 30, and the printed copy (proof) delivered to the Cap- 
 itol, signed for by W. J. Browning, at 5.3."J p. m. It should be stated 
 that the bill contained twenty pages and approximately one hundred 
 and sixty-seven amendments. 
 
 The enrolling force of the House, it is assumed, proceeded to read 
 this proof and found errors therein requiring correction. Testimony 
 shows that there were nine pages requiring to be reprinted, on two of 
 which were errors attributable to the Government Printino- Office and 
 
8 l'KINTIN(4 OF lULLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 on sc\ (Ml of which were errors attributal)Io to the enrolling- office of 
 the House. These pages were returned to the Printing Office singly 
 for reprinting as fast as errors were disco\'ered. I'he fir^it page 
 reached the l*rinting Office at 6.1(5 p. ni. 
 
 The last one was i-eturned to the Capitol at T./JT p. m. It should 
 not he assumed that these errors operated to dela^y the work of Con- 
 gress, for the reason that the act of reprinting the corrected i)ages 
 was performed Avith such celerity by the Government Printing Office 
 that the last corrected page, numbered 15, had been i-eturned by the 
 Government Printing Office before the enrolling clerk of the House 
 had completed the reading of the last five pages of the bill; hence 
 "when the enrolling clerk had finally completed his comparison of the 
 bill all errors had been rectified and a corrected print was in his 
 possession. 
 
 It will be interesting to note that in respect of one page returned to 
 the Government Printing Office a second time for correction of an 
 error discovered latei', for which the Capitol was responsible, the 
 Printing Office completed the work of reprinting in exactly eight 
 minutes. This final correction was made in the neighborhood of !» 
 p. m., after which the bill had to be compared bv the Committee on 
 Enrolled Bills before being signed by the Speaker of the House, the 
 President of the Senate, and the President of the United States. 
 
 From the foregoing description of the handling of these two meas- 
 ures, necessarily lengthy and involved, the following facts and condi- 
 tions prominently appear: 
 
 As to the work of the Goverment Printing Office, testimony shows 
 that the bill force is composed of experienced men, its personnel being 
 the same as it has ])een for years. Congressional work is invariably 
 given the preference over all other work. The amount of work per- 
 formed by the Office during the first session of the Fifty-ninth Con- 
 gress exceeded by approximately three times the amount of work 
 performed at the preceding long session and exceeded approximately 
 by 5 per cent the amount of work performed during all three sessions 
 of the Fifty-eighth Congress. A table appearing on page 27 of the 
 testimony gives the details of this work. The bill force of the Print- 
 ing Office during the last session of Congress was smaller by 7 men 
 than during the previous Congress. 
 
 The amount of time consumed by the Printing Office in the handling 
 of the two measures around which criticism centered seems to have 
 been not unreasonable, but rather positively expeditious. Allegations 
 of witnesses as to delays on the part of the Printing Office have been 
 investigated as carefully as practicable, and have been found to be too 
 general to merit censure. In fact, they are in the main trivial and in 
 some cases react upon those making them. The enrolling clerk of the 
 House and the enrolling clerk of the Senate, whose duties bring them 
 into close relationship with the work of the Printing Office, and who 
 would be probably greater sufi'erers than any others through delin- 
 quencies on the part of the Printing Office, pronounce the work of the 
 Government Printing Office during the closing days of the last session 
 as being essentially good. Mr. McKenne}^ the enrolling clerk of the 
 House, thus characterizes the work of the Government Printing Office 
 and, incidentally, his own: 
 
 The public buildingn l^ill reached me a]>out 2.;50 p. m., June 30, 1 think, but I paid 
 no attention to time, and it may liave ])een an hour before or an hour later. The 
 
PRINTING OF KILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 9 
 
 bill was given immediate attention, and it was sent t<) the rrinting Otlice as soon as 
 possible, was returned to me for eomi)arison with the orii^inal papers without unnec- 
 essary delay. Corrections were made on some sheets which were sent tfi the I'rinting 
 Office and corrected sheets returned to me. When I had comjileted reading the bill, 
 every sheet sent to the Printing Otlice for correction had been returned; thus showing 
 the elHciency and promptness of the 1)111 and messenger forces of the Printing Office. 
 The bill was then turned over to the Committee on Eniolled ]>ills for comparison. 
 As every word, punctuation mark, and even cai)ital letters are read aloud in com- 
 parison, much time is of necessity consumed, esiiecialiy in reading the large sheets 
 of parchment, each equal to two sheets of an engrossed bill. Then came the l)ill for 
 engro.«sment and enrollment authorizing the expenditure of money for various iiublic 
 buildings, which went through the san)e process as every bill does in engrossment 
 and enrollment. Tliere Avas no unnecessary delay with either of these bills, the 
 deficiency bill, or other bills, at any time during the session of the Fifty-ninth Con- 
 gress to cause censure or even unfavorable comment so far as the Printing Office is 
 concerned with my work. * * * Personally, I was nearly worn out. The forty- 
 eight hours preceding adjournment I did not have one minute's sleep, did not have 
 one mouthful to eat from one breakfast until another, an<l I think the Printing Office 
 force suffered an equally strenuous time. They are heroes, every one of them. 
 
 Mr. Piatt, the enrolling clerk of the Senate, thus characterizes the 
 work of the Printing-office when asked to state whether, as a result of 
 his experience in dealing with the Printing Office, he could allege 
 reasonable alacrity on the part of the Office: 
 
 Yes. I have not any hesitation in saying that I think the Printing Office, on the 
 whole, is very exjjeditious, and, as a geneial thing, very correct. There is occasion- 
 ally a short delay sometimes, when we think there ought not to be, and there maj' 
 be a little fault to find in the proof reading sometimes, but those things will happen 
 in the best-regulated families. You can not help it. I have never lost anything on 
 account of delay in the Printing Office since we commenced to enroll bills by jirint- 
 ing; never. I have always found that the Printing Office has been, I think, equal 
 to the emergenc)'. 
 
 From the practice of anticipation by the Government Printing Office 
 of the work of Congress nuich good has been shown to result. If the 
 Printing Office were to wait for the receipt of copy from the Capitol 
 before setting up bill matter the woi'k of Congress would be greatly 
 prolonged. An illustration of the utility of this practice is shown in 
 the handling of the supplemental bill, H. R. !20511, making appropria- 
 tions for certain public buildings authorized by the act approved June 
 30, 1900, etc., which act after being messaged to the Senate was 
 passed at 6.17 p. ni. on Saturday, June 30. 
 
 The Printing Office, realizing that the Senate would in all proba- 
 bility pass the measure in the same form in which it pas.sed the House, 
 proceeded to print the enrolled copy and sent the same to the Senate 
 at 5.49 p. m., or an hour and eight minutes before the Senate had acted 
 upon the measure. This, of course, could only be possible in respect 
 of a measure which the Senate would in all probability pass without 
 amendment. 
 
 Nothing has been developed in the course of this investigation which 
 would justify a conclusion that the present administration of the (tov- 
 ernment Printing Office is not distinctly ci-editable. 
 
 As to the performances of the enrolling offices of Congress, it can 
 be safely asserted, without fear of contradiction, that considering the 
 magnitude and complexity of their work it was performed with all 
 possible expedition consistent with exactness. The testimony would 
 tend to show that the enrolling force of the House, upon which the 
 bulk of the work of enrollment falls, is undermanned, and that a 
 proper increase in that force would be promotive of greater celerity 
 in the performance of work de\'olving upon that office. 
 
10 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Attention is respectfully called to the fact that in the transmission 
 of copy, proof, and other printed matter between the Capitol and the 
 Government Printing Office, and in some instances between the Gov- 
 ernment Printing Office and the P^xecutive Departments, the messen- 
 ger force of the Government Printing Office is largely availed of. 
 This force consists of a maximum of six bicycle messengers — usually 
 four. Congress should not l)e dependent upon this messenger force, 
 relial)le and efficient as it has been shown to be, l)ut should have mes- 
 sengers attached to its enrolling offices, especially duHng the closing 
 days of the sessions of Congress, when the congestion of public busi- 
 ness is great. Moreover, the efficienc}^ of the messenger force of the 
 Government Printing Office should not be depleted b}' the calls of 
 the Executive Departments. 
 
 I venture the opinion that the inauguration of a time-record system 
 which would show the pi'ecise time of receipt and delivery of copj^, 
 proof, etc., both at the Capitol and the Go^'ernment Printing Office, 
 would, by the facility it might alfolxl in fixing responsibilitv for delays, 
 tend to maximum efficiency in work and preclude much irresponsible 
 criticism. Congress should at least be as well equipped for the proper 
 and precise conduct of its business as a commercial institution. It is 
 safe to assmiie that no commercial institution would for one moment 
 tolerate methods as irresponsible as those which. now obtain in the 
 handling of Congressional bill work. 
 
 It may be remarked, in conclusion, that during the closing da3^s of 
 the first session of the Fifty-ninth Congress there was an unsual con- 
 gestion of important legislation, which may have to a degree, though 
 not unnecessarily, retarded the completion of the work of Congress. 
 Very respectfull}^ 
 
 A. H. Howe. 
 
INQUIRY INTO THE CAUSES OF DELAY IN COMPLETINd THE WORK 
 OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTY-NINTH CONGRESS. 
 
 Committee on Printing, 
 
 United States Senate, 
 Washington^ D. C, July 7, 1906. 
 
 Met pursuant to resolution dated June 30, 1906. 
 
 Present: Mr. A. H. Howe, representing the Committee on Printing; 
 also Capt. H. T, Brian, chief clerk Government Printing Office; 
 Charles E. Young, foreman of printing, Government Printing Office; 
 T. Franlv Morgan, in charge of bill work; D. V. Chisholm, reviser; 
 Joseph Dierken. clerk in the office of the foreman of printing; Frank 
 Cox, clerk in the office of the foreman of printing; W. J. McEvoy, 
 compositor; Frank M. Thompson, compositor; J. J. Kelly, pressman; 
 R. Waldo Sandmeyer, messenger; John E. Welsh, messenger; Charles 
 W. Lippold, messenger; F. N. Perkinson, messenger; H. E. Charlton, 
 messenger; J. W. Bond, messenger; William W. Home, assistant 
 enrolling clerk of the Senate; W. A. Smith, and others. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Gentlemen, the Committee on Printing is directed by 
 the Senate, in its resolution of June 30, 190<), to incpiire into the reasons 
 for the delay in the Government Printing Office in sending to the 
 Senate, especiall}^ in the last da3^s of the session, printed copies of 
 bills and joint resolutions pending and awaiting action on the part of 
 Congress. 
 
 There were delays or suggestions of delay during the closing days 
 of Congress in getting certain bills enrolled, the particular sources of 
 irritation being the public buildings bill and, as I understand it, the 
 urgent deticiency biU, appropriating money to carry into eti'ect the 
 provisions of the former measure, coupled with a reference to a delay 
 experienced by the conferees on the general deticiency bill in securing 
 a certain print of the general deficiency bill upon which they were 
 anxious to work. 
 
 This committee is desirous of ascertaining whether the alleged delays 
 are attributable to' the Printing Office or to other persons or bodies. 
 The object of this inquiry is to ascertain where the blame, if any, 
 attaches. In order to get fixed in mind the process that is followed in 
 the passage of appropriation bills, I am going to call on Mr. Home, 
 the assistant enrolling clerk of the Senate, who is the only attache of 
 either the House or Senate enrolling forces who happens to he in the 
 city. Mr. Home, will you describe briefly the process that is followed 
 from the time an appropriation bill is taken up by the subcommittee 
 of the House Committee on Appropriations to the time it is finally 
 enrolled? 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, before doing that will you allow me to 
 state that the Public Printer is unable to be present on account of an 
 
 11 
 
12 PRINTING OB' HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 accident that continos liiin to hi.s room. 1 wish also to state that he is 
 fully al)le and lias at all times attended to business and has lost no 
 interest in it. The week Cono-ress adjourned, against the protest of 
 his physician, he was present each day, and the day Congress did 
 adjourn he was present until half past 7 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 ^Ir. HowK. I might also add that I have the assurance of the Public 
 Printer that he will probal)ly l)e able to l)e present early in the w^eek 
 at a further hearing, at which time we will have the benefit of his 
 suggestions regarding this matter. 
 
 STATEMENT OF WILLIAM W. HORNE, ASSISTANT ENROLLING 
 CLERK OF THE SENATE. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, Mr. Home, will you proceed? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. As I understand it, on the House side an appropria- 
 tion bill is formulated in the subcommittee. Then the subconnnittee 
 makes a report to the general appropriations committee. The work 
 of the subconnnittee is there ratified, you might say, and then the 
 whole committee reports to the House. It then goes upon the Calen- 
 dar — the House Calendar — to be called up either immediately or at any 
 time that might be designated or fixed. It is called up. and, of course, 
 is amended. The committee amendments are agreed to or i-ejected, as 
 the case might be, and then other amendments are proposed upon the 
 floor of the House and are agreed to or rejected. After the bill 
 passes the House it goes in to the enrolling clerk of the House, who 
 engrosses it. 
 
 1 do not know minutely how the enrolling clerk of the House pro- 
 ceeds in cases of this kind, 1)ut I suppose it is upon the same line we 
 do here on the Senate side. I judge, however, that he takes the two 
 copies of the document room bill, or the committee report — the 
 reported bill — and cuts it up; that is, so that the leaves will turn over, so 
 that when it gets to the Printing Office the printers can cut the leaves 
 apart into little strips and distribute it around to various typesetters. 
 Whenever an amendment is put in he has to interline it, and the whole 
 margin of his bill, it is not improbable, will be lined or covered with 
 little squibs or items that have been inserted, and a pen will have been 
 run through a number of lines where parts of the bill have been 
 disagreed to in the Committee of the Whole of the House. That bill 
 goes down to the Printing Office and is printed in that shape, and is 
 known as the blueprint. Then it comes back. The enrolling clerk 
 of the House is then supposed to compare that with his desk copy of the 
 bill that conies out to him from the desk. He undoul)tedly compares 
 it and sees that it is accurate, and then it is attested b}^ the Clerk of 
 the House and messaged over to the Senate. It is then referred to 
 the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Appropria- 
 tions will take it up and consider it, and make its report to the Senate. 
 It then goes upon the Calendar of the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Let me interrupt you for a moment. The Committee 
 on Appropriations of the Senate, it is presumed, cuts out some matter 
 that appears in the bill as it comes from the House and adds other 
 matter. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Oh, yes. They amend it, in other words. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In other words, they amend it. That matter is lined 
 out — that is, there is a line in the Senate print? 
 
PRINTIISG OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 13 
 
 Mr. HoHNK. Yes; tlie part that is stricken out has a line throutiii it, 
 and any new matter that is put in is in italics. Invariably, you niitrht 
 sa}', appropriation l)ills are amended, probably ranoino- from 100 to 
 250 amendments. 
 
 It is reported to the Senate in that wa}-, and g-oes upon the Calendar 
 upon any day, and is put upon its passage at some future day. As a rule, 
 the committee amendments are taken up and agreed to first, and after 
 they are all disposed of then the amendments are offered upon the 
 floor. When the bill finally passes the Senate with aujendments it 
 comes out to the desk of the enrolling clerk of the Senate, and these 
 amendments are engrossed, not in line with the bill as it is I'eported 
 from the committee, but the amendments that appear in the bill as it is 
 reported from the committee are put in their proper places with 
 respect to the blueprint copy. For instance, the lines and pages of 
 the committee's reported l)ill would not tally with the ])lueprint copy 
 of the House bill. So the eni'olling clerk has to figure out just where 
 the amendments are to go in the blueprint. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Let me interrupt you again. I would like to have you 
 make clear what you mean by the ])lueprint. 
 
 Mr. HoKXE. The blueprint is what we call the official copy, or the 
 copy of the official copy. The official copy is attested b}' the Clerk of 
 the House, and the l)lueprint is a duplicate of that. 
 
 jNIr. Howe. It is a bill printed on blue paper, in other words? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes; there is one right there in that gentleman's hands. 
 
 Mr. Young. I have one here, Mr. Howe, if 3'ou wish to see it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. No; I do not care to see it now. 
 
 ]\lr. HoRNE. The enrolling clerk now enrolls these amendments. 
 The official form of it is; ''In the Senate of the United States," (blank 
 date) — supplying the date, of course — '^ Btsolfcd^ That the bill from 
 the House of Representatives, H. R. (blank number), entitled 'An Act 
 making appropriations, etc.,' be passed with the following amend- 
 ments." Then these amendments are all numbered. There might be 
 anywhere from 100 to 250 of them in a big appropriation bill. They 
 are all numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, consecutively, and each amendment has a 
 number. We send these amendments down to the Printing Office and 
 get Ijack a proof. We compare the proof and correct it and make 
 such changes as may be necessary or supply any omissions that may 
 be necessary and send the proofs back to be engrossed. Then it is 
 engrossed upon smooth white paper. I do not know what the name 
 of the paper is. Probably 3'ou might tell me the name of it? 
 
 Mr. Young. It is white writing paper. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. It is white writing paper; yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It is the same as the blueprint, is it not, except that it 
 is white? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes; it corresponds to it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is it not identical with the blueprint? 
 
 ]Mr. HoRNE. It has the same relative standing in the two Houses. 
 Ours is a white copy and theirs is l)lue. AVhen that proof comes back 
 to us, and we compare it and make the proper changes and corrections, 
 we send it down to be put upon white paper in its engrossed form. 
 That is attested by the Secretary and accompanies the original official 
 blueprint copy of the House that was messaged over in the first 
 instance. Upon the back of the original bill is stamped '''"Resolved., 
 That this bill pass with amendments. Attest, Secretarj'." 
 
14 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 That i.-^ messaged over to the House and then, as far as my infor- 
 mation goes, those amendments are taken b}' the tile clerk of the 
 House^ — the lileand bill clerk of the House — and prepared for another 
 print; that is known as the House bill printed with Senate amend- 
 ments num])ered. That goes down to the Public Printer to be 
 pi'inted for the use of the committee and for the conferees, showing 
 exactly where each amendment comes in the bill and giving the num- 
 ber of each amendment. When that is done the l)ill goes into confer- 
 ence, as a rule, and the conferees have this printed l)ill with Senate 
 amendments numbered before them, probably for the convenience of 
 the conferees in disagreeing or in accepting the various an)endments. 
 When it comes out of conference it is reported to the Senate and 
 reported to the two Houses. The conference report is agreed to — I 
 take it it is not necessary for me to go through the preliminar}- of 
 inviting conference and rejecting it, etc. ? 
 
 Mr. Howe. No. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. When it gets out of conference agreed to then the bill 
 goes in to the enrolling clerk of the House. I might say here that in 
 the closing hours of Congress, espeeiall}^ with these large bills, it is 
 my understanding that the enrolling clerk of the House anticipates the 
 passage of the bills with the amendments, and usually prepares his 
 bill with all his amendments in it, and sends it down to the Printing 
 Office and has the proof sent back to him, so that when the conference 
 report comes in to him and he compares the bill with the conference 
 report, such matter as was agreed to he will leave in, and such matter as 
 was disagreed to or rejected he will strike out. Then he can send his 
 proof down to the Printing Office, and they have the type all standing, 
 and they just take out such matter as was disagreed to in the confer- 
 ence and put in such new matter as might have been added. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is in the interest of expedition at the Printing 
 Office? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. Oh, yes, undoubtedly so; and it is ver}- well, too. The 
 enrolling clerk and the Printing Office both would undoubtedly be left 
 in the lurch if this was not done. That covers about the whole 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, may I ask Mr. Home if he will not add 
 just after he says that the blueprint is presented to the Senate that 
 there is then a print of the bill for the Senate in addition to that? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. Oh, yes; that is a document-room cop3^ It is a com- 
 mon-paper print. 
 
 Captain Brian. That statement is necessar}^ to make the history of 
 the printing complete. 
 
 Mr. HoKXE. Yes; that is very true. 
 
 Captain Brian. And I would like to ask if } ou will not state that 
 the blueprint, when it comes to the Senate, is the official copy of the 
 bill? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Oh, 3'es; it is. There is only one official copy — that 
 is, the one we sign. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is the only one that goes to the Senate? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. The other is a copy of the official co\jy. 
 
 Captain Brian. The other copies are for the use of the clerk. The 
 blueprint that comes to the Senate is the official copy. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes; undoubtedly. 
 
 Captain Brian. And, further, that the white copy containing the 
 engrossed Senate amendments is the official copy 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 15 
 
 Ml". HoHNE. For the House; yes. 
 
 Oiptain Brian. The official copy that the Senate sends to the House? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. The official copy that the Senate sends to the House; 
 yes, sir. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. This procedure, then, was. of course, followed in the 
 treatment or handling of these two measures 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Undoubtedly. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Which invited criticism? ' 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Speaking for the enrolling office of the Senate, was 
 there any delay in the handling of those two measures^ 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. None that I heard any complaint of. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Can you recall when the two measures reached your 
 desk? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. Well, about. The public buildings bill passed the Sen- 
 ate on the night of Thursday, June 28— my recollection is about 8 
 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Having already passed the House? 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. Oh. certainly. 
 
 Captain Briax. Do you mean the public buildings bill, H. R. 20410? 
 
 ]\Ir. HoRXE. I do not mean the supplemental bill. Is that the sup- 
 plemental bill ( 
 
 Captain Brian. No. I think not. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the public buildings bilH 
 
 Mr. Horxe. Yes; H. R. 20410. That came out to our desk from 
 the desk in the Senate about 8 o'clock on Thursday night. June 28. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. With many amendments? 
 
 Mr. Horxe. Yes. 1 have forgotten how many, but. roughly speak- 
 ing, there were probably 200 some odd. We had these amendments 
 anticipated — that is, the committee amendments that came in from the 
 reported bill in italics. We had anticipated these amendments being 
 agreed to just as I have explained that probably the enrolling clerk of 
 the House anticipates the passage of the bill with amendments. As to 
 the other amendments that were added, or amendments that were dis- 
 agreed to upon the floor, we took our proof copy and made the neces- 
 sary' corrections in it, and returned it to the Public Printing Office for 
 its engrossment. W^e sent it down to he engrossed on the night of its 
 passage, June 28, and it came back to us in engrossed form the follow- 
 ing morning, Saturday, and the bill with the accompanying amend- 
 ments was messaged over to the House between 11 and 12 o'clock on 
 Saturdav. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You say the bill reached your desk when? 
 
 Mr. Horxe. About S o'clock on the evening of the 28th. Thursday. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And it came back to you in engrossed form 
 
 Mr. Horxe. No, no. 1 have got the date wrong. It came back 
 next morning in engrossed form. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was that an unusual length of time? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Oh, no. 
 
 Captain Brian. Was that Friday morning or Saturday? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Where I said Saturday there make it Friday. I wrote 
 it wrong in my memorandum. It was the next day, and of course the 
 general deficiency bill was passed the same night that the public build- 
 ings bill passed; about 10 o'clock, I should judge. 
 
16 PRINTIN(4 OF HILLS AND .JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 yiv. HowK. That is not the deticiencv l)ill tliut appropriuted money 
 to c'iUTv out the provisions of the public buildings bill^ 
 
 Mr. IIoRNK. Oh. no. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is H. K. 20403. 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. It passed the same night. Our amendments were 
 engrossed and the bill was messaged over to the House the next day 
 between 1 and 2 o'clock. Neither was that an extravagant waste of 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Let me ask you as to these anticipations you speak of. 
 That is where you anticipate amendments? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How do you arrive at these anticipations!' Do you 
 secure information in advance from the committee? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Well, only to this extent: AA'hen the committee reports 
 an appropriation bill to the Senate it is reported with amendments, 
 and these amendments are all put in italics. That indicates to us that 
 they are amendments and we anticipate the Senate agreeing to these 
 committee amendments in italics. This matter that is printed in ital- 
 ics in the bill of course is not in the bill as it comes from the House. 
 The Senate puts that in in committee and it has been our experience 
 that the Senate very readily agreed to the majority' of the Senate 
 amendments as the Senate reports it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In other words, it is more expeditious for the Printing 
 Office to cut out the rejected matter than it would be to reset the bill? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Than it would be to reset the whole thing. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then there were no delays so far as 3-our office was 
 concerned in the matter of enrolling these two measures? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I think not, sir; at least, I have heard no complaint. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You know of no criticism that has been directed against 
 your office ? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. None whatever. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Generally speaking, what has been your experience in 
 the matter of getting back from the Printing Office printed matter 
 sent from your desk? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Well, that varies. There has been complaint in get- 
 ting the work back from the Printing Office. Some days there was 
 absolutely no ground for complaint. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do these complaints appertain to the more important 
 bills, such as the ones under consideration, or has your experience 
 been that the Printing Office 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. These important bills, and especially these under con- 
 sideration, appropriation bills, are House bills, and we have no cog- 
 nizance of them when the}' come up in the engrossed or enrolled form. 
 That is left entirely with the House enrolling clerks, and I can not 
 speak about the delays so far as the House is concerned. We have 
 suHered some delays in Senate bills l)v reason of the fact that we have 
 discovered errors in the proof reading, and would have to send a sheet 
 back to be corrected. That would necessitate some delay. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is that of frequent occurrence? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I will not sav it is a frequent occurrence. I will say 
 it has appeared to us to have been more frequent than in the past few 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Howe. More frequent during the recent session than in previous 
 sessions? 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIuNS. 17 
 
 Mr. HoRNK. Yes. 
 
 Captain Bkian. Would it interrupt if I asked Mr. Home to make it 
 clear whetiier these errors are in the proof that is submitted or in the 
 printed copies'^ 
 
 Mr. HoRNK. That is, whether the error was on the part of tiie Print- 
 ing Ofhce or on the part of the enrolling- clerk? 
 
 Captain Brian. Well, the errors 3'ou speak of, please. 
 • Mr. HoRNE. That is the kind of error I was speaking of. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Were they errors in the printed copies, in tiie final 
 print, or in the proof? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Captain Brian means was it the copy that was y^repared 
 by the office here and sent down 
 
 Captain Brian. No, excuse mo. 1 mean whether it was the proof 
 that was submitted by the Printing Office, or the printed copies fur- 
 nished by the Printing Office. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Sometimes we ask for proof, Captain, and other times 
 we do not. Sometimes we mark on the cop3^ "Send proof;"" and 
 sometimes we have discovered the error in the proof, and at other 
 times we have discovered the error in the official copies. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask further, when you discovered the error 
 in the printed copy was that when you did not have proof? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Well, we have discovered errors when we did not have 
 proof, and we have discovered errors when we did have proof. 
 
 Captain Brian. In the printed copies? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. One thing more. Do not the regulations require 
 you to have proof, and to read the proof before the final print, to as- 
 certain if there are errors? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I do not think so. If that is a rule of the Senate it 
 has never been called to my attention. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I submit the rules later, ]Mr. Howe? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. Mr. Home, in cases where you discover 
 errors, where you have received proof, would it not follow that the 
 error possibly attached to your office in sending back uncorrected 
 proof rather than that the Printing Office erred in printing from the 
 proof that 3^011 sent over? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I do not exactly catch 3^our question. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, for instance, 3^ou send copy to the Printing Office 
 and ask for proof. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Y^es. 
 
 Mr. Howe. They send the proof back to you and you presumablv 
 read it. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. We do read it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And if you find corrections necessarv 3"ou note the cor- 
 rections on it. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE.' Yes, on the margin. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And send it back? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Y^es. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you find that the Printing Office disregards vour 
 corrections ? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Oh, b3' no means; oh, no. If we correct the proof 
 thev will send back a corrected cop3'. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then what 
 
18 PRIXTINO OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. HonNK. Tlio cause fortius ])voof coming up with the error in 
 it. 1 suppose, is due to faulty proof rcudino- in the Pulilic Pi"intino- 
 OHice. 
 
 Mr. lIowK. Of course tiie vei'v ol)ject of asking for proof is to 
 insure accurac}'. 
 
 Mr. lIoKNE. Yes: but, for instance, the Senate ma} pass two or 
 three hundred pension bills. We no not ask for proof on those bills. 
 We have them put upon parchment in the first instance. 
 
 Captain Brian. May 1 ask a (question!' 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. Then do you not use that parchment cop,y as proof? 
 You rea<l it to see if it is correct? 
 
 Mr. lIoKNE. Oh, 3'es; we read it to see if it is coriect. If it is not 
 correct we destroy it and call for another. 
 
 Captain Brian. You use the parchment copy as the proof that you 
 ought to have had in the tirst place? 
 
 Air. IloKNE. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In those cases where you use the parchment copy as 
 proof, do you find errors frequently or infrequently? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Not in })ension ))ills. The errors are very infrequent. 
 The pension bills are usually veiT accurate. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask if you frequently find errors in any 
 bill, pension or any other kind? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I would not say frequently, no. My tirst statement was 
 that the errors seem to have been more prevalent this year than in 
 past years, since I have had any connection with the office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. NoticeabW so? 
 
 JNlr. HoRNE. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. And those errors were the fault of the Printing- 
 office and not the fault of the copy, Mr. Home? 
 
 Mr. Horxe. Yes, sir. When the copy would not be returned with 
 the parchment copy, as has often been the case, we have called on the 
 Public Printing- Office to return the copy in order that we might ,'!ee 
 whether or not it was our mistake or a Pi'inting Office mistake, and I 
 do not recall a single instance where we found the mistake was made 
 in sending the cop}^ down. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Can yon now or later cite some concrete instances 
 where these eri'ors have occurred, in order that they may be traced^ 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. I can not do it for this reason: We send down such a 
 bulk of copy during the entire session that there is nothing for us to 
 do when we compare it and satisfy ourselves that it is finally correct 
 but to destroy the cop3^ There is no occasion for keeping it, and we 
 do not keep it. Otherwise I could, of course. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In cases of that kind, is it your practice to call the atten- 
 tion of the officials of the Printing Office to these errors in order that 
 they may be corrected? 
 
 Air. Hokne. Only to the extent of, returning it with a marginal 
 note that there exists an ei'ror, and the proof reader can see for him- 
 self without calling it specifically to his attention. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Would you say that the errors appertain to the proof- 
 reading foi'ce of the office rather than to the force of compositors? 
 
 Mr. Hokne. I think that is undoubtedly true. Where copy is sent 
 up to us with an error in it, it having been supposed to have been 
 
PRINTING OK BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 19 
 
 read before it eiiiiie to" u,s hy a proof reader in the Public Priiitintif 
 Office. I should say un(|uestioual)ly the blame was on the jiroof reader. 
 
 Captain Bhiax. Do you know of a case where a t)ill had l)een read, 
 where the par<-hinent bopy has been used for proof, and where you 
 found errors after that^ 
 
 Mr. HoKNE. You mean, Captain, after we had <lisco\er('(l one error 
 and sent it down, and had it returned to us^ 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. HoKNE. No. 
 
 Captain Bhiax. I mean, usino- the parchment copy as proof in the 
 tirst place. 
 
 Mr. lIoKNE. And discovei'ino- an error in it and then sending it 
 back to be corrected ' 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes: whether yon found an error after that, in any 
 case ( 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Not on the second print of the cop}". 
 
 Captain Brian. All the errors you found were in the proof:' 
 
 Mr. HoRXK. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Buiax. And none in the printed l)ills. \Ve call that tirst 
 print on parchment a proof. 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. When we send down a bill and ask that it be put on 
 parchment we do not regard that as a proof. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But you say you do look over the parchment copy 
 afterwards^ 
 
 ^\v: Horxe. Every one of them. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You go over it as you would a proof, and if you tind 
 an error you return it for correction ' 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. That becomes a proof copy. 
 
 Mr. Howe. ^Vould it not follow, if your otiice called for proof in 
 every instance, and read it and cori'ected it if necessary, that you 
 would receive back from the Printing Office finally absolutely or prac- 
 tically correct prints^ 
 
 ^Ir. HoRXE. Oh, yes, jes. ^Vhen we want a proof of a bill we note 
 on it "'Send proof." The public Printing Oftice does not send back 
 this parchment copy to us. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 understand 
 
 Mr. HoRN'E. We should not regard a parchment copy as being a 
 proof copy. If we wanted to we would write the word "" parchment'" 
 across it when we do not want a proof. We do that for the sake of 
 expediting the bills. A Senator niight want a bill gotten to the 
 White House that day, and we would hardly have time to ask for a 
 proof first and then send it down and have it put on parchment for 
 the second printing. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In this little complaint you make about the Printing- 
 Office. 1 would like to have you say whether the cases are so frequent 
 as to be flagrant or 
 
 Mr. lIoKXE. No, 1 would not regard it so. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Or whether, generally s]ieaking. the service is good? 
 
 Mr. Horxe. Generally speaking, it is good. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It is unfortunate that some of the enrolling force of the 
 House are not here. 
 
 Captain Briax. I should like very much to have ^Ir. ]McKenney, 
 Mr. Howe. 
 
20 PKINTINC; OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ]Mr. IIouxK. As a matter of fact, none of the trouble seems to exist 
 on this side of the huikling-. 
 
 Captain Bkian. I Avas goin<>" to ask if Mr. Home would not sa}' that 
 all of the large ap})ropriation bills are House bills* and that all of the 
 enrolling" is done by the House. 
 
 Mr. HoHNE. Yes; all House bills are engrossed in the House, of 
 course, and the api)ropriation bills are House measures. 
 
 Captain Brian. 1 will ask Mr. Home if he will not explain how the 
 enrolled copy is gotten up? What does the clerk have before him to 
 make that enrolled copy up for the printer? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. A House or a Senate bill? 
 
 Captain Brian. A House bill. 
 
 ]Mr. HoRNE. I never enrolled a House t)ill, but 1 presume 
 
 Captain Brian. He has first of all the desk copy '. 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. The desk copy to make his copy from. 
 
 Captain Brian. And the blueprint? 
 
 Mr. HoRNE. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. Which is the official copy? 
 
 ]Mr. Horne. No; he would not have the blueprint. Y"ou onl}- have 
 the blueprint after the bill passes. 
 
 Captain Brian. The enrolled copy is after the bill passes. 
 
 Mr. Horne. I thought you meant the engrossed copy. 
 
 Captain Brian. He tirst has the desk copy, and then he has the blue- 
 print? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. And the engrossed amendments of the Senate^ 
 
 Mr. Horne. Y'^es. 
 
 Captain Brian. And the conference report or two or three con- 
 ference reports, if there have been so man}' ? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Yes. As 1 stated, however, at the outset, I do not 
 know exactly how the enrolling clerk of the House would prepare 
 that bill. But rather than in the way you suggest I would presume 
 that he had the House bill print with the Senate amendments num- 
 bered — that copy. 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Horne. So that would obviate the necessity of his having to 
 paste in these various Senate amendments and he could just strike out, 
 probal)ly. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is what he uses for preparing the cop}' ? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. He also has the conference report? 
 
 Mr. Horne. He has the conference report. I do not think he 
 would use the blueprint as you suggested. 
 
 Captain Brian. Would he not have to use the bluepi'int, because 
 the conference report refers to lines and sections, and pages in the 
 blueprint '. 
 
 Mr. Horne. Y^es; yes, he would. 
 
 Captain Brian. He would have to use that to pick it out of? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Y"es. 
 
 Captain Brian. So that he is practically making up his report from 
 live different pieces of cop}' ? 
 
 Mr. Horne. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. You said a while ago that you had heard some com- 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 21 
 
 plaint.s {n)out oiirollod ])ills. as to the time it has taken the Printing 
 Office. Was that principally as to House bills;' 
 
 Mr. HoRXE. If you speak of the appropriation l)ills, of course they 
 were; but I never heard any complaint about the general routine 
 business down there, except upon Senate bills, if we heard any at all. 
 
 Captain Brian. You said there was some complaint about enrolled 
 bills coming- from the Printing Office on the last day. What I want to 
 ask is whether you have any means of knowing how long that cop3' 
 had been at the Printing Office, or whether it had reached there or not 
 when they were calling for it ( 
 
 Mr. Horne. I fiever said anj'thing about complaints of bills in the 
 last few days, I don't think. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is what I understood, that you said there had 
 been some complaint. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I did not understand it that wav, Captain Brian. 
 
 Captain Brian. Then I withdraw that. 
 
 ]Mr. HoRNE. You are under a misapprehension entirely. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I should like to ask a question of Mr. Victor L. Rick- 
 etts. clerk of the House Committee on Printing, who has had gxperi- 
 ence in printing. 
 
 STATEMENT OF VICTOR L. BICKETTS, CLERK OF THE HOUSE 
 COMMITTEE ON PRINTING. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. ]Mr. Ricketts. what is the practice in private printing 
 establishments in the matter of furnishing proofs Do they furnish 
 proof on request, or do the}' invariably furnish proof whether it is 
 requested or not ? 
 
 Mr. Ricketts. I would say that ever}- private printer in handling 
 matters of any importance whatever, if he were a prudent man. would 
 insist upon submitting proof to bis customer. He would insist on the 
 customer returning to his office what he would call an O. K.'d or 
 approved proof, which the printer would retain in his office for a 
 reasonable length of time at least for his own protection against any 
 charges of inaccuracy or negligence that might be made against him 
 or his office in the future from his customer. So 1 would say that the 
 private printer feels that where he has submitted proof and that proof 
 has been returned to him and errors are subsequently discovered in 
 the work the responsibility for such errors would be determined by 
 those finally approved proofs. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. I see. Mr. Horne. would you regard it as practical to 
 receive proof from the Printing Office on all bills that you send over, 
 or on all copy that vou send over!' 
 
 Mr. Horne. No, sir; I would not, for this reason — when you sa}' 
 "all."' that means all. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That means all. 
 
 Mr. Horne. It is often the case that a Senator will be verv much 
 interested in a ))ill. and he will come in and will want it to go to the 
 President that night for signature. Of course, we want to obviate 
 any delay, and that would necessarily result by sending the bill back 
 twice to be printed. So we do not require that a proof l)e sent here 
 in instances of that kind, but just the parchment copy. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then the errors to which 3'ou alluded are not so fre- 
 quent or momentous as to justify your receiving a proof in all cases? 
 
22 PKfNTrNO OF HILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ]Mi'. IIoHNK. Oh. no; 1 think not. 
 
 Mr. IIowK. The loss of time would be more serious thun the few 
 errors that you hii\e founds 
 
 Mr. MoiJNK. I think so. 
 
 Mr. IIowK. Well, 1 think that is all. Mr. Home. Do 3'ou wish to 
 ask Mr. Ilorne any (juestions. Ca|)tain Brians 
 
 Captain Brian. Nothing- more, sir. 
 
 STATEMENT OF CAPT. H. T. BRIAN, CHIEF CLERK GOVERNMENT 
 
 PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 ]Mr. MowK. Captain Brian. I would like to trace, so far as I can, 
 the handling- of these two measures by your Otiice. Are your records 
 in such shape that you can account for the time that was consumed in 
 the handling- of those measures by your Office — that is, the time the 
 copy reached you and when it left you^ 
 
 Captain Bkiax. ^^'e can tell about the last day with reference to 
 this enrolled bill and the engrossed copies. 
 
 ]Mr.^owE, There has not been any complaint particularly about 
 delay's anterior to that last day { 
 
 Captain Brian. You mean as to enrolled bills. Yes. sir: we can 
 tell that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What is your system over there;' Do you keep a time 
 record of the receipt of copy ( 
 
 Captain Brian. That is the intention. It is not always carried out. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was it carried out in this instance? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes; we know the minute this copy reached the 
 oliice and the minute it left us. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We would like to hear from you about that? 
 
 Captain Brian. Our record shows that the copy for this enrolled 
 bill was received at the Printing Otfice at 4 o'clock on the 80th of June. 
 
 Mr. Howe. To which l)ill do you idlude ? 
 
 Captain Brian. The public buildings l)ill. H. K. 20110. 
 
 My. Howe. How al)out the other bill? Well, let us stick to our 
 text and follow this bill through. 
 
 Captain Brian. The co[)y for bill H. K. 20410 was received at the 
 Government Pi-intingOthce at 4 o'clock on Saturday. June 30, and the 
 printed copy of the enrolled bill was delivered at the Capitol at 5.85. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How voluminous was this bill? 
 
 Captain Brian. Twenty pages. 
 
 jNIr. Howe. Did it have mtmy amendments? 
 
 Ca])tain Brian. Yes; there wei'e something like 165 amendments. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The Congressional Record of Satui'day. June 80, 11)06, 
 shows that the Senate convened at 10 o'clock a. m. 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And that there v\'ere something like nine recesses taken 
 awaiting the receipt of this tinal print? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. Mr. Howe, you will tind in the proceed- 
 ings, shortly after the assembling- at 10 o'clock 
 
 Mr. Howe. In the case of this bill, did you follow the |jractice that 
 has been suggested, of anticipating the adoption of amendments? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir; everything had been anticipated. 
 
 Mr. Hoave. So that when you received the tinal copy it was a mere 
 matter— — 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 23 
 
 Ciiptain Brian. Of puttiny- the aincndments in unci re;idiiii4' the 
 proof. 1 coninionced to say, Mr. IIowo, that shorth' after the Senate 
 asscMiibled on Saturda}', fJune HO, Senator Scott asked the Senate to 
 have patience, and said that he wished to state tliat as soon as the 
 report could he written up bv the cUm-Us ""the conferees on the public 
 buildings bill have agreed 0!i a report, which will l)e presented.'' 
 
 Mr. HowK. Tiiat was about what time!* 
 
 Ca])tain Biuax. That was shortly after the Senate assembled, at 10 
 o'clock in the morning. I simply want to show that the Senate was 
 impatient for the printed copy that early in the day, l)efoie the con- 
 ference report had even been written, 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is there anything that shows when that conference 
 report was finally submitted^ 
 
 ('aptain Brian. 1 do not know that there is, but you will find that 
 at 12.08 o'clock Senator Warren said: "Mr. President, on the other 
 side the public buildings bill is yet under consideration, the conference 
 report not having been made." That was at 12.3s o'clock. At 1.10 
 o'clock Mr. Scott announced that he was expecting every minute the 
 public buildings bill from the House, and he said: '■' 1 believe that is 
 what is delaying the House.'' About 1.30 o'clock it appears that the 
 conference report was submitted in the Senate 
 
 Mr. Howe. About 1.30? 
 
 Captain Bkian. After 1.30. It was after reassembling, after the 
 recess, at 1.30. The conuiiittee on conference submitted their report 
 to the Senate. It was agreed to in the Senate just before the recess 
 at 1.55. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And then the Senate took a recess until 5 o'clock. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Hale made the announcement at 1.55 that "in- 
 formation has come from the House of Representatives that the bills 
 in the course of enrollment can not be completed before half past 5 or 
 6 o'clock." 
 
 Mr. Howe. And it was then, presumably, in the enrolling office of 
 the House? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr, Howe. The conference report having been adopted in the 
 House 'I 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. At 2 o'clock, Mr. Howe, we received this 
 note from the enrolling clerk of the House: "Will have copy for 
 public buildings bill soon. The conferees have agreed." 
 
 Mr. Howe. That was at 2 o'clock '( 
 
 Captain Brian. At 2 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe, When did j^ou say 3'ou received the copy I 
 
 Captain Brian. At 4 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. How^E, And you returned the bill at 5.10, was it? 
 
 Captain Brian. 5.35, sir. 
 
 Mr. How^E. That is to say, the bill reached the Capitol at 5.35? 
 
 Captain Brian. It left our Office at 5.35. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And it rested in your place from 4 o'clock - 
 
 ('aptain Brian. From 4 o'clock until 5.35. 
 
 Mr. How^E. That is an hour and thirt^^-tive minutes. 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This copy goes down from the Capitol in what way ^ 
 
 Captain Brian. It is sent by our messenger. 
 
24 PRINTING OF KILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ]\Ir. lIowK. Is it sent by a Capitol messenger or a Printing- Office 
 messenger^ 
 
 Captaiii Brian. A Printing Office messenger. As a general thing 
 everybody uses our messengers. Tliey find them better than other 
 })eoi)le's. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howp:. They do not stop on the way and play bair^ 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir. We put our niessengers up against the 
 world, and they make a record of coming from the Capitol to the 
 I'rinting Office in five or six minutes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. They use bic3'cles? 
 
 Captain Brian. The}^ use bicycles, and they take a pride in their 
 work. Each one tries to see how much quicker he can come than the 
 other fellow. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is your messenger here who carried this copy that 
 reached your hands at 4 o'clock? 
 
 Captain Brian. Our messenger is here, Mr. Howe; but the copy 
 comes down from the Capitol sealed up, and the messenger, nine times 
 out of ten, does not know" what he is bringing. All he knows is that 
 he is bringing a hurried job. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was there frequent transmission of copy between the 
 Printing Office and the Capitol on that day? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir; they were running all the time. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Then this messenger could not identifv that particular 
 job? 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not think he could. 
 
 Mr. HoW'E. Unfortunatel}" we have not any testimon}'' from the 
 House enrolling force showing when they delivered the cop}^ to your 
 messenger. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, is there not some waj^ to get a state- 
 ment from Mr. McKenne}'? We would be delighted to have such a 
 statement, and we do not think this investigation can be complete 
 unless we do get a statement from Mr. McKenney. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have j^'ou had any conversations, or has anyone in your 
 office, had. any conversations with Mr. McKenney, the enrolling clerk 
 of the House, on this subject? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir; I had a conversation with Mr. McKenney. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What was the trend of his remarks? 
 
 Captain Brian. I had a conversation with Mr. McKenney, and I 
 asked Mr. McKenney to go to the Public Printing Office and repeat in 
 the presence of the Public Printer and Mr. Young and Mr. Morgan 
 what he had said to me. May I say now what Mr. McKenney saidi 
 
 Mr. Howe. I should be pleased to hear what he said. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. McKenney said that the Printing Office had 
 been prompt as usual; that in the ten years that he had been enrolling 
 clerk he had never had any fault to find or complaint to make of the 
 Printing Office, and that the service this 3"ear was better than ever. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did he say anything 
 
 Captain Brian. Let me sa}' one or two more words. He spoke of 
 the people who were handling the copy. He said he was under obli- 
 gations to them, that they did their work intelligently and well; and 
 he also said that he wanted to include the messengers- -that they Avere 
 the best set of messengers he ever came in contact with. That is, in 
 substance, what Mr. McKenney said, only he said it in a good deal 
 stronger lano'uaoe than 1 have p'iven it to vou. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND .JOINT KKSOLUTIONS. 25 
 
 ]Mr. HowK. This conversution followed the criticism that was made 
 in the Senate? 
 
 Captain Bhiax. Yes; this conversation was held last Sunday morn- 
 ing about 11 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did he make any specific allusions to the criticism 
 reo-arding- these two measures il 
 
 Captain Bkiax. Yes; he said there was no call for it, in his opinion. 
 
 ]\lr. Howe. That is, as it related to the Printing Office? 
 
 Captain Bhiax. As it related to the Printing Office; yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did he speak of any delay that occurred in the enroll- 
 ing room of the House? 
 
 Captain Brian. No. He said he did everything possible for a man 
 to do. He worked — 1 do not know how man}^ hours — M or 48 hours 
 without resting. 1 forget the number of hours that he said he him- 
 self had worked without rest or sleep. Mr. McKenney also made the 
 statement that he had made it plain that the condition of the work was 
 such that Congress could not adjourn until 10 o'clock that night. 
 
 Mr. How^E. To whom did he make it plain? 
 
 Cai)tain Brian. I think to the officers of the House, pevhaps the 
 Clerk of the House — some one who was inquiring about the condition 
 of his work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The inference is that the major part of this delay, then, 
 occurred in the House enrolling office. 
 
 Captain I^riax. Mr. McKenney said there was no delay, Mr. Howe. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I mean — perhaps I should not have used the term 
 delay 
 
 Captain Brian. That there was no delay either in his office or in 
 the Printing Office; that everything was done just as promptly as it 
 could be done. But it takes time, and you can not make up the copy 
 for a l)ill in a few minutes. There was a bill that made fortj'-seven 
 pages that he had to make up from five different pieces of copy, and 
 it takes time to do it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Does he write that cop}^ by hand or type write it, or 
 does he cut and paste ( 
 
 Captain Brian. No; he takes one of these printed copies and puts 
 the amendments in anf cuts out what is not to remain in it; but he 
 has to compare this after he gets through with the official copy — with 
 the Senate amendments and with the conference report. In this case 
 I think there were two conference reports, at least two, and I do not 
 know how many more. 
 
 Mr. Horne. Yes; two. 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes: I know there were two conference reports. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Instead of referring, then, to delay in the House enroll- 
 ing room, perhaps I should say it appears the l^ulk of the time was 
 consumed in the House enrolling room? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes; that is right. That is, between 2 o'clock, 
 when he said he expected that copy, and 4 o'clock. That was con- 
 sumed in the House enrolling room. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, this hour and thirty five minutes that you had the 
 bill — is that an unusual length of time to be consumed in the returning 
 of printed matter from the Printing Office? 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir; it could not be done an}^ quicker than that; 
 everyljod}^ was on the lookout and giving strict attention to the Con- 
 gressional work. 
 
26 PKINTIN(i OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS, 
 
 Mr. Howe. I would like to ask you about the personnel of the bill 
 force of your otiioe. The general impression has been, during- the 
 past eight or nine years that I have been connected with the Capitol, 
 that you had a very etticient bill force in the Printing Office, and the 
 impression has gotten al)()ut in some way or another that that foree 
 has been reorganizetl and the persoiuiel considerably changed. Is 
 that true^ 
 
 Captain Bhiax. No, sir. I want to make that very emphatic, that 
 that force has not been changed. That force is the same, except for 
 deaths and resignations, that it has been for the last eight or nine years. 
 i\lr. Young, here, the foreman of printing, has had chai-ge of the bill 
 force for certainly thirteen or fourteen years. 
 
 Mr. Young. Since 1891. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Morgan has had immediate charge, that is, 
 doing the work with his two hands and seeing that others do the work, 
 for the last four or five years. Before that he was what you might 
 call an understudy of a very efficient man who died. We could not 
 keep him any longer. And it is the same with the proof readers. 
 ^Ir. Kelly, there, is the same pressman that has been at work on these 
 parchment bills ever since we have })een printing on parchment, and 
 if anybody can do it any better than he can they are welcome to his 
 job. I have seen him — well, J will not tell you about it. He has run 
 the presses better and faster than I ever saw anybody else do it; and 
 I want to say the same for the whole force. There have been no 
 changes in the Printing Office under Mr. Stillings's administration, 
 except those that occur from death, resignation, and a few from 
 unavoidable causes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then there are not many new men on the bill force!' 
 
 Captain Brian. There are not many new men on the bill force. I 
 will say this, Mr. Howe, and 1 want to make this plain, there is not 
 anyone on the bill foi'ce, who has charge of anything, who is new. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You have not noticed any disposition on the part of 
 that force to shirk their work this year, as compared with previous 
 years? 
 
 Captain Brian. No. On the contrary, they are both quick and effi- 
 cient. I thinlc I know something about bill printing. 1 have been 
 connected with the Printing Office perhaps longer than any of you can* 
 remember. I had charge of the bills thirty years ago myself, and I 
 have been in touch with it ever since as foreman of printing and chief 
 clerk, and I know just exacth' what time it takes to print a bill, and I 
 know when you may expect it and when to be on the lookout. Mr. 
 Y'oung and Mr. Morgan are just as efficient men as you covdd find in 
 the country. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How many men are there now on the l)ill force, Captain 
 Brian ? 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Young has the list there. The ]>ill force 
 depends, Mr. Howe, on the amount of copy. We have a large and 
 efficient bill force that works on bills when bill copy is in. When 
 bill copy is not there they have something else. 
 
 Mr. Young. There are 192 people. 
 
 Captain Brian. There are 192 people. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The presumption is that during the closing days of 
 Congress there is more bill copy than at any other time, and I pre- 
 sume the force would reach its maximum at that time. 
 
PRINTING OF KILLS AND JOINT ^KESOLUTIONS. 
 
 27 
 
 Cuptiiin Brian. There ure 11*2 people. 
 
 Mr. Young. That is, not incliuliiig proof readers aiul copy holders, 
 in t'aet all the proof room, nor the press room downstairs. That is 
 merely the hill force proper, taking' in the composing- room. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is that hand or maehin(> composition^ 
 
 Mr. YouN(j. It is all hand i-omposition. 
 
 Captain Brian. May 1 introduce rioht here at this point 
 
 Mr. lIowE. 1 would like to ask you if you have anythiny- that siiow.s 
 the volume of work that your office has turned out this sessiori as com- 
 pared with previous sessions? 
 
 Captain Brian, f have a little statement here that we prepared, when 
 we found we had to come up here, of the bills — and when I say bills I 
 mean concurrent resolutions and joint resolutions. That statement 
 shows that in this tirst session of the Fifty tiinth Congress there were 
 2S,L^;36 bills as against 27,*.H);-*) for the three sessions of the Fifty-eighth 
 Congress. Of reported, referred, and engrossed bills, there were 
 21,48ji in this session as against 17,()6() in the three sessions of the 
 Fifty-eighth Congress. Of enrolled bills, there were -f.25.S in this ses- 
 sion as against 4:,18!> in the three sessions of the Fifty-eighth Congress. 
 Of laws, there were 4,U43 in this session as against 4,181) in the three 
 sessions of the Fifty-eighth Congress. Of House and Senate reports,' 
 there were 9.522 this session as against 9.3t»6 for the three sessions of 
 the Fifty-eighth Congress. Of the daily Kecord, including the index, 
 there were 1.5.980 pages this session as against 13,7<I5 pages for the 
 three sessions of the Fiftv-eighth Congress. 
 
 I 'niniKii-dtire M'lttmciit — Bills, resolnlions, laics, reporls, and (lailij Record, FiJh/-el(/lilJi and 
 
 Fijhj-n Intli Congresses. 
 
 Seiifitt' concurrenl resolutions 
 
 ,. Senate resolntions 
 
 i^ Senate joint res()hitif)ns 
 
 Senate bills 
 
 Honse eon current resolutions 
 
 House resolutions 
 
 House joint resolutions 
 
 House l)ills 
 
 Reported, referred, an<l engrossed bills 
 Enrolled bills 
 
 Total bills 
 
 Laws 
 
 f. Reports (Senate and Honse) 
 
 Daily Record, including indexes, pages 
 
 
 Fifty-ninth 
 
 Congress, 
 tir-t session. 
 
 Fifty-eighth 
 
 Congress. 
 
 t!rst. second. 
 
 and third 
 
 se.ssions. 
 
 
 85 
 
 177 
 
 87 
 
 fi. 55(i 
 
 43 
 
 031 
 
 1S9 
 
 20,518 
 
 
 112 
 
 
 308 
 
 
 115 
 
 
 7, 295 
 
 
 83 
 
 
 550 
 
 
 231 
 
 
 19,209 
 
 
 
 
 28, 236 
 21,482 
 4,2.58 
 
 
 27, 903 
 17, (')(■)« 
 
 
 4.139 
 
 
 
 
 53, 970 
 
 
 49, 708 
 
 
 
 
 4,043 
 
 
 4,039 
 
 
 
 
 9, 522 
 
 
 9, 300 
 
 
 
 13. 705 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then this session has justly earned the title of a strenu- 
 ous session ( 
 
 Cai)tain Brian. That is right, sir; and we claim that we have done 
 everything re([uired of the Printing Office on time and at the proper 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you anything to show to whom this enrollfKl bill 
 was delivered when it came from your office at 5.85 to the Ca])itoH 
 
 (Captain iirian produced a paper and handed it to Mr. Howe.) 
 
28 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This is sigMicd bv W. J. Brownino-. Chief Clerk of the 
 House. 
 
 Captiiin Brian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It says, " Parchment copy of H. K. ^041(>." That is the 
 pu})lic l)uiUlint)fs bill ^ 
 
 Captiiin Brian. Yes. sir. 
 
 Mr. YorxG. Mr. Howe, can I sa^' a word? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
 Mr. Young. That, you must remember, is what we vii'tually con- 
 sider proof. They were parchment copies, that is true, but it is too 
 important a bill to pass through and print, taking- it for granted that 
 it is O. K., without considering it as proof. That proof was read in 
 the House and returned M' the enrolling clerk as fast as he found a 
 sheet that had to be reprinted. The hrst page of that was received by 
 our othce at 6.10. Of course when I say it was read in the House 1 
 mean it was read b}' the enrolling clerk of the House. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. I do not quite understand. Is this matter that Mr. 
 Browning has receipted for, which left 3"our otiice at .5.35, proof? 
 
 Captain Brian. No; that was the parchment copy of the bill. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. The final copy? 
 
 Captain Brian. That was the final copy of the l)ill. 
 
 Mv. HoAVE. Then what is this matter 
 
 Captain Brian. Wait a moment. Then, as in the case Mr. Home 
 referred to, the enrolling clerk found a change which he wanted made 
 in some pages — corrections. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Oh; were those corrections of errors in his cop}' to 
 you? 
 
 Captain Brian. Those were corrections in his copy that he sent 
 back. He read that over, as they do all bills, and he found some cor- 
 rections or changes that he wanted to make in it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The point I want to elucidate is this: It is apparent 
 that these corrections or changes operated to delay the completion of 
 the work. YVere those errors Printing Offiee errors or were they 
 errors originating up here? 
 
 Captain Brian. These omissions and mistakes necessitated the 
 reprinting of nine pages, the first of which were received fronr the 
 Capitol at <) o'clock and 16 minutes and the last one was returned at 
 the Capitol at T o'clock and 37 minutes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The last one was /eturned to the Capitol then ? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. They came bj" separate pages, and were 
 returned by separate pages. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, what was ni}' question, Mr. Reporter ( 
 
 The reporter read the question as follows: 
 
 •* ]Mr. Howe. \Vere those errors Printing Ofiice errors, or were they 
 errors originating up here?'' 
 
 Captain Brian. On the Hrst two pages there were some errors of 
 the Printing Office as well as errors of the Capitol. The errors on the 
 other pages were errors made at the Capitol, as we understand it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There were two pages on which 
 
 Captain Brian. Page 15 had one error on the Office — pages 1, 2, 
 and 15. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. There were three pages containing Printing Office errors 
 and how many pages containing Capitol errors' 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT KP:80LUTI()NS. 29 
 
 Captain Hhiax. The.se three pages hud Capitol errors on them 
 besides, had they not^ 
 
 Mr. Youn(t, Page "2. 
 
 Captain Hiiian. Page 2. Page 15 only had the one error, but page 
 2 also had a Ca])itol error. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then there were seven pages containing Capitol errors^ 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir; and two Printing Office errors. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Two pages contained Printing Office errors^ 
 
 Captain Bkiax. Yes. sii-. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Tell me about these errors. Is it your experience that 
 this particular measure is anomalous; is it unusual? AVei-e there more 
 errors in this than there usually are in bills in the closing days of 
 Congress ( 
 
 Captain Brian. No; I think not. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The work was, generally speaking, ordinarily good 
 work i 
 
 Captain Brian. The work was ordinaril\' good work. One man on 
 it perhaps did not do as good work as he was accustomed to do. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It might be due to anv cause — the heat, or somethinp- 
 else ( 
 
 Captain Brian. There are any number of causes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Young, we will get back to what you were saying. 
 
 ]Mr. Young. AVell. I want to say that our last page that was cor- 
 rected in the Office was returned to the House at T.3T, and that page 
 4 was sent down a second time on account of some marks that had 
 been made in the first proof that was sent down, and which were not 
 understood b\' the printer. I called up Mr. McKenne}" over the tele- 
 phone and asked him whether the word "court-house" should be 
 inserted in eveiy one of live lines. They told me over the telephone 
 that it should be. I read the lines myself, so as to make sure there 
 would be no mistake about the five lines, and they were corrected 
 accordingly and the revised page delivered. That page 4 carme down 
 the second time with three of those items knocked out — not items, but 
 the word "court-house" was knocked out. That was the final print, 
 and that staved in the Office just eight minutes. It came to the Office 
 at 8.52 and left there at 9 o'clock sharp. That was the final page that 
 we had on that bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Generally speaking, what was the condition of the copy 
 as it came in to 3'our office ? 
 
 Mr. Young. Well, the copy has been about the same this year that 
 it always has been. I have never seen much difference. The onh^ 
 difi'erence is that there is a greater quantit3^ 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you often resort to the telephone to elucidate 
 obscure items in the copy i 
 
 Mr; Y^ouNG. Well, no; because as a general thing on an important 
 bill like "that they receive proofs. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The only reason the}" did not receive proofs in this case 
 being that the tension was so great and the hour so late? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. That is it. It would have taken just that much longer to 
 do the work. In other words, of the pages that were printed, there 
 were eleven pages that did not have to be returned to the Printing 
 Office at all. Thev did not have to go on the press, and it just meant 
 that much time saved. 
 
'60 PRINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. llowi:. 'ITjiit is. by iuiticii)ati()n ^ 
 
 .Mr. YoiNc;. Vos. sii-. 1 will state rioht now that as far as the bill 
 work is conceriKHl, I have ))een coniu'ctecl with it since about 1S*>1. 
 The Printiiiij: Office has studied all the ditlerent points in t)ill work, and 
 we have done everything- we possibl}" could do to anticipate work. 
 We have even gone so far as to take the ))ills with the numbered 
 aiuendnients, arid have had them entirel}' ready so that when the ofticial 
 copy came down all we had to do was to send it to the proof room and 
 have it read by that copy, in other words, we do the same work that 
 is done up here at the Capitol. If we did not it would take hours to do 
 the work that we are doing- now in a very short time. It is not only in 
 that case. l)ut we will take, for instance, an enrolled l)ill. The printed 
 ])ill has been printed with its numbered amendments and we iunnedi- 
 ixtvly start to enroll it. We run it over. We never wait for the official 
 copy. We run it over, and then have it read by the official copj'. 
 When there are large items we set up both the stricken out matter and 
 the italics, so as not to be caught at the last moment with about one or 
 two takes retarding the progress of the whole hill. That has fre- 
 cpiently l)een done, ^^'here one whole page has l)een stricken out and 
 another whole page put in, in italics, we would set both of those pages 
 in parag-j-aphs to facilitate getting- the work out for Congress. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In other words, you simre no etl'ort or expense to expe- 
 dite this purely Congressional work^ 
 
 Mr. Young. That is right. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You never allow the general work of the Office to 
 encroach upon the force to an extent that would delay Congressional 
 work ^ 
 
 Mr. Youn(t. No, sir. Thu Congressional work gets the ])reference 
 over everything that comes into that Office. 
 
 Captain Brian. And everything stops for bills, Mr. Howe. 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes. sir; the appropriation l)ills have the right of way. 
 Then, take the supply l)ills. A supply l)ill in the House, for instance, 
 has the right of way. Certainly, the man in charge has to use his 
 good judgment. If he was only capable of running one jol) at a time 
 in a great big office of that kind he would not be of much account: 
 but, as 1 have said, the supply bills have precedence over all others. 
 Naturally, all the other important ])ills are taken up then in their 
 order. Reported bills are taken before new bills are. The fact of 
 the matter is that we have handled bills for so many years that we 
 know very nearly what may be called for first without anything l)eing 
 said. You take the appropriation bills, for instance, and give them 
 the preference. Then you t-ake the reported bills and run them out 
 next; you take the public bills and run them out next, and you run 
 the private bills last, which, in the general run, seems to satisfy the 
 Senate and House most. If we took the private pension bills, for 
 instance, and set them up first and let the appropriation bills go to the 
 last, 1 think we would have war on our hands nearly every morning. 
 
 ]Mr. Howp]. Very likely. Merely as a matter of information, Mr. 
 Young, you say this bill printing is all hand composition^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Y'es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Machine composition is not feasil)le? 
 
 j\Ir. YouN(;. Machine composition has not been tried. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It has never been tried;' 
 
rRlNTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 31 
 
 Mr. YouN(j. I am not prei)ared to say whether it is feasible or not. 
 I do not see any reason in the world why it should not !)(> feasible, 
 prol)ably. until it could be oiv(>ii a fair trial. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Of eoiirse you woidd not try it durino- a session of 
 Congress ? 
 
 Mr. YouNCJ. Not during ji session of Congress. That would be a 
 very bad time to make any trial. In the iirst place, to make a trial 
 you would have to be prepared with matrices to do the work. We 
 have the machines, but we have not the matrices to do the work. It 
 would take ll-point type, and we haven't got it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you experience much ditiiculty in dealing with the 
 co])y that the House and Senate send to you^ 
 
 Mr. YouNo. Sometimes. Sometimes it is very bad, l)iit just as Cap- 
 tain Brian told you a while ago, the people that are working on bills 
 now have worked on bills for years. There are a great many liberties 
 taken on bills 
 
 Mr. Howe. What do you mean by liberties^ 
 
 Mr. YouNO. 1 mean tliat we do not give you copy on the first print 
 of a good many bills. H' we did. I don't know what some of them 
 would read like. 
 
 Captain Brian. That does not refer to any appropriation bills? 
 
 Mr. Youxc. Xo;"nothing excepting, for instance, private pension 
 bills, where a man will take one prfnted copy and try to doctor it foi' 
 another man's bill, and he will merely take the name and scratch it out 
 and forget all about the rest of it. In that case it has got to be doc- 
 tored and the proof sent out and O. K.'d, and. as a general thing, it is 
 all right. 
 
 Captain Bkian. Mr. Young, in the case of a bill coming from a 
 committee, what is the practice as to following copy? 
 
 ^Ir. Young. We follow it literally. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mistakes and everything else? 
 
 Mr. You NO. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. And in the case of a bill coming from a committee 
 after having passed one house, is that followed literally ? 
 
 Mr. Young. All reported bills are followed literally. We make no 
 changes. 
 
 Captain Brian. The copy must be followed, I'ight or wrong? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes.' 
 
 ^Slr. Howe. Do you not follow all copy literally? 
 
 Mr. Young. Except in such instances as I have just stated. If, for 
 instance, a man had a small pension bill, and the party that made up 
 the l)ill. whether the clerk, the Congressman, or the Senator, had taken 
 an old bill and tried to lit it to a new partv, and when 3'ou got down 
 into it a little bit deeper you found it was ridiculous 
 
 ]Mr, Howe. You would then use your judgment? 
 
 ]Mi-. Young. A\"e would use our judgment and make the changes 
 and send out the proof. 
 
 Captain Brian. That would be a bill something like this, Mr. Young, 
 would it not? "'A billfor the i)ension, or for the relief, of John Smith, 
 a member of the Sixty-ninth New York. Company D," and then in the 
 body of the l)ill they strike out William Brown and put ,Iohn Smith 
 in and let it I'ead ''Mem))er of Company B, Twenty-first Indiana?" 
 
 Mr. Y^'ouNG. That is just the point 1 wanted to make — the very point. 
 
82 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ]Mr, Howe. Mr. Youno-. I would like to ask you just a question 
 about the eciuipment of your Office or the al)ility of your Office to do 
 quick work. Take, for instance, any l)ulky 1)111 — an appropriation bill 
 of, say. 100 pag^es. 
 
 Mr. YouNo. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. From clean, clear copy — supposing- that you could get 
 clean, clear copv — how long- would it take your Office to set that up 
 and deliver it to the Housed 
 
 Mr. Youxo. AVithout anything- else in the road at all^ 
 
 Mr. Howe. Y^es. 
 
 jSIr. YouxG. Let me see. I would have to do probably a little bit 
 of figuring- on that. 1 could not give an ofthand answer. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I mean approximately. 
 
 Mr. Y^ouNG. I would say a man would set probably about S(»0 an 
 hour or 1,000 an hour on bills. You ask how long- it would take the 
 Office to g-et that out^ 
 
 Mr. Howe. How long- would it take the Office to g-et that out? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. If I had to do the job I would want about three and a 
 half to four hours as an offhand estimate. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, if you will give me a bill making- 100 
 pages that can l)e divided up into takes of reasonable size, I will guar- 
 antee to have that bill printed and delivered to the Capitol in two 
 hours. 
 
 Mr. Young. Mr. Howe was speaking- of appropriation bills, in 
 which you are likely to strike almost any kind of items. 
 
 Captain Brian. Of course, I am talking- about a straight bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Take a bill like that Alaskan code, for instance. 
 
 Captain Brian. As I remember the Alaskan code bill, there were a 
 good many long paragraphs in it. 
 
 Mr. Hoave. It was a bill of something like 600 pages. 
 
 Captain Brian. I know it very well. I worked on it, and there 
 were a great many long paragraphs in it that could not be divided. 
 
 Mr. ITowE. Would the time be determined l)y the time necessary 
 for one man to set the longest paragi-aph { 
 
 Captain Brian. Y"es, practically. In the early part of the work you 
 could not go ahead with your make-up until the man got through. 
 We give the matter out down there in small takes, and we can go right 
 ahead until we strike the make-up, and then we have to wait until 
 we get that long take in. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Of course you always arrange this work in takes? 
 
 Captain Brian. Always in takes, and short takes. 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. I would like to state one thing right there, and that is 
 that when reprint copy comes to the office, if it is a bill that had been 
 introduced probably the previous year, or two or three years before, 
 and only one copj^ is sent down, we have both sides of the copy to 
 deal with, and a^ou virtually have to give a man two takes instead of 
 one. It all depends entirel}' upon the class of copy you receive as to 
 how long it will take. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is why I asked you about the condition of the 
 copy you receive from the Capitol. Of course, during the progress 
 of the recent investigation conducted l)y the Joint Committee on 
 Printing, it was made apparent that your Office was hampered fre 
 quently \)\ receiving ver}" bad copy from some of the Departments ? 
 
PRINTING OB^ BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 38 
 
 Mr. YouN(i. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And I wondered whether that criticism could be made 
 as to the cop^^ coming- from the Capitol. 
 
 Mr. Youxc. Only partially. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask a question^ The copy that comes from 
 the enrolling clerks is particularl}" good copy, is it not^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. That cop}?' is as good as that which comes from 
 Members, is it not? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. I mean the cop}^ coming from the enrolling clerks 
 of the Housed 
 
 Mr. Young. It is generally in very good condition. 
 
 ^^'e have the corrected proof, that is, corrected after the anticipated 
 proof is sent to the enrolling office, and they tinally put in their cor- 
 rections. We may have, for instance, two or three galle3'S, with 20 
 or 30 amendments. Those 20 or 30 amendments ma}' be increased, by 
 the time we g"et that proof, to 40 or 45 amendments. Those amend- 
 ments are pasted and written in on the margins and interlined, and 
 sometimes it is next to impossible to cut it, to give it in small takes to 
 the compositors. As a natural consequence, if you have a galley that 
 you might probably correct, if you could cut it small enough, in a very 
 few minutes, it might take you three-quarters of an hour or a full 
 hour to do the same work if 3'ou could not cut it. 
 
 Mr. HowK. What would you gentlemen think of the feasibility of 
 detailing a competent man from your Office to the enrolling offices of 
 the Senate and House during the closing days of Congress, to assist 
 particularl}' in the preparation of cop3^, with a view to enal)Hng 3'our 
 Office to handle it expeditiously? 
 
 Captain Brian. I want to answer that. Mr. Piatt, the enrolling- 
 clerk of the Senate, is an old graduate of our office. He knows what 
 is re(|uired, and I do not tliink he needs an}' body to instruct him or to 
 teach him or to help him. His assistants are equally capable. Mr, 
 McKenney, over on the House side, has been there ten years, and I 
 know he is able and competent. I have never found any difficulty 
 with him. I have been up here and stayed with them ])oth, Mr. Piatt 
 and Mr. McKenney, all night, before now. I have waited with them 
 for cop3' or something to turn up. I think what they do want, 
 particularly on the House side, is more enrolling clei'ks. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yet Mr. Young says that frequenth' copy comes over 
 there so interlined and so patched that it is difficult to distribute it in 
 takes, and I thought very likely if a man familiar with your processes 
 over there were to assist in compiling this copy it would facilitate \'our 
 work. 
 
 Captain Brian. That comes from this cause, Mr, Howe: Take a 
 page of copy that the Senate or House has put a great many amend- 
 ments on, one following right close on after the other. The clerks 
 have got to put them in that sequence in the copy. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I merely asked, to determine if possible, whether an}^ 
 improvements in the methods could be efiected. 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not know that there is anything- that could be 
 supplied up here. -Mr. Young has been up here. I have been up here 
 with Mr. Young frequentl}^ going over copy with the enrolling clerks 
 
 3 
 
34 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 in ])()th Houses. ]Mr. Piatt, as 1 said Ix^fore, knows what is required. 
 He formulated the rules for the printing- of enrolled bills, and one 
 paragi'aph reads ''that this copy shall be prepared so as to be easily 
 disscH'ted." 
 
 Mr. HowK. I would like to ask 3'ou another question. Captain 
 Brian. There have l)een before the Senate and House Connuittees on 
 Printing' several times propositions looking' to the installation of a 
 pneumatic-tube service between the Gapitol and the Government 
 Printing' Otiice. Would you consider that of advantage to your ottice, 
 or rather would you consider tliat the establishment of a tube service 
 would facilitate the work and enable 3'ou to handle it more expedi- 
 tiously than at present? 
 
 Captain Brian. The only thing would be the tiiue l)etween here and 
 the oliice. If the copy could get there instantaneously we would be 
 that much ahead. 
 
 Mr. Young. It would undoul)tedl3^ be a saving of time, approxi- 
 mately a quarter of an hour going and coming. 
 
 Mr. Howe. A quarter of an hour on a very hot night is quite im- 
 portant. 
 
 Captain Brian. Our young men have gone up to the Capitol very 
 cpiickly. We have started a messenger and have then telephoned that 
 the messenger had started, and asked them to let us know when he g'ot 
 to the Capitol, and almost before we could get away from the telephone 
 word Avould be received that the messenger had arrived. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, gentlemen, it is getting late, and Saturday is a 
 short day. Mr. Stillings is not here 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, before you close I want to ask Mr. 
 Young one or two questions. Mr. Young has stated that he had had 
 charge of the bills for a number of 3'ears, which we all know. I want 
 to ask him if the force was as ethcient in the last session as it has been 
 in previous sessions? 
 
 ^[r. Y'ouNG. l^es, sir. And furthermore I think the ethciency of 
 that force has been improved from year to year. That statement is 
 easily understood. If you use the same compositors on the same 
 work they are bound to become more efhcient, and I think our force 
 there to-day is as efficient, and more so, than it ever was before. 
 
 Mv. Howe. You have called attention to the great volume of work 
 handled in the Office during this session as compared with the volume 
 of work in the three previous sessions of Congress. 
 
 Mr. Young. Y"es, sir. I have a statement right here. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You handled that volume of work with practically the 
 same force, or with a larger force? 
 
 Mr. Young. We handled it with just seven men less, according to 
 my slip.- We might var^- proba1)ly tw^o or three men from the begin- 
 ning to the end of the session, but the line up of the session shows just 
 seven men less than it did a year ago. 
 
 Captain Brian. I believe 3'ou said that it has been the practice of 
 the Office to keep the same men where thev showed themselves com- 
 petent for the work? ■ 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir; principally those people who have important 
 positions. 
 
 Captain Brian. And that has been the practice for the past session i 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir; it has been. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTIOIJS. 35 
 
 Captain Brian. Will you state whether these men having charg-e of 
 this work are the same men that have had eharge of it for the past 
 number of years? 
 
 Mr. YoLTJUi. Yes, sir; they are. I ean name them. 
 
 Captain Brian. And that has been the praetiee all throuoh the Office, 
 wherever a man has been proved competent he has been kept in that 
 position without hindrance or interference; is that so or not? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir; it is. 
 
 C'aptain Brian. The practice of the present Fu])lic Printer is not to 
 make a change where a man is competent and attends to his business. 
 Is that as >'ou understand it? 
 
 JNlr. Young. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Howe, we hope you will conmiunicate with Mr. 
 McKenney. 
 
 Mr. IIowK. I was about to remark that I will endeavor to reach Mr. 
 McKeimey and get from him a tirst-handed expression on this subject. 
 The resolution under which the Committee on Printing is proceeding 
 does not empower the conmiittee to sumnion witnesses, but 1 have no 
 doubt Mr. McKenney would be very glad to express himself to the 
 connuittee. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask if the committee could not ask Mr. 
 McKenney to send a telegram at the expense of the conmiittee? 
 
 Mr. Howe. AVell, I think a more full expression from Mr. McKen- 
 ney would be desirable. I have not ([uestioned 3^ou gentlemen about 
 that other bill, but as it is getting late 
 
 Captain Brian. Which other bill is that? 
 
 Mr. Howe. I mean the deticiency bill that appropriated money lo 
 carry out the provisions of the 
 
 Captain Brian. You do not mean the general deticiency bill? 
 
 Mr. Howe. No. 
 
 Captain Brian. It is H. R. 20511. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was there not an urgent deficiency bill 
 
 Captain Brian. There was a l)ill in connection Avith this appropri- 
 ating some money, but we have never understood that there was any- 
 thing the matter with that liill or that there was any complaint about it. 
 
 Mr. Young. The general deticiency bill has been brought into con- 
 troversy. 
 
 Mr. W. A. Smith. There was a deticiency bill that carried an appro- 
 priation for the public buildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the bill 1 mean. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is H. R. 20511. 
 
 Mr. Young. We never understood that there was anything said 
 about that, Mr. Howe. We supposed all the time that it was the 
 general deticiency bill. 
 
 Mr. ^V. A. Smith. Then there was a resolution to correct an error 
 that occuri'ed in the sundry civil bill. 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Referring to the Congressional Record containing the 
 criticism leading to this investigation the statement is made: 
 
 It has been difficult to get bills that come here from the House and are ordered to 
 be printed up before the committees actino; on them in the time in whicli we have 
 ordinarily had them. The Printing Office has been heretofore quite a model in that 
 regard. I have sometimes l)een surprised at the celerity witli which, when a bill 
 has been sent there, it is printed and returned here with the amendments nundjered. 
 
36 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 In the last days of the session this is essential, not only to the comfort of memhers 
 of this body hut to the interests of legislation. 
 
 This year, for the first time, it has been hard work to get anything out of the 
 Printing Otliee. On one of the important bills that we had we waited and waited, 
 and at last the Committee on Aijpropriations had to go to work and consider an old. 
 print, having nothing more, in order to transfer our amendments to the new i)rint; 
 and we could get no satisfaction from the Printing Office for the delay. 
 
 Do 3'ou know to what bill that relates^ 
 
 Mr. Young. It must evidentl}^ relate to this deticienc}^ appropria- 
 tion bill. 
 
 jMr. Howe, The general delicienc}^ bill? 
 
 Mr. Young. The general deticiencj^ bill, H. R. 20403. 
 
 Mr. Howe. AVhat are the facts in that connection? 
 
 Mr. Young. The engrossed amendiiients in ])ill H. R. 20403 were 
 received at lO a. m. Friday, and they were returned at 11.30. The 
 otlicial copy for the numbered amendments was received at 2.35 and it 
 was in the office less than an hour, because the copies were delivered 
 at the Capitol at 3.25. Now, the office anticipated the importance of 
 this bill, and without waiting for the official copy we sent seven forms 
 of this to press ])efore the official copy ever reached the Printing Office. 
 The other five forms were either on the press or on the way down 
 there, and tifty minutes after it was received at the Office it w^as sent 
 back. That was a bill of !H) pages. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What is the print to which the Senator alludes here 
 when he says that the committee had to consider an old print? 
 
 Mr. Young. It must ))e the numbered amendment print that he was 
 speaking of, that they wished to have, and they nuist have worked 
 either on the blueprint, which was the engrossed copy of the House, 
 or on the referred copy. 
 
 Mr. Howp:. How long did you sa}' the numbered cop}" matter was 
 in your Office? 
 
 Mr. Young. The bill printed with the numbered amendments for 
 the House was in our Office from 2.35 to 3.25. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask a question? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
 Captain Bhian. You could not have gotten that bill read}" for the 
 press and printed in that time unless you had anticiptited it? 
 
 Mr. Young. No, sir; we could not. 
 
 ]\lr. Howe. I know, but it does not seem to me that is the print the 
 Senator refers to, because they would not be considering the numbered 
 copy. ^ 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, the conferees were waiting for that, Mr. Howe. 
 May I say right there, that at 2.35 exactly, without knowing what 
 time this copy came into the Office, they called me up and asked me if 
 there cotild not be something done to expedite this ))ill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Who called you up!' 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Cleaves; and I went to the foreman's room and 
 saw Mr. Dierken, and he showed me the copy that had just come in. but 
 he also said they had been anticipating it and were that nuich ahead. 
 That was 2.35 when they were asking me for the bill, and I have 
 found out since that that was the very time it reached the Office. I 
 urged them to put all haste on it and get it up here, and I went to 
 the working division myself, and told them to take no chances on that 
 bill. In fact, I gave them instructions that they should back up the 
 first six copies, and not wait for anything. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RP^SOLUTIONS. 87 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then the}' asked 3X)u for the printed bill l)efore you g^ot 
 the copy, did they ^ 
 
 Captain Brian. They asked iwq over the telephone. Mr. Cleaves 
 called me over the telephone and asked nie if we could not do soine- 
 thino- to expedite that bill. 1 went to Mr. Dierken and asked him about 
 it, and he said, ''The copy has just eome in, l)ut we have anticipated 
 it." I commenced to get a little inipatient, and 1 said, '" Set some time 
 on it when you can get it out." lie saN's, "Shortly after 8 o'clock." 
 I looked at the clock then and it was just 2.85. I went back to the 
 telephone and 1 told them we would get it up there very shortly after 
 3 o'clock. Of course the Printing Office can do almost anything, l)ut 
 they can not print matter until the co])y gets there. 1 am positive it 
 was just 2.85 when 1 looked at the clock, and ] was talking to Mr. 
 Dierken al)out that time. 
 
 Mr. DiKHKEN. That copy is prepared by Mr, Matlack, the printing 
 clerk of the House. He gets the printed Senate amendments and then 
 he takes the blueprint and pastes them in. In this case, like all 
 others, we anticipated them, and Mr. Morgan prepared the copy and 
 had it ready and sent it to the press. So that is where we gained at 
 least three hours. If we had had to wait and set that up after he got 
 it down it would have taken that much longer. 
 
 Ca})tain Brian. One House does not seem to know that the other 
 House has to prepare copy and that it takes a few minutes to get 
 it down there. 
 
 Mr. Dierken. The proof of those amendments was sent to Mr. 
 Piatt at half past 8. He returned it about 10 o'clock and they were 
 sent to press and we printed them, and when Mr. Matlack got the 
 copv of that he commenced his work on the mimbered amendment 
 
 bin: 
 
 Captain Brian. It was impossible for Mr. jVIatlack to proceed in 
 preparing his copy until he got the, engrossed cop}', with the engrossed 
 amendments prepared by Mr. Piatt. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I see; the Senate has the amendments engrossed? 
 
 Captain Brian. The Senate has the amendments engrossed. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And sent to the House!" 
 
 Captain Brian And sent over to the House. The House must get 
 them before they can prepare the bill for the printer. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 can explain that to you by the aid of these [indicating- 
 papers]. These are what we call engrossed amendments of the Senate 
 to rtouse bills. 
 , Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 V • Mr. Young. This is amendment No. 1. Air. Matlack takes his copy, 
 which is a blueprint, w ith that sent over to the Senate as passed by 
 the House, He looks at page 2, line 6, and strikes out the words ''one 
 hundred" and inserts the words '''sevent3'-tive," as per instructions in 
 that amendment; and he does the same way with each one of these. 
 He takes this copy of the )>lueprint. For instance, page 2, line 6, 
 strike outgone hundred." He does this way [illustrating], and he 
 inserts "seventy-five" line that [illustrating]. Do you seel' 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 ^ Mr. Young. Now that would be, when we get it, amendment No. 1, 
 printed in this shape [indicating]. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I see. 
 
38 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 iVIr. YoiNC. There is your amcndnieut No. 1, only that happened 
 to be an entire i)ara<iraph. ^^'hen he strikes one of these paragraphs 
 he takes a ])air of shears and cuts it out and pastes it on the margin. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 Mr. YouN(j. And when it conies to us it is in that shape [indicating-]; 
 and we in the meantime have anticipated all this b}- taking the reported 
 bill and using that for our copj^. We know what the engrossed 
 amendments are, and we fix up our reported bill. By the time Mr. 
 Matlack's copy comes down there we are already" through with it, and 
 are ready to send it to the proof room, or yery near it. 
 
 jNIr. Howe. Well, on a work of that complexity and magnitude, of 
 course time must be consuuK^d in preparing the copy. 
 
 Captain Bkiax. You see, the ditticulty would be that the enrolling 
 clerk might get hold of the wrong line. He has to be yery careful. 
 He has to compare it after he has prepared it. 
 
 Mr. Young. I think it was just as ^Ir. McKenney expressed himself. 
 There was no delay anywhere. It just could not be done any faster. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I will get an original statement from Mr. McKenney. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 think his statement, as he gaye it to Captain Brian, 
 ooyered the ground so thoroughly that there could not be any fault 
 found. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And his statement, as Captain Brian has quoted it, is 
 practically all he said on the sul)ject? 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not think I made it as strong as jNIr. McKen- 
 ney did. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When Mr. Stillings is able to appear a continuance of 
 this inquiry will be conducted. We will now adjourn, subject to 
 notice. 
 
 The connnittee (at 2 o'clock p. m.) adjourned, subject to notice. 
 
 Washungton, D. C, 
 -////// 10, 1906— S. 15 ovhicl- p. hi. 
 Met pui'suant to notice at the apartments of Charles A. Stillings, 
 the Ontario, Washington, 1). C. 
 
 Present: Mr. A. H. Howe, representing the Conmiittee on Printing. 
 Also Mr. Charles A. Stillings, Public Printer; Captain Brian, Mr. 
 Young, Mr. Morgan, and Mr. Spottswood. 
 
 STATEMENT OF CHARLES A. STILLINGS, PUBLIC PRINTER. 
 
 Mr. Howe. JNIr. Stillings, you are familiar with the purpose of this 
 inyestigation, and it will not be necessaiy for me to restate it^ 
 
 Mr. Stillings. No, sir; I think I understand it pretty clearly. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The committee is sorry 3'ou are indisposed and ordinarily 
 would haye waited until you could l)e out, but 1 have yery pressing 
 business that calls nie to New York, so that I haye come up here to 
 question ,you. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. I regret very much that 1 haye not been able to get 
 out. I would haye come down to-da}', but 1113" doctor cautioned me 
 against it. He said 1 might be out the first of next week, but that it 
 might be next Monday, or two weeks from next Monday. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I thought that under those uncertain conditions I would 
 just come out and take j^our testimony here. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 39 
 
 Mr. Stillings. It is very kind of you. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Will 3-011 inform tlie comniittee as to the time when you 
 assumed the duties of Public Printer? 
 
 Mr. Stillinos. It was either November 27 or 28. I thiid< it was 
 November 27, 1905. 
 
 j\Ir. HowK. I would like to know somethino- ul)out your exi)erienee 
 in the pi-inting- business prior to your eomu'etion with tiu^ l'riiitint>- 
 Ofiice. 
 
 Ml'. Stillings. I have been connected witii printing- — from errand 
 boy up to oeneral manao-er— since I was 13 yeai's old. I started in the 
 business with my father, outside of school hours, handlino- electrot3'pe 
 plates and handling- forms, doing printer's devil work, etc. I HnallA' 
 left school of my own volition to go to wM)rk for him, and I worked 
 through all the dc^partments, at the case, on the stone, cleaning })resses, 
 making ready, running presses, and doing all of the routine work antl 
 some portions of the bindery work. u\) to the time when I was 17.vears 
 of age, when 1 gradually grew familiar witn the other portions of the 
 work, the stock room, shipping department, otHce, and clerical work; 
 then salesman, business manager, and iinancial manager — practicalh' 
 the active manager of the whole business. 
 
 That covers the period from the time I was 13 3-ears of age up until 
 I was 32, in 15M)3. when I accepted the appointment as manager of 
 the printers' board of trade, of Washington, an association of master 
 printers in this city, composed of the leading men in the trade. Mv 
 duties were such that I had to have a thorough training in the 
 business, both fiom a practical and the ofiice and financial stand- 
 points, it was necessary to liave a thorough grasp of the details of 
 the entire printing business in order to act in the advisory capacity 
 which I had to. In April, 1905, I accepted the appointment to the 
 largest printers'' board of trade in the ITnited States, in New York 
 Cit3% where I was manager of both the printers' and bookbinders' 
 boards. The duties were similar to those I had performed for the 
 printers' board of trade in Washington, although, of course, on a 
 larger scale. These boards are said to be the largest in the United 
 States. From there 1 was appointed to the position of Public Printer. 
 
 yir. Howe. Then 3-ou have had experience in the execution of large 
 contracts^ 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir. Probably my prior experience would 
 cover a greater variety of printing, although not a greater volume or 
 reijuiring greater exactness, as regards correctness of service, than is 
 demanded of the Public Printer in the (Tovernment Printing Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Has your experience led you to emplo3' large num))ers 
 of men ^ 
 
 ]Mr. Stillings. As to the printing trade, yes; 1)ut no private print- 
 ing establishment could compare with the (iovernment Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I would like to ask you something about your g'eneral 
 polic3' ''^ ^^^^ office of the Government Printing-office since you have 
 taken charge, as to whether it differs materiall\ from the ])olicy of 
 3-our predecessors, as 3'ou understand that policy. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. In taking charge of the Office I accepted eveiy man at 
 his face value; that is, I assumed that every man there was compe- 
 tent; and such removals as have'been made have been for just cause, 
 such as insubordination, unrelial)ilit3', inefficiencv; or illness— physical 
 disability. I found that the force was ample to do the work; in fact, 
 
40 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ut the tiiiio I went there it was considerably lai'ger than was really 
 necessar3\ This session of Congress has been so heavy that it has 
 taken our full force in the typographical department to keep up with 
 it, and lu}' policy has been to retain every efficient man in the position 
 he occupied when 1 went there, and to make such promotions as were 
 necessary from those men. 
 
 So far as my dealings with the night forces at the Office, detailed 
 specially to serve the needs of Congress, and particularl}^ the force 
 known as the night l)ill and Record force, are concerned, I made it my 
 especial Imsiness immediately after assuming office to go over the per- 
 sonnel of that force very carefully with the foreman of printing, and I 
 have not departed in a single instance from the policy of keeping tried 
 and experienced men at the vital points; that is, I considered that the 
 w^ork of Congress was the vital work of the Office and must have 
 precedence over everything else; that Congress must not be alloAved 
 to suHer through delays caused l)y incompetence or lack of knowledge 
 of the requirements of Congress, and after appointing these men I 
 have followed their work very carefully. I have not seen any reason 
 to believe that 1 made a mistake. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then the removals under your administration have not 
 been frec[uent, 1 take it, and have not been extensive. That is, the 
 personnel of the force is practical 1}^ the same now as it has been? 
 
 JNIr. Stillings. Practically so; 3'es. Those who have been dismissed 
 have taken the initiative themselves. They have brought themselves 
 to my attention. I have not gone hunting for them. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I should like to ask your opinion, Mr. Stillings, of the 
 qualitications of the skilled mechanics in your Office as compared with 
 the (jualitications of those you have had to deal with in private })usiness, 
 particularly with regard to the force that has charge of the execution 
 of Congressional work. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. With the exception of the very small percentage 
 which you would expect to find in any force of men. in my opinion 
 we have a gathering of mechanics, both in the typographical line and 
 in the other departments, that can not be excelled in this country. I 
 think the Government Printing Office possesses the highest type of 
 skilled craftsruen, particidarly in the typographical division, not onh^ 
 because of their skill in handling type metals but because the average 
 intelligence of the men is higher, very nuich higher; and so far as the 
 bill and Record force goes, 1 think that is particularly exemplihed in 
 that the men carry to their work the proper comprehension of what 
 they are doing. They are not mere automatons, as is sometimes the 
 case where men are doing ordinary bookwork, but they really under- 
 stand the work that is going through their hands. 
 
 Very often that very knowledge and interest in their work saves 
 their superior officers in many cases where oversight might possibly 
 occur in the huri'y of getting out the work. Therefore their value in 
 the oihce is increased to that extent. They might be properly termed 
 specialists. They are distinguished from the ordinary printers just 
 us a high-grade color lithographer would be distinguished from an 
 ordinary conmiercial lithographer. Just in that wa}' the l)ill and 
 Record force may be distinguished from the ordinar}' straight-matter 
 compositors. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The impression prevails, Mr. Stillings, that you have 
 exercised very strict discipline in your Office, a discipline much more 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOHTTIONS. 41 
 
 strict thiiu has ever been employed in the adniinisti'utioii of the Office 
 heretofore. I should like to Jisk whether 3-011 have found that your 
 men have become dissatisHed, or negligent, or indifferent, or unsettled 
 as a result of that degree of disciplined 
 
 Mr. Stillinos. The general statement has l)een made that the new 
 Public Printer was seeking to make a prison out of the (government 
 Printing Office, and that statement emanates, as near as 1 can trace it, 
 from that element which is reached by such disci})line as 1 have 
 brought about. If the conditions were as we would like to ha\e them 
 there would not be any particularly noticeable discipline. There was 
 grave need of discipline, and it was occasioned by a small percentage 
 of the force, many of whom have since been dropped, and those, to 
 my knowledge, after a careful examination, were the onlj^ ones who 
 have made complaint. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Then you do not believe that any restrictive measures 
 that 3'ou have adopted out there have unfitted your force or tended 
 to impair its efficiency in the execution of Congi'essional work? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. No, sir; on the contrary I believe that it has had a 
 good effect; that it has encouraged the officers in their endeavors to 
 keep the standard of the Office up, and that it has shown those of our 
 weaker brothers that they must come up to the proper standard, 
 which would natui'ally result in closer attention to business and better 
 quality and increased (|uantity of production. Several experienced 
 master printers from different parts of the countr}^ have visited the 
 Office and many of them have been previous visitors there. 
 
 I believe they are honest in their o})inions expressed to me to the 
 efl'ect that there is now greater attention paid to the work in hand and 
 less curiosity to size up visitors; and while that might perhaps be con- 
 strued, in a way, as being said to please me, I have the further proof 
 in that the general output of the Office has been very much laiger. 
 Noticeably on the Congressional work it has been, according to our 
 records, three times larger than for any single session of the Fifty- 
 eighth Congress. So far as the departmental work goes, I have not 
 the data l)efore me, but I do know that we have been extremely 
 busy, and that we have handled a greater volume of business and that 
 without the necessity of putting on as many temporary compositors as 
 we have had to put on in past years and without any additions to our 
 regular force. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you any system in vogue there that would enable 
 you to compare the qnalit}^ and quantity of the work turned out with 
 that of previous sessions? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. Not as thorough a system as I propose to have: no, 
 sir. There is a general way of averaging it, but not close enough to 
 permit me to make a statement at this time. 1 l)elieve in the course 
 of the next sixty days I can make a fairly reliaV)le comparative state- 
 ment as to the general output of the Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You are proposing, then, to inaugurate a system that 
 will enable you to keep a thorough check on all the operations? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir; it is quite a long and tedious operation, 
 but it can be done, and 1 projiose starting it very shortl}\ 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have 3'ou been cognizant of any complaints from Con- 
 gress since you have taken charge of the Office, as to inferiority in the 
 work; and if so, what steps have you taken to remedy the conditions 
 complained of? 
 
42 PRINTING OF BILLt^ AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Stit.lings. Referring- to the Congressional work, there have 
 been two minor matters l)rouoht to my attention by two of the oth- 
 oials connected with the Senate. Botli of tiiose matters had 1113' per- 
 sonal attention, and they were so small that they appeared to merit 
 no reprimand from me. hut rather a caution to our messengers and 
 those in charge of the ])ills, to exercise the greatest amount of prompt- 
 ness in delivery. Those matters occurred somewhat earl}' in m}' 
 administration, and no repetition of those complaints have ever been 
 brought to my attention. 1 have taken occasion to inquire whether 
 there was any ground upon which such complaints could be founded 
 and I could get no positive statement, or even a general statement, 
 that there was anything that did not compare favorably with previous 
 years. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You are familiar, of course, with the complaint made 
 in the Senate on the closing day of the session as to the difficulty Con- 
 gress had experienced in getting work back from the Printing Office. 
 Will you express 3'ourself on that? 
 
 Mr. Stjllings. Inmiediately after that statement appeared in the 
 press on Sundaj^ morning, Julv 1. I visited the Office and took up the 
 matter with the chief clerk and foreman of printing and the subfore- 
 man in charge of the enrolled bills. I found that according to our 
 records the Office had done all it possibly could do; that it was guilty 
 of two or three errors in proof reading, which are not to be unexpected 
 or really possible to avoid, owing to the rushed condition of the Office, 
 and very many other conditions that eveiy printer understands. 
 
 After going over the matter fully I called upon Senator Hale and 
 went over the matter with him; and after expressing the regrets of 
 the Office for the inconvenience caused to the Senate, I further stated 
 that a superficial examination seemed to show that our Office could not 
 have done better than it did, barring the errors in proof reading, which 
 I Avas personally perfectly willing to forgive, because our men are only 
 human; and they had done such extremely good work all through the 
 session that it was not at all surprising that some slight error might 
 creep in among the proof-reading force. On further examination I 
 found that those errors which were on the Government Printing Office 
 force had not really occasioned any delay in the completion of the 
 work, because of other alterations made necessary by the order of the 
 enrolling force of the House. Therefore I can not see where at any 
 point the work w^as delayed even five minutes by the Government 
 Printing Office. 
 
 Mr, Howe. The errors in proof reading that you refer to you think 
 did not operate to greatly delay the work? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. No, for the reason that Avhile the other pages were 
 being read by the enrolling clerk these pages in question had been 
 corrected and substituted before thev had completed the examination 
 of the bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How about the efficiency of your proof reading force? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. I believe that with very few exceptions thev are a 
 most efficient class of men. Of course it is not possible to assign 
 proof readers on bill work who have never had experience and expect 
 them to have the same grasp of the subject that 3'ou would expect of 
 men who have been through one season or more of that work. Great 
 care was exercised in the selection of the proof readers. Those men 
 had alread}" had a very strenuous experience in the present session, so that 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 43 
 
 1 do not feel that an}^ excuse that might be made for a orccii proof 
 retider on the ehiss of work that was entrusted to them would have 
 any hearing- on the ease. Tliese men were experienced, and, in my 
 opinion, such errors as they made, wliiK' they are to he depU)red. are 
 not to he covered over or glossed over for a minute. They are mis- 
 takes, and those are the chances that every printer has against him, 
 whetiier in the (Tovernment service or in a connnercial house. 
 
 The chances of errors in proof reading are very, very marked, and it 
 is well known that a proof reader, no matter how cai-eful he may be, 
 though he may go over the proof three, four, and even five times, 
 will pass the same error without noticing it. For some reason that is 
 unexplained, the eye fails to convey to the brain the fact that there is 
 an error; and yet the second proof reader, who may not be. perhaps, 
 as competent as the tirst one along general lines — that is, he ma^' not 
 be as good a giannnarian — will discover that error. ' That is one of 
 the weak points in the business which has to be safeguarded with the 
 utmost care. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It is simply a case of human fallibility, then? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. That is the idea. It can not be overcome. You do 
 not know when it is going to occur, and 30U have to look out for it 
 and safeguard yourself as well as you can. If errois then occur, the}" 
 are attributed to the general condition of things, and you do the best 
 you can to overcome them as you find them out. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In looking over the remarks in the Kecoid on this sub- 
 ject, I notice that a certain Senator sought to excuse the Printing Office 
 for the alleged delays on the ground that you were ill and unable to be 
 present. I should like to ask 3'ou whether your force is lacking in 
 discipline to such an extent that your absence would result in their 
 going to pieces, as it were, or whether you consider it essential to the 
 good management of an establishment of that kind that the Public 
 Printer should personally be pi'esent every moment of the time? 
 
 ]\lr. Stillixgs. While I appreciate the kindly thought on the part 
 of the vSenator who presented that side of the case, at the same time 
 that would not hold good from a purely Inisiness standpoint, because 
 the test of thorough organization and of the abilitv of the head of the 
 house to place the right men at the vitals of the business, comes when 
 he is away. When the head of the house is absent every well-man- 
 aged business should go on. Whether the head of the house is absent 
 or some other cog in the wheel is missing, it should still be so well 
 organized that it goes on just the same. 
 
 I maintain, without claiming any credit myself except for recogniz- 
 ing a])ility where 1 found it, that the Government Printing Office has 
 proceeded in the last few weeks on just as thorough lines as if I had 
 been there. Every ])oint has l)een safeguarded and watched with the 
 utmost fidelity. So far as an}' necessity for my being there personally 
 is concerned, outside of the technical necessity of putting mv signature 
 to checks for the payment of funds, there has been none. The same 
 thoroughness, the same care, the same watchfulness has been exhi})ited 
 at all points, so that the work of the Office is to day right up to date, 
 right up to this particular date, as compared with previous 3'ears. 
 Nothing has suffered because of my absence. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Actually, you were not absent continuously during 
 those latter days of the session, were 3'ou \ 
 
44 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Ko, sir. During the last week of June theie were 
 a great inaii}^ matters which should have lieen closed up in the latter 
 part of ]\Jav, had I ))een able to be at the Office; l)ut I had been feel- 
 ing (juite pooi'ly for some days previous to giving up active work, 
 and much work had j)ilod up there which reall}' made it necessary for 
 me to be there. 1 either had to handle it at my home or go to the 
 Office, and in view of the fact that my physician thought I could do 
 so without serious injury, and that it would be much more convenient 
 for the officers at the (xovernment Printing-office to have me there 
 rather than to be constantl}' traveling up to my home, I made it a 
 point to be there for at least six hours a day on every day during the 
 last week in fhine, except Saturday, when I knew everybody would 
 be extremely busv and naturally on the jump to close up the tail ends 
 of printing for Congress, 
 
 Largely because of that one feature, because I knew that a great 
 many Senators and Representatives would be leaving town and many 
 of them wanted to see me personally; and for their convenience as 
 well as the satisfaction of being on the ground myself, I reached the 
 Office at 10 o'clock in the morning and I did not leave there until 7.30 
 o'clock in the evening, and then only on the assurance of the officials in 
 charge that every request of Congress had beencomplied with right up 
 to the minute. And on investigation 1 found that the statements made 
 to me by those officers were a)>solutely correct. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is there any possil)ility under your system that depart- 
 mental or other work would encroach upon Congressional work? 
 
 Mr. STiLLiX(iS. No, sir; for the reason that even if I were not dis- 
 posed to take the initiative in the matter, the officials in charge of the 
 various departments of the Office are too well posted upon the neces- 
 sities of Congress to allow- me to make such an error as that. It is 
 understood that Congressional work has the right of way over every- 
 thing. That was the primary reason for establishing the Government 
 Printing Office, and 1 have never lost sight of that from the first 
 moment I took charge of it. It has been my especial care that noth- 
 ing should take precedence over Congressional work, either day or 
 night. That is understood. It is the unwritten law of the Office that 
 the decks are clear for Congressional work alwa3\s, and that if there 
 is a choice l^etween- the two, the Congressional work has the right 
 of way. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is absolutely the case ? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. That is absolutely the case. 
 
 Mr. How^E. Mr. Stillings, would this bill work be regarded in a 
 private enterprise as high-grade printing'^ 
 
 Mr. Stillings. No, sir; as regards quality it would be ranked with 
 a very ordinary class of commercial work or, compared with book- 
 work, with the most ordinary class of bookwork. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is it of a character that admits of what you might call 
 extreme expedition? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir; the nature of the w^ork and the method of 
 handling it is such that our Office can handle it with extreme haste 
 and with a maximum amount of correctness and thoroughness; but it 
 would not l^e possible to take that same work to any commercial plant 
 of which I have any knowledge, imless they were trained Very care- 
 fully and very thoroughly, and expect to get the work with the same 
 accuracy and the same [promptness that you would get it from the 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 4:5 
 
 Government Printintr Office. I have been in this business all my life, 
 and 1 have marveled at the thoroughness and pi'omptness with which 
 that work was handled. There has always seemed to ))e as thorough 
 an appreciation of the needs of Congress at oui" end of the line as was 
 shown by the (derks at the other end of the line, at the Capitol, and 
 that has, in my opinion, done much to enable our Office to give prompt 
 service. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I gathered from something that was said the other day 
 that your bill force there sometimes assume almost editorial functions. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. I have been informed by officials in charge of this 
 work that the}' have many times foreseen the probable action of Con- 
 gress and have taken chances on that action, and have gone ahead and 
 produced the work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I was not referring so nuich to the matter of anticipa- 
 tion, because that is a practice which is as old as the Office, 1 pre- 
 sume; but I gathered that sometimes something comes over to you 
 so carelessl}' prepared as to be apparently erroneous and that in such 
 cases your men assume to make the necessary corrections. 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. We call the attention of the proper officers at the 
 Capitol to the cases; if we did not do so we would l)e compelled to go 
 all over our work a second time. That is where the ex]:)ei'ience of the 
 men and the officers count. It saves more time to Congress than 
 would be realized unless a record were kept of it. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. You are generally familiar with the line of inquiry that 
 the committee made the other day — Saturday^ Do you feel that the 
 amount of time consumed by the Office in returning to the Capitol the 
 matter regarding which complaint has been made was reasonable from 
 the Office standpoint? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir; I think it was remarkably expeditious and 
 if any comment were to be made upon it at all it would be that the 
 work was done so quickly. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There was a statement made by Captain Brian the other 
 day regarding some expressions from Mr. McKenney, the enrolling 
 clerk of the House, to the elt'ect that the work of the Printing Office 
 had been as expeditious as usual, and it appears that Mr. McKenney 
 had been asked to make the same statement to you. Did he make any 
 expression to you on that subject? 
 
 Mr. Stillin(js. Yes, sir; I feel at perfect liberty to quote Mr. 
 McKenney, because he made this statement for the express purpose 
 of bringing some comfort to those of us who were so much exercised 
 over the proposition. It was to this eti'ect: That the enrolling force 
 of the House, when the volume of matter was turned over to them to 
 be put in shape, realized that thef Imd more than they could do in 
 several hours, and Mr. McKenney told me that he made the state- 
 ment earl}^ in the day that it would not be possible to get those bills 
 in shape so that Congress could adjourn before 10 o'clock at night. 
 He further stated that the service of the Oovernment Printing Office 
 had been noticeably prompt and correct all through this session, and 
 that a grave injustice had been done the Government Printing Office 
 in accusing it of having any part whatever in the alleged dela}' in 
 completing the enrolling of those bills. 
 
 He f urtiier said that no reasonable cause of delay could be assigned 
 to anj'body, for the reason that he and the enrolling committee had 
 been worked to the limit to get the work through promptly and 
 
46 PRINTING OF KILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 correctly', aiul tliat they could not have done it ai\y more quickly or any 
 more coi-rcctly in less time than they took; and that our Otijco was 
 perfectly helpless in the matter, because we could not print the sheets 
 necessary to complete the work until they gfave them to us, and they 
 had to take the necessary time to o-o through the work and be sure 
 that such changes as appeared to be necessavy were actually necessar}^ 
 before ordering us to make them. 
 
 Mr. Howe. As I understand it, there was an error in the enrollment 
 of the sundry ciyil bill which produced some consternation, and I sup- 
 pose when Mr. McKenney came to the point of enrolling the public 
 buildings bill he took particular pains to make his enrollment yery 
 carefully and yery thoroughly, so as to ayoid a repetition of that 
 error. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Mr. McKenney stated that he did not read that bill. 
 I understood from him that it was read by the Committee on Enrolled 
 Bills, and when the bill was turned oyer to him he asked what about 
 that paragraph and was informed that it was all right and should 
 remain in the bill, and the Goyernment Printing Office was ordered to 
 print it that way and did print it that way. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I only allude to the error in the sundry ciyil bill to 
 elucidate the probable fact that Mr. McKenney was extra cautious in 
 enrolling the later bills, so as to ayoid a repetition of the error. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. He stated with reference to that bill that he had 
 called attention to those items liimself. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Any in(|uiry into that error in the sundry ciyil bill of 
 course would rather transcend the scope of this inyestigation, except 
 as it might haye some bearing upon Mr. McKenney's subsequent caution. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. A little further than that, Mr. Howe, if I may be 
 permitted to suggest it: This bill has in the mind of the public itself 
 and I think in tiie minds of a great manj'' Senators— — 
 
 Mr. Howe. You are speaking of the sundry ciyil bill!' 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir; this l)ill is indirectly, at least, connected 
 with the public buildings l)ill. I think that was the name of the last 
 bill in (iuestion,and thegeneral inference has been — and Imay say that 
 that has been the impression on my mind since Sunday morning, July 
 1 — that there were two l)ills in ([uestion, and that where one might 
 haye been, perhaps, oyerlooked and nothing much made of it, at the 
 same time that somewhere along the line the Goyernment Printing 
 Office had failed to make good on that bill as well as on the other, and 
 that there must be a badlj^ disorganized condition of affairs at the 
 Goyernment Printing Office to haye l)rought about any such results. 
 On inyestigation of that particular bill — the sundry ciyil bill — I found 
 that our Office was in no way to lUame, nor do I understand that any- 
 one familiar with the facts charged this error to our Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Stillings, where do you draw the line in your exer- 
 cise of the editorial function? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. In a case of this kind we absolutely follow copy 
 literally, unless we saw what looked like an error, when we would 
 conmmnicate with the proper official and raise a question, as any good 
 printer will do who has his customer's best interests at heart, proyided 
 he saw^ what he supposed to be a mistake. At the eleyenth hour, with 
 eyerybody on the jump and Congress waiting, and with clearly marked 
 proof in hand to go ahead, we would not be warranted in doing that 
 unless we thought that an error had been made. Of course, under 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 47 
 
 these eoiuiitioii!?, it would be a moriil obligation on us to protect Con- 
 gToss and the otticials in charge. 
 
 Mr. Young. May 1 add a few words!' 
 
 ]\lr. Stillinos. Yes; so far as I am concerned. 
 
 Mr. Youn(t. The point is this, in t'oHowing copy on bills, that after 
 the bill is once re})orted, the (jrovernnient Printing OtKce is entirely 
 powerless to make any changes. That is the point we follow literally. 
 We can call attention to the proof, but after the bill is once reported, 
 or enrolled, or engrossed, we are powerless to make any change 
 whatever. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is where you draw the line^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir; it then becomes the law of the House. A 
 bill is only a bill, but when it becomes an act we have no right to 
 make any change whatever. 
 
 Mr. HowK. Is there anything nu)re along these general lines that 
 you care to say, Mr. Stillings^ 
 
 Mr. Stillings. No. sir. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. I would like, to ask Captain Brian and Mr. Y'oung one 
 or two questions, now that they are here. We undertook to trace the 
 other day, vou know, the public buildings bill and the general deti- 
 ciency bill ( 
 
 Mr. Young. Y^es. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I had it in mind that one of the elements entering into 
 the delay concerned this little deficiency bill, which was passed' after 
 the public buildings bill, to carry into eft'ect the provisions of the pub- 
 lic l)uildings bill, and you gentlemen corrected me on that and said 
 that the criticism, in vour judgment, related to the general deficiency 
 bill. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is right, sir. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Is it not the fact that after the passage of the public 
 buildings bill this supplemental deficiency bill was taken up and passed 
 by both Houses, and was it not a fact that the necessity of acting upon 
 that measure had something to do with delaying the adjourmnent of 
 Congress? 
 
 Captain Brian. That is a question that I do not know about, Mr. 
 Howe. We only printed that twice, I think. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. What is the number of that bill? 
 
 Captain Brian. H. R. 20511. It appears that they passed that 
 while they were waiting for the public buildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you anything there that would show the time 
 when you received the cop}- on that bill 20511, ]NJr. Y'oung? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. It was received at 1.50 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. 
 There was no number on that l)ill. - 
 
 Mr. Howe. There was no number? 
 
 ]Mr. YounCt. There was no number at that time. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. It came to you at 1.5(» o'clock 
 
 Mr. Young. At 1.50 o'clock, without a number. The Office tele- 
 phoned for a number, and the copy was returned to Mr. McKenney at 
 his request for correction. That made a delay of about forty-five 
 minutes, and then a new copy 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Just wait a moment. That first copv that you received, 
 which was sul)sequently corrected by the addition of the nnml)er, was 
 the bill as it passed the House, was it' 
 
 Mr. Young. That is 20511, for enrollment. 
 
48 PRINTING OE' BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Captain Brian. For (Miorossnienti' 
 
 ]\Ir. YouNc. For ciigro.ssinent; yes. 
 
 Mr. IIowE. When did you return it after having received it the 
 second tiine^ 
 
 Mr. YouxG. It was delayed about fortj^-five minutes. Then the 
 new copy with full typewritten pages was furnished, with orders not 
 to cut the copy. 
 
 i\Ir. Howe. At what time? 
 
 Mr. Young. With orders not to cut the copy. The copy was to be 
 kept intact and not to be cut. That made it a yery bad job for a printer 
 to handle. That was sent to press at 4.30 in the afternoon. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That was at the expiration of the forty-fiye minutes? 
 
 Mr. Y^ouxg. About forty-live minutes after it had l)een received 
 at 1.50. That would make it probabl}^ 2.35. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And then it rested in your Office until when? 
 
 Mr. Y^ouNG. Until 4.30. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The amount of time consumed at your Office was deter- 
 mined somewhat b}" the instructions you got regarding 
 
 Mr. Young. The cutting of the copy. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The nuitilation of the copy? 
 
 ]Mr. Y'ouNG. Yes, sir. That was a 2t)-page bill, and it took about 
 two hours. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then, of course, it presumably went to the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Young. It went to the Senate and was then sent down. We 
 did not even wait for that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Y"ou have not anything there, have \'ou, to show when 
 it went to the Senate ? 
 
 Mr. Young. No, sir; that is determined ))y the House. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is there a Congressional Record that would throw any 
 light on the subject — Saturday's Record? 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not think we have one here, Mr. Howe. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. I think there is one there. 
 
 (A copy of the Congressional Record of Saturda}-, June 30, 1906, 
 was produced and handed to Mr. Howe.) 
 
 Mr. Howe. Here it is. There was a recess at 1.55, followed by 
 considera))le debate, and then Senator Kean moved that a recess be 
 taken until 7 o'clock, and we can only guess at the time. 
 
 Captain Brian. It was about 5 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Very likely it was about 5 o'clock, as you sa}'. Captain 
 Brian. Then came a message from the House announcing that the 
 House had passed the bill H. R. 20511, making appi'opriations for 
 certain pul)lic buildings authorized by the act approved June 30, IIHX), 
 and so forth, which was inunediately considered and passed in the 
 Senate, and the Senate, at 6 o'clock and IT minutes, took a i-ecess. 
 Now, when did you get it after that? 
 
 Mr. Young. We did not wait for any enrollment copy at all. 
 
 Mr. Howe. After the Senate passes it it goes back to the House, 
 does it, for enrollment? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. Y"es; for enrollment. 
 
 Captain Brian. AUev the Senate passes that it is the procedure, I 
 believe, that the Senate notifies the House the}' have passed that bill 
 without amendment, and that would then, as soon as the House takes 
 action on it, throw it on the enrolling clerk for enrollment, and, if I 
 ma}^ continue, in the meantime we had enrolled the bill. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLi^ AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 49 
 
 Mr. Howe. Anticipating- it^ 
 
 Captain Brian. We had enrolled it on faith. We had it enrolled. 
 What time did 3'ou say it passed the Senate, alnnit^ 
 
 Mr. Howe. It passed the Senate 
 
 Captain Brian. Before the 7 o'clock recess, was it not? 
 
 ^Ir. Howe, It passed the Senate just befoj'e the recess at (5 o'clock 
 and IT minutes. 
 
 Captain Brian. And at 5 o'clock and 49 niiiuites we sent that parch- 
 ment copy to the Capitol. 1 do not think vou can show anv dehi}' on 
 that bill. ' 
 
 Mr. Young. Nobody charged anything on that one. That was kept 
 in the background so thoroughly that nobody knew an3'thing about it. 
 ^ Mr. Stillings. We ought to have a rebate on that one. [Laughter.] 
 
 Mr. Howe. I have heard about a stenographer who was so expert 
 that when the judge completed his charge to the jury the stenographer 
 was 300 words ahead of him. [Laughter.] 
 
 Mr. Young. That shows just how that work can be advanced when 
 the Senate passes a bill without amendment. We knew that it was 
 correct. We knew it was all right, and we could put it on the press 
 and print it the minute we knew it was passed by the Senate without 
 amendment; but if that bill had had a dozen or two dozen amend- 
 ments — for instance, like the 20410 bill had — it would have come down 
 from the Capitol and would have gone to the proof room, and after 
 being corrected and read would have been printed: but this was all 
 anticipated. There were no errors, and Ave knew there were no errors, 
 and we went ahead with the bill. That is wh}- it was delivered on 
 such shoj't notice. 
 
 Captain Brian. You mean there were no amendments — not errors. 
 
 Mr. Young. I mean there were no amendments. Change that. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Mr. Young, the other day you had in your hand a little 
 statement setting forth the procedure of 
 
 Mr. Young. The bill work? 
 
 Mr. Howe. The bill work. 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. I should like to get that into the record. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 will read it to you, if you wish. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Very well. 
 
 Mr. Young. This covers the appropriation bill. As a genei'al thing 
 A\ call them supply ])ills. This public buildings bill would probal^ly 
 go in that category, although it does not go before an appropriation 
 committee. When a suppl}^ bill is first received from the House it is, 
 as a general rule, printed confidentially for the subcommittee. It is 
 then printed confidentiall}'^ for report to the full committee. After 
 changes are finally made by the full committee it is given a number 
 and reported to the House. After consideration of the bill by the 
 House it is printed in engrossed form on blue paper for the House, 
 and in turn again printed on white paper for the Senate, carrying the 
 action of being referred to the proper committee. It is then printed 
 for the use of the Senate as reported l)y the conunittee. 
 
 After being passed b}' the Senate, the changes are indicated in a 
 separate print called the engrossed amendments of the Senate. These 
 amendments are numbered, and when referred to the House the bill 
 proper is ordered printed with the numbered amendments of the Sen- 
 ate. From this print the enrolling clerks make up the copy for the 
 
 I 
 
50 TRINTINO OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 [r,Yoi 
 
 ,dli 
 
 oiirollod hill, which is then printed on purchnicnt, and, after Ix 
 sii>ned hy the i)residing officers of both Houses, and finalh' by 
 President of tlu^ rnitcHJ States, it is printed as a public law, whicl[i.Mo 
 the liiial disposition until it is enil)o(lied in the Statutes. Kk. 
 
 That covei's the usual run of appropriation bills. We frequenir, lo 
 have two or three sul)conunittee prints and two or three full commit thert 
 ])rints ]){>fore they finally oet i-eady to report the lull. |ii 
 
 Mr. Howe. Those are private prints!' %. 
 
 j\Ir. Y()UN<;. Those are private pi-ints. They have the first, secojil 
 third, and fourth prints, until they get it finally in such shape t [i.\t 
 they wish to report it 
 
 Mr. Howe. To recur to that g'eneral deficiency bill, numbeifereai 
 
 20403 ■ ir.H' 
 
 Ijvd 
 
 n 
 
 Mr. YouNo. The general deficiency bill, or the public buildings b 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. The general deficiency bill ^ 
 
 Mr. Young. That was numbered 20403. 
 
 J\Ir. Howe. You said the other day that the engrossed amendmej 
 were received at 10 o'clock a. m. on Fridav and were returned 
 11.30. jjiose 
 
 Mr. Young. Y'es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. As I understand it, that is the form in which it pasil 
 the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Young. Those are the engrossed amendments by the Senat ^ 
 the ])ill; 3'es, sir. That is printed on white writing paper in this f( 'i 
 [indicating]. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then 3"ou say that the official copy for the numbe 
 amendments was received at 2.3.5, and it w^as in the office less thai^ 
 hour ? 
 
 Mr. Young. The copies were delivered in less than an hour, ye 
 
 Mr. Howe. What cop}^ is that!' That is the form in which it ^ 
 agreed to b}' the House ? . 
 
 Mr. Young. That is the form in which it is printed for the H< 
 with the amendments of the Senate numbered, in this form [indicati 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then it goes to the conference. That is the next s 
 is it not? 
 
 Mr. Y^ouNG. It goes to the conference then. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When did it come back to you again? 
 
 Mr. Young. On this print, it comes back in enrolled form. j 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you anything to show when it came back to 
 in enrolled form ? I do not think that was touched on the other di | 
 and 1 want to complete the record. 
 
 IVIr. Y'ouNG. No, sir; I do not know. . j 
 
 Mr. Morgan. It came back about 9 o'clock — between 9 and |[ 
 o'clock — on Friday night, and we delivered it about 3 o'clock in tl f 
 morning, on Saturday morning. It was some time in the morning 
 I think about 3 o'clock — that we delivered it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is, Saturday ? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. That was Saturday morning at 3 o'clock. The m< 
 sengers were going up all night. 
 
 Mr. Young. We are speaking- of Friday's work throughout t 
 bill. This is all Frida^^'s w'ork that we are talking about now. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I know, but my inquir}^ was not as full the othei 
 as I wanted it to be. 
 
 ill' 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 51 
 
 r. Younct. That was delivered in the evenino- and enrolled during- 
 fnioht when I was home. 
 
 r, Morgan. We received it at night, soinetiiiie between and 10 
 
 )ck. It came right after the agricultural l)ill. 
 
 r. YouxG. I know that the tirtst thing 1 asked in the morning was 
 'ther this bill had been enrolled or not, and they said it had been, 
 
 had been delivered. 
 
 r. Howe. There was no particular reason for haste at that hour, 
 
 'i 
 
 [v. Young. Only that the enrolling clerks were waiting- for it. 
 
 t is a very large bill— one of the general supply bills — and it has 
 
 e read; it has to be run over. 
 
 Howe. Then the time consumed between 9 and 10 o'clock on 
 
 lay night, and 3 o'clock on Saturday morning, was not an unusual 
 
 jumption of time^ 
 
 r. Young. No, sir. 
 
 r. Morgan. The bill was not reached, you know, because we had 
 
 unber of bills in there being- printed during- the evening. As fast 
 
 lose supply bills came in we went ahead with them. We had about 
 
 foi-ms on Frida}' and during the night, and they were delivered 
 rirday morning- by 5 o'clock. Every bill was delivered a few 
 
 utes after 5. 
 
 Howe. The amount of time consumed in the Printing Office in 
 
 lling that general deficiencj' bill, actually, did not invite criticism? 
 
 r. Morgan. No. 
 I r. Howe. Because Congress was not in session at the time. 
 •. Morgan. We were rushing all those bills for the use of the 
 nitt '6, although we did not rush them to the extent that we do 
 
 ng the day when Congress is in session. What we wanted to do 
 
 jto keep the enrolling clerks busy, and they did not have to call 
 
 ng the entire night for bills to read. They have to read all the 
 
 ' we send out, and our aim was to keep them busy all the time; 
 
 ley did not have to wait on the Office for bills to I'ead. 
 
 III'. Howe. They had the general deticiency bill, then, in ample 
 
 ■ for the use of Congress next day ? 
 
 r. Morgan. Yes, sir. 
 ir. Young. The controversy arose, virtually, over this very print 
 
 they received in less than an hour's time from the Printing Office, 
 mse of our anticipation of it. 
 
 aptain Brian. That was the print with the numbered amendments, 
 [r. Young. That was the print the conference committee was wait- 
 ifor. 
 
 [r. Howe. That was received at 2.35 and delivered at 3.25 p. m. 
 Friday ? 
 
 [r. Young. Yes, sir; that was the print over which there was con- 
 'ersy, if there was any controversy over an}-. Certainly, so far as 
 
 hearing- of the controversy was concerned, it was only hearsay. 
 [r. Howe. I want to get a little more clearly in mind the facts con- 
 ling the criticism the Senator made when he said that, with respect 
 
 certain bill under consideration by the Committee on Appropria- 
 iS, they waited and waited, and finally had to go to work and con- 
 •r an old print, having nothing more, in order to transfer their 
 !ndments to the new print. You think that was the general deti- 
 cv bill. 
 
52 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Yolxo. I do not think it could have been aii\' other ])ill, Ijecause 
 the Appropriation Coiiiniittoo lia.s nothino- whatever to do with the pul)- 
 lic huildinii's hill, from what I understand. 
 
 C'a])tain Bi;ia\. That was the hill, Mr. Howe, because they asked 
 tor that hill just about that time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I am not (juite clear as to why the Committee on Appro- 
 priations were waiting- for that print in order to work on it. 
 
 Captain Brian. It was for the conference committee, Mr. Howe. 
 The conference committee wanted it. 
 
 Mr. HowK. Oh, the conference committee. 
 
 Mr. Young. They wanted to make their report. 
 
 Captain Brian. The conference committee wanted to work on that, 
 sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What day was that, do you think? 
 
 Captain Brian. That was Friday. 
 
 ^Ir. HoAVE. What were the facts about it? What operated to delay 
 their gettino- the print they wanted to consider? 
 
 Captain Brian. Nothing. After the Senate passed that bill the 
 amendments had to be engrossed. 
 
 Mr. Howe. By the 
 
 Captain Brian. By the enrolling clerk of the Senate, and trans- 
 mitted to the House. 
 
 Mr. HfjWE. Messaged over ^ 
 
 Captain Brian. Messaged over — that the Senate had passed this bill 
 with the following amendments. Then the House had to take action 
 and order, this copy printed with the numbered amendments. Then 
 the Clerk of the House, Mr. Matlack, had to pi'epare that copy and 
 send it to the Printing Office. It reached the Printing Office at 2.85. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is to say, all this had to be done before the con- 
 ferees could get the print that they wanted^ 
 
 Captain Brian. All this had to be done between the time the Sen- 
 ate passed the bill and the time the conferees could have a copy of it. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. I see 
 
 Captain Brian. Let me complete the statement, if you please. ThM 
 copy reached the Printing Office at 2.35. In the meantime we ba€ 
 anticipated and had gone to press with it, and we delivered the copies] 
 at 3.25. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. Now, gentlemen, is there anything to show whenjj 
 that passed the Senate i 
 
 Mr. ]\IoKGAN. It passed the Senate Thursday night. 
 
 Mr. Howe. About when ( 
 
 Mr. Mor(;an. I do not remember just what time it passed, but I 
 know it passed Thursday night l)efore the}" adjourned. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When did you get the engrossed copy? 
 
 Mr. MoRXiAN. The advanced engrossed copy came to the Office that 
 night, and Mr. Piatt wanted to know when he could receive the proof 
 on it. Mr. Dierken told him he could receive the proof about 11 
 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Eleven o'clock at night? ; 
 
 Mr. Morgan. About 11 o'clock at night. 
 
 Mr. Young. That was June 28. 
 
 Mr. ^Morgan. Mr. Piatt telephoned doAvn that the Senate was going 
 to adjourn and to send the proof up next morning-. We sent it to him 
 next mornino- at 8.25. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 53 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Yoiuig said the enorossod uiiieiidinents to this hill 
 were received at 10 o'clock ]>. iii. on Friday and returned at 11.30. 
 
 Mr. MoR(iAN. We sent out the proof at S.'i5. 
 
 Captain Brian. He is talkino- about the proof of the bill. This was 
 the proof that he sent to Mr. Piatt at S.'2:>. That was the proof that 
 was sent to him. and we have his copy here to show that he had not 
 completed his work on it yet and that he added quite a number of 
 inserts to it. That was the copy that was delivered to them at 
 11 o'clock which, as Mr. Home said on Saturday last, they did not 
 get until 11 o'clock the next day. I would like to show you that 
 proof. 
 
 ]\lr. HoAVE. Yes, 1 want to get clearly elucidated all the facts in 
 this connection. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 am right glad that you are taking such an interest 
 here, Mr. Howe, because there are lots of things that the (xovernment 
 Printing Office does not get credit for. 
 
 ^Ir. IlowE. My function is to get the facts; that is all. 
 
 Captain Brian. Here is the proof that was sent to Mr. Piatt at 
 8.25, about. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In the morning? 
 
 Captain Brian. In the morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Copy for which you received the night before? 
 
 Captain Brian. The night before. 
 
 Mr. Howe. At about what tinie^ 
 
 Captain Brian. About 11 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. It was received about 9 o'clock, and Mr. Piatt was 
 told he could get a proof on that bill at 11 o'clock. That bill was 
 reported on Thursday, and we printed it in the afternoon so that they 
 could have it at 8 o'clock to take it up and consider it. 
 
 Captain Brian. It was sent to ^Nlr. Piatt at S o'clock Friday morn- 
 ing — 8.35 o'clock — and these [indicating] are the additions that he 
 made to it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. He made additions and returned it to you at 10 o'clock. 
 There seem to be al)out twenty changes in it. 
 
 Captain Brian. There is another thing that I want to call attention 
 to. There [indicating] you see there was a mistake made by some one 
 in numbering those amendments. There we had to catch it up, and 
 advance all his numbers from that point. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. All of Avhich consumed time:' 
 
 Captain Brian. All of Avhich consumed time. In justice to Mr. 
 Piatt, I Avant to explain how this copy is prepared. Mr. Piatt goes 
 along and prepares these anjendments from time to time and sends 
 them to us, and gets proof of them. As the Senate proceeds, he puts 
 on more amendments and gets the further proof, so as to be that much 
 ahead. He had got this far ahead [indicating] when the Senate passed 
 the bill, and after that he had to put the others on to complete his 
 copy. He Avas anticipating. He does that right along. 
 
 Mr. Young. I Avould like to saA'that there is nothing unusual in his 
 sending that copy down in the evening and receiving the proof of it 
 in the morning at all, because that is clone right along. 
 
 Captain Briax. Here is the copy that afterwards came doAvn from 
 the House. It had to have all these amendments in the Senate [indi- 
 cating]. If Ave had had to Avait for this copy it Avould have been G or 
 7 o'clock before thev would ha\'e received it. 
 
54 PRINTING OF BILLS ATSD JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. lIowE. The fact i.s that your .S3'.stcm of anticipation greatl}^ 
 facilitates the work of the House? 
 
 Captain Brian. It greatl}^ facilitates the work, and often the Senate 
 does not know how much time it takes after the time they pass a bill 
 before the House gets ready to furnish the copy with the, numbered 
 amendments. Frequently when the House is not in session at night, 
 and the Senate passes a bill, the Senate orders it printed with the 
 numbered amendments. You can see how^ much time would have been 
 consumed if we had had to wait for their copy, and had had to put all 
 these in [indicating]. 
 
 Mr. YouNCJ. I haye time and again prepared a bill with numbered 
 amendments, and sent it into the proof room before the official copy ; 
 was finished. We had it in our proof room before the official copy was | 
 finished l)y Mr. Matlack. ' | 
 
 Captain Brian. You see the mnn making up this bill has the num- 
 bered amendments before him and this page 28 [indicating] perhaps 
 would be page 40 on the bill with the numbered amendments, but his 
 copy would read "on page 28, after line 25, insert." He has got to 
 find where this is and insert it. You can not go right ahead and do it. 
 You have got to learn how, first. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. That is where a man new on the job would get all 
 mixed up. If he did not know just what he was doing he would get 
 pretty thoroughly tied up. 
 
 Mr. YouNCi. How in the name of common sense would anybody or 
 any printing establishment get out a 96-page job like that inside of 
 sixty minutes without doing the work as we are — by anticipating it? 
 
 Mr. Howe. It could not be done; that is perfectly apparent. How 
 many amendments are there in that bill? I belieye you told me the 
 other day, but I do not remember. 
 
 Mr. Young. Do you refer to the public buildings bill? 
 
 Mr. How^E. No; the general deficiency bill. 
 
 Mr. Young. The general deficiency bill has ninety-fiye amendments. 
 When a man tackles a job like that one, he has got to keep his wits 
 about him and keep at it. If he does not, he will fall down. There 
 is not a man on the work that does not know exactly what is expected 
 of him, and he does the work for all he is worth from the minute he 
 starts until he gets through. If he does not make good in the first 
 two or three hours on that kind of a job, he neyer goes on it again, 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. Where is that legislatiye bill that went out so 
 quickly — just to show the time consumed? 
 
 Mr. Hc^wE. Mr. Spottswood, what is jonv position in the Printing 
 Office i ^ 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. Assistant foreman of printing. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you had any conversation with Mr. Piatt about 
 the delays in the handling of this general deficiency bilH 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. Only this, that Mr. Piatt, before he left the city, 
 called to say good-l)y at the house, and while he was there I took 
 occasion, you know, to ask him about this bill business, and he said 
 that he regretted the criticism that had been made, since the work of 
 the Printing Office had l^een expeditious, and that no more than a 
 proper amount of time had been consumed b}' those who handled the 
 measure in perfecting it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you know where Mr. Piatt is? 
 
PKINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 55 
 
 Mr, SroTTSWOoi). He is ut Woodniont. Conn. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I.s he expected back here to-morrow i 
 
 Mr. Spottswoou, Yes; he did say that he would be back hereafter 
 two or three da\'s. 1 guess that is so. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I ascertained at his apartments to-day tiiat he woukl be 
 back to-morrow 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. He did say he would be back in two or three 
 days. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And 1 have sent a letter to his apartments and also to 
 his office asking- him to give me an opportunity to question him on 
 Thursda3\ I will dela}" my departure for New York until that time 
 in order to question Mr. Piatt, whose expressions on this subject will 
 be important. 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. I recollect now that his wife said the same thing, 
 that he expected to be back in two or three days, and thatr then they 
 would go away for the summer. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I ma}^ to-morrow, question some of the employees of 
 the Senate who have to do with the handling of these bills. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. If there are any of our employees that 3'ou want to 
 question about these bills, or about any other matter m connection with 
 this subject, they are at your disposal. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 feel that the committee has covered the matter from 
 the Printing Office standpoint pretty thoroughly. The only thing the 
 inquiry now appears to lack is some first-hand testimony from attaches 
 of the House and Senate. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Of course this point comes to us, or comes to me, 
 perhaps, more particularlv, that although we feel pleased at having a 
 clean record, so far as our efforts go, at the same time, if I had been 
 well and on my feet, I think I should have made a special point of 
 being at the Capitol myself, and to have had Captain Brian or Mr. 
 Young with me. so that in the closing hours of the session I might 
 have been right on the ground, and there might possibly have been 
 some things that we could have helped along, and thus saved the Office 
 being put in a bad light. If I am at the Office during another session 
 of Congress, that will be the lesson taught me by this business here, 
 that we owe it to Congress, and to the Office, to have every possible 
 prevention for trouble adopted. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I suppose if some one from your Office having authority 
 to speak had been on the ground, it would have been a convenience to 
 Congress in the matter of fixing the responsibility for these alleged 
 delays^ 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Unquestionably. Then, another thing is this: As 
 far as we are concerned, I can say for the Office, as well as for myself, 
 that if there are any shortcomings of the Office we want to know them, 
 and should know them, in order to have them corrected. It is a mat- 
 ter of pride with us that this work is kept right up to the top notch. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What is this bill you have handed me, Mr. Young — 
 H.R. 14971? 
 
 Mr. Young. That has nothing to do with this inquiry. It simply 
 shows in what short time we do work with some of these jobs that look 
 almost insurmountable when they come to the Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This is a bill to "revise, codify, and amend the laws 
 relating to the judiciaiy. It consists of 399 pages." I notice that \-ou 
 
 k 
 
56 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 have a notation on here '"Commenced after 12 p. m., when other work 
 was finished, and delivered next morning," Do 3^011 mean that you 
 set it u]) and delivered it ^ 
 
 Mr, Young. We made it up, and set it up, every line. We made 
 it up, read it, and printed it. 
 
 j\Ir. 8tiulings. How many copies^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Six hundred and forty-tive. 
 
 ]\lr. MoHGAx. Seven hundred and seventy-three, Mr. Young. 
 
 Mr. YouN(j. Seven hundred and seventy-three. Is that the new 
 number^ 
 
 Mr. Moh(;an. Y"es. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. I do not know of a commercial shop that could 
 handle that job. 
 
 ^Ir, Spottswood. There is an enrolled copy of the legislative bill 
 [indicating']. 
 
 ]Mr. Young. I have one here that calls for a little bit more trouble- 
 that is, in the nature of the make-up. If you will look at that bill, and 
 let a printer examine it 
 
 Mr. Howe. This is the post-otfice appropriation bill^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes; that is the committee print. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What is there significant about this? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. The nature of the bill, the make-up of it, the ditferent 
 kinds of type used in it, the side notes in it, the size of the paper 
 on which it is printed, etc. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. And side stitching, too. That is a harder bill to 
 print. It requires more men and more care. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I see there is a variety of t.ype used in it. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. And there is more presswork in it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And it seems to be statistical. I see on here a notation. 
 "Copy received after midnight; connnenced about 1 o'clock and 
 delivered 9 a. m." 
 
 Mr. Young. Y"es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is a very creditable piece of work. 
 
 Mr. Young. I want to show you one thing about that work that 
 possibl}' you did not notice. We keep up the uniformity of paging as 
 it was originally in the l)ill. Starting here, and running down to here, 
 we made that page 2, and that page 2 — this much, and that much, and 
 that nuu'h [indicating] was in the original bill. That runs to page 4, 
 and so on, showing the different changes. There is page 3 [indicating], 
 page 3 continued, page 3 continued, page 3 continued, page 3 con- 
 tinued. All of this matter that you see on here constitutes what was 
 on page 3 of the bill, with the notes and tables, showing what the 
 changes were made for, and what the last year's law was, or whatever 
 the thing ma}' be. I do not know just what these tables are, as they 
 are put in by the clerks of the committees. 
 
 The make-up on a job like that is something awful. These side 
 notes have to be added later on. Certainly, you do not see them, 
 because they are not there, but the make-up of that page has to be 
 just the same as the one that is tilled in. You notice that most of that 
 was small type. All these were put in by the clerk — that tabular 
 matter. He gives every page of that bill in probably two, three, and 
 four pages, if you will notice. Whatever way it strikes, when you 
 come to the end of that page you close oil' on it and then take up the 
 next page at the top. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 57 
 
 That i.s one of tho moatiost bills a man can handle. I have another 
 one here tiiat is a straightaway job. That jol) will bi'ino- the state- 
 ment of Captain Brian on last Saturday and my statement a little 
 closer together than they appeared to be at the time. I was asked 
 how lontj a time it would take me to get out a hundred-page bill, and 
 I said between three and a half and foui- hours, and Captain Brian said 
 that he would g-aml)le that he could do it in two hours. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Provided it was so constituted that he could distrilnite 
 it into small takes. 
 
 Mr. YouxG. Yes. There is one that we got out in that time, but I can 
 explain why it was done in such short time. The l)ill had been dis- 
 tributed, and the House document room ran out of copies. I received 
 word from them to print, I forget how many copies — 1 think a couple 
 of hundred, though. 1 told them the type was distributed and that 
 it would entail an expense of probably |300 to reprint that bill, and 
 I did not think we were justified in doing- it. I w^as told that the bill 
 was under consideration and the}' had to have it. I called up Mr. 
 Ricketts. the clerk of the Committee on Printing of the House, and I 
 told him I did not think I had any authorit}' to work under, to print 
 that bill. He said. " Well, you go ahead and print it,"" so I got m}' 
 authority from him direct. That was straightened out between the 
 House docuxnent room and the House Committee on Printing. It got 
 to be 1 o'clock in the morning before I got through wrestling with the 
 subject of whether 1 would or would not print it. It was a case of my 
 trying to save about $300 for the Office, or of setting the l)ill up. We 
 started it, as you see here, after 1 o'clock, and the force quit at 3.30, 
 which shows that they went home at 3.30. That was from 1 o'clock 
 to 3.30 o'clock, just two hours and a half. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. That is, a. m. ? 
 
 Mr. YounCt. a. m.; that is, m the morning. I went home at 1 
 o'clock. That morning when we decided to print it I stayed in the 
 Office until 1 o'clock, and at 3.30 o'clock the force went home, and the 
 bill was in the press room at that time. 
 
 Ml'. Howe. It was a case of setting up the type for the V)ill and 
 printing it i 
 
 Mr. Young. Ever}- line of it, in two hours and a half. This is 180 
 pages. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. Well, you do very cpiick work on the Congressional 
 Record, do you not i 
 
 ISIr. Y^ODNG. Y"es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is that what you would call high-grade printing, Mr. 
 Stillings? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. Of its class, yes. It is a well-printed publication 
 of its class, away beyond the average connnercial job. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Does it not often happen that the Congressional Record 
 exceeds 100 pages in volume? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Here. is one of June 28 with 1:21 pages. There is 
 one of over 160 pages. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. What is your record on that. Captain Brian!' What is 
 the record of the Office? 
 
 Captain Brian. The i-ecord of the Office is that we get it out on 
 time. That is all. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I mean, probably there have been cases where a session 
 of Congress has extended late into the night, and it has been necessar}' 
 
58 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 for you to have the Conoiv.s.sioinil Record on the desks of Senators 
 and Menil)ers on the following- morning^ 
 
 Captain Briax. Yes, sir; it is only a question of how soon the 
 reporters can oet the copy down there, Mr. Howe. 
 
 Mr, Howe, That is what determines the time, is it? 
 
 Captain Brian. That is what determines the time. 
 
 Mr. Young, I have a little bill here that you probably remember 
 
 Captain Brian. There is a Record of 160 pages. 
 
 Mr, Howe, That is all done on the machines, is it not? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. Yes, sir; entirely. 
 
 Captain Brian. There is a nice little index to the Record, of 600 
 pages, 
 
 Mr. Howe. But there is never any particular hurr}^ about printing 
 the index? 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir; it simply goes to show just how the work 
 is done; that is all. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What were you saying, Mr. Young? 
 
 Mr. Young. I said that I had a little bill here of which you have 
 probably heard before. It is called a bill to regulate commerce. It 
 is true it consists of only eight pages, but that bill was delivered to 
 the Capitol in just fifty minutes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. From the time j'ou received it? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. From the time the copy left the Capitol. 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes; this bill was delivered to the Capitol in fifty min- 
 utes after the copy left the Capitol. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. That allows for the time of the messenger service 
 each way? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes; that would take off' about twelve or fifteen 
 minutes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Spottswood hands me a copj- of House Joint Reso- 
 lution 188, containing the ordinary heading and title and nine lines, 
 together with the space for signatures, which seems to have been set 
 up, printed, and delivered in ten minutes after the receipt of the copy. 
 What do you mean by delivered? 
 
 Mr, Spottswood. The parchment copy was delivered to the enroll- 
 ing clerk. 
 
 Captain Brian. And it left the office in that time? 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. By the wa}', I spoke to Captain Brian and Mr. Young 
 the other day, Mr. Stillings, about the advantage, if any, that might 
 result from the installation of pneumatic-tube service between the 
 Capitol and the Printing Office. \Vhat is your notion about that? 
 
 Mr. Stillings. 1 should think it would be a good thing if it were 
 done on a broad enough scale, so as to cover the greatest amount of 
 strain that is likely to be put on it, in sending stuff' back and forth. I 
 should think that would be, on the surface of it, a good thing, but it 
 would require pretty careful looking into, because our messenger 
 service is ver}^ thorough and very complete. 
 
 Captain Brian, It would depend a good deal on where the copy 
 landed at the Capitol. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. It would mean that we would have to have messen- 
 gers at both ends of the line to distribute. Still, as a casual proposi- 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 59 
 
 tion, without close examination, 1 should thiiik it would ])C a j^ood 
 thing. 
 
 ]Mr. SroTTSwooD. What wa.s the trouble when the^' started before:? 
 What was against it? 
 
 Captain Biuan. It was impracticable at that time on account of tiic 
 grade. 
 
 Mr. Si'OTTSwooD. The grade at the depot, there ( 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes; they had to go down so deep the other side of 
 the depot. 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. How long ago was that. Captain? 
 
 Captain Brian. I will have to Q;et Mr. Spottswood to tell jou that. 
 
 Mr. Stillings. The reason 1 ask is that the pneumatic-tube service 
 has developed wonderfully in the last few years. Long-distance work 
 has become very successful. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You spoke of the strain to which it might be subjected. 
 How would that compare in the handling of your business with the 
 strain that is imposed upon the pneumatic-tube service between the 
 New York and Brooklyn post-offices? 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. I should not think there would be any comparison. 
 OuMs would be small in comparison. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That would be my idea. 
 
 Mr. Spottswcod. There is a little book there [indicating], the com- 
 position of which was done in less than three da^s. We could have 
 done it, you know, in a great deal less time if we could have had the 
 copy, but we printed it in one night, and that was sewed by hand and 
 delivered next morning — 300 copies. It went to press in the after- 
 noon and was printed in one night. 
 
 Mr. Howe. A book of 1,466 pages, hearings before the subcommittee 
 of the House Committee on Appropriations, on the sundry civil bill. 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. Yes; just to show you the way we do work there. 
 
 Mr. YoLTNG. I would like to say that while the force there is called 
 the night bill force, that bill force does not only do bill work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Oh, it does other work^ 
 
 Mr. YouNCJ. They do all the work that comes down there. 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. This [indicating] came in one day and was deliv"- 
 ered the next day, and also this [indicating]. That is all in addition 
 to our regular work. These are just side issues, in addition to hun- 
 dreds and hundreds and hundreds of pages of other matter in the way 
 of bills and documents. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This is done by the night bill force? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This is entitled " Hearings before the Committee on the 
 Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House." 
 
 Mr. Young. Here is a job in which there is considerable machine 
 work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
 House. You say this is machine work? -^ 
 
 Mr. Young. Part of it. 
 
 Mr. Spottswood. There is a book that was begun on ^londay and 
 finished Wednesday. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Hearings before a special committee appointed by the 
 Speaker to make a full investigation of the management of the Gov- 
 ernment Hospital for the Insane. 
 
60 I'HINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ^Ir. Si>oTTS\V()oi). All thi.s is in tuldition to the other matter that is 
 runniiij^' there all the time. 
 
 Mr. MowE. There are 1,7 10 pages. 
 
 Mr. Si'OTTswooD. That is just one little book that we u'ot out there, 
 3'ou know, without saying much about it. It is an everyday occur- 
 rence. That is just to show you the way we do the work. 
 
 Mr. Young. To give vou an idea of what is sent down to the press 
 room on some nights. I will say that on one night when we had a very 
 large bill and document night we sent down 23.5 forms to press. 
 
 ]\Ir. Stillixos. Of eight pages each. 
 
 Mr. YouxG. Eight pages, as far as the bills were concerned, and 16 
 pages so far as the document work was concerned. 
 
 Mr. Stillixgs. I would suggest, for the purpose of comparison, 
 that <he state printer of New York and the state printer of Massa- 
 chusetts would be good" critics of the service that the Government 
 Printing Office is rendering, because they have the same strenuosity 
 on a smaller sjale; and I would welcome any examination of our rec- 
 ords of the service here. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I imagine it will not be necessary to go into the matter 
 as deeply as that. • 
 
 Mr. YouxG. ^^^ould you like to see three or four bills here that we 
 have handled the proof on, to see how quickU" we g'et the proof out? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Just state the facts briefly. 
 
 Mr. Young. There is a report of House bill 19814. The copy for 
 that was received at 2.30, and the proof was delivered to Mr. Courts 
 at 4.30 — 178 pages. There is the legislative appropriation bill, copy 
 for which w\as received at 12.30 and the proof delivered to Mr. Courts 
 at 1.15. That consists of 170 pages. Here is the District of Columbia 
 appropriation bill. The copy was received at 1 o'clock and the proof 
 was delivered to Mr. Courts at 2.2(>. That consists of !>6 pages. 
 Here is the urgent deficiency appropriation bill, of which the proof 
 was delivered to Mr. Courts in 10 minutes — 52 pages. 
 
 The Committee (at 5.15 o'clock p. m.) adjourned, subject to notice. 
 
 Committee on Printing, United States Senate, 
 
 Washington^ D. 6'., July 11^ 1906 — 3 odock2>- tn. 
 Met pursuant to notice. 
 
 Present: Mr. Albert H. Howe, representing the Committee on 
 Printing. 
 
 Also Captain Brian, Mr. Young, Mr. Morgan, ]\Ir. Ansel Wold, 
 Mr. W. A. Smith, and others. 
 
 STATEMENT OF ANSEL WOLD, BILL INDEX CLERK, OFFICE OF 
 THE SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE. 
 
 Mr. Howe. ]\Ir. Wold, will you state your full name and the posi- 
 tion 3'ou occupy i 
 
 Mr. Wold. My full name is Ansel AYold, and my position is that 
 of bill index clerk of the Senate. I keep the history of all bills, as 
 taken from the Senate Journal. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. (31 
 
 Mr. Howe. Will you describe to the committee the nature of your 
 duties ( 
 
 Mr. W'oLi). I keep track of all the hills that are introduced in the 
 Senate and all bills that come over from the House, and kee}) a detailed 
 statement of evei'v action taken on any bill in the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Either Senate or House bills ^ 
 
 Mr. Wold. House bills that come over to the Senate for action. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Are your records in such shape that you could indicate 
 the time that bills are received from the House, for instance, or the 
 time when they were introduced and referr(>d to your desk in the 
 Senate ( 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes; on the day. I can tell. 1 can specify the day. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. You do not keep a permanent record of tlie time^ 
 
 Mr. AVoLD. Yes, sir; but not l\y clockwork, 3'ou understand. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But jon make notations, do you? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I have a card systeuL I make an entry of the paoe of 
 the Journal On which the Senate takes an}' action on a bill, and by refer- 
 rino- to that page the date is ascertained. This is printed at the close 
 of the session, and put in with the Journal proceedinos. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then you ought to be in a position to give the history, 
 as it were, of almost any bill under consideration!' 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. A ci'iticism was made in the Senate as to delays in the 
 handling- of bills during the latter days of the session, and that criti- 
 cism seemed to center about two bills— one the general deficiency bill, 
 and the other the so-called public buildings l)ill. The Senator who 
 made the criticism in alluding to the general deticiency bill said that 
 the connnittee on conference had to wait a good wdiile for a print of 
 that bill, and that tinally they had to take an old print and work on 
 that. Now, the testimony that has l)een gathered thus far would indi- 
 cate that the general deticiency bill passed the Senate on the evening- 
 of Thursday, the 2Sth of June. That testimony also would show that 
 the engrossed copy of that bill, coming, I presume, from ^Nlr. Piatt's 
 desk, reached the Printing OtHce that night, and an inquiry w-as made 
 by Mr. Piatt as to when, he could receive the proof on it. He was 
 told that he could have the proof about 11 o'clock. Now, right in 
 this connection, and before I get to the point, it does not appear at 
 just what time that night you got that engrossed copy. Captain Brian. 
 Can you tell that, exactly or approximately? 
 
 Captain Brian. We received the engrossed copy when, Mr. Morgan; 
 do you know i 
 
 Mr. jNIorgax. Wait a minute; I have a note of it. The engrossed 
 copy { 
 
 Mr. YouxG. The engrossed amendments of the deficienc}' bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is what I mean. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. They were received at the Office betw^een 8 and 9 
 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Between 8 and 9 o'clock; and Mr. Piatt asked when he 
 could receive the proof, and he was told ii-bout 11 o'clock. He then 
 telephoned down that the Senate was about to adjourn and that he, Mr. 
 Piatt, was going home, and that he would l)e satistied to have the proof 
 the next morning. The proof was accordingly sent to him the next 
 morning at 8.25. Ho w^ does that correspond with your information ? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, now, that 8 and 9 o'clock reference that is niade 
 
62 TRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 is true. In the ease of an a})propriation l)ill, being reported as printed, 
 in italics — the reported bill — Mr. IMatt I know has usually pre})ared all 
 the reported amendments that arc pending in the bill, thinking that 
 they will pass without any question, and then if there are any amend- 
 ments inserted on the tloor of the Senate he has to add them to the 
 proof. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And that operates to delay his work, of course? 
 
 Mr. WoLU. Yes, that operates to delay his work. The deticiency 
 bill was amended on the tloor of the Senate, and I think you will tind, 
 or I think the Printing Office officials will find, that they did not get 
 the complete copy of the amendments on the deficiency bill until 1 or 
 half past 1 o'clock that night. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How is that, Mr. Morgan? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. If my memor}- serves me right, we had the reported 
 copy of that ))ill in the afternoon. They said the}' wanted to con- 
 sider the bill at 8 o'clock, so Mr. Piatt could not commence to work on 
 his amendments until quite late. Immediately after he received the 
 reported copy he started to w^ork on it, and sent his copy to the Office. 
 There were about four pages of inserts — amendments put in on the 
 floor of the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And that was the matter you got about 8 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. That was the matter that we received at 10 o'clock on 
 the next morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What was the matter that you received at 8 o'clock that 
 night ? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. The amendments that were reported in the bill, as 
 reported to the Senate; but there were amendments put in the bill that 
 passed the Senate that were not reported in the bill, you see. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I say that that was the matter that 1 showed 
 you j-esterday, Mr. Howe, with those amendments in it. I have the 
 copy here now, if 3^ou wish to see it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I recall the copy you showed me. The point I want to 
 get out is, what concern did the Printing Office have in this copy 
 before it actually passed? My information is, in other words, that 
 the bill passed the Senate on the evening of Thursda}-, and, as I under- 
 stand your testimony, you received the engrossed copy on the night 
 of Thursday about 8 o'clock. 
 
 Captain Brian. So far as Mr. Piatt had it readv. 
 
 Mr. Howe. So far as Mr. Piatt had it ready? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. That is the point. 
 
 Captain Brian. So far as he was able to ascertain what the amend- 
 ments were. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What was the obstructton to his knowing exact!}' what 
 the amendments were after the bill had passed? 
 
 Mr. WoLu. Excuse me, l)ut the general deficienc}' bill did not pass 
 the Senate until Thursday night about a quarter of 10, or within the 
 next half hour thereafter. I can not say positively. The copy that 
 the Government Printing Office received at 8 o'clock consisted of the 
 amendments that Mr. Piatt prepared from the reported print copy 
 that came up at 8 o'clock. And, l)y the way, 1 might as well add that 
 I got the reported print of the deficiency bill that evening. They 
 took a recess until 8 o'clock, and at 8 o'clock the bills were on the desks 
 of Senators. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 63 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Then the stuff that Mr. Piatt sent down u})out 8 o'clock 
 was in the nature of an anticipation of what the Senate would do^ 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Why should he ask when he could get it hack ( 
 
 iSIr. AVoLD. 1 will tell you: because the bill was going to pass that 
 night, and he wanted the proof to getljack so that he could make his 
 additions, in the nature of amendments made on the floor, and >end 
 the proof down that night and have it next morning to read. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Simply to facilitate his work < 
 
 Mr. AVoi.D. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The dela^-. then, that the conferees experienced in get- 
 ting the print that they wanted to work on was simply due to the fact 
 that the bill did not tinally pass until about 10 o'clock that night, and 
 that you did not have the copv from which to print the particular 
 print that the conferees wanted until the next morning about 8 o'clock 
 or thereal^outs? 
 
 Captain Brian. No, Mr. Howe. We have insisted that that is not 
 the print that the conferees wanted. That was the print that was to 
 go to the House before the conferees were appointed at all, or 1)efore 
 it was known that there were going to be any conferees. 
 
 Mr. Wold. Mr. Howe 
 
 Mr. Howe. Proceed. Mr. Wold. 
 
 Mr. Wold. The bill passed the Senate about 10 o'clock Thursday- 
 night. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Wold. The amendments are to be prepared by Mr. Piatt on 
 the engrossed copy and returned to the House officially, showing the 
 amendments of the Senate. Over there the House always makes it a 
 practice to order the bill printed with the Senate amendments num- 
 bered. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 ]Slr. Wold. They did not have time that night, or rather Mr. Piatt 
 did not. Mr. Piatt, of course, at 10 o'clock that night could not trans- 
 mit to the House the deficiency amendments for the simple reason 
 that they were not on engrossed print. There was not an engrossed 
 print of it. There was a man who came over to the Senate and in- 
 quired if he could not get it. but there were a great many amend- 
 ments, and ]SIr. Piatt was preparing them to send them to the Govern- 
 ment Printing Office. This was about 12 o'clock Thursday night. 
 Now, 1 am not positive, 1 can not tell exactly, but 1 think the Senate 
 adjourned at 11 or quarter of 11, or somewhere about there, and at 12 
 o'clock at night he had his deficiency prepared and sent it to the Gov- 
 ernment Printing Office — the amendments in full. Now, the object 
 would be for the House clerks to get hold of those amendments in 
 order to print the bill with the Senate amendments numbered, and 
 they could not do that at 12 o'clock at night. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the print the conferees wanteds 
 
 Mr. Wold. That is the print the conferees wanted — the one with 
 the Senate amendments numbered. 
 
 Captain Brian. Wait a minute; this copy that Mr. Piatt was pre- 
 paring was not the copy that the conferees wanted. 
 
 Mr. Wold. But the copy I am referring to is the one that the House 
 should have — the one with the Senate amendments numbered. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the one the conferees wanted ( 
 
G4 TRTNTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. A\"oi.o. That is the one tlie conferees wanted. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And the dela}^ in gettino- that provoked this criticism? 
 
 Mr, AVoLD. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, I want to find out whether there was any delay, 
 any unnecessary delay, in furnishing that particular copy. Let us 
 get right down to it. The engrossed copy from the Senate, with 
 these amendments, reached the Printing Ottice at what time, did you 
 say ? 
 
 "Mr. Wold. I can not tell. That is for Mr. Piatt to tell, for sure. 
 Of course. 1 was with him there, or standing there, and 1 noticed it; 
 and I know it was 12 o'clock at night when he was talking about 
 it, and I should judge that the Printing Office Avould receive the 
 amendments in full from Mr. Piatt about 12.30 or 1 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It appears that the Printing Office returned it the next 
 morning at 8.25. Is that right? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. That is right. That is the first print, the first proof, 
 and the amendments that were passed on the fioor of the Senate, that 
 copy was not furnished the Office until 10 o'clock the next morning, 
 Frida}' morning. 
 
 Mr. Wold. The copy that 
 
 Mr. Young. The copj- that was pasted on the proof sheet. 
 
 Mr. Wold. I do not know anything about that. That is for Mr. 
 Piatt to testify to. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I understand you did not get that copy until 10 o'clock 
 the next morning? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. We did not get that copy until 10 o'clock the next 
 morning. 
 
 Mr. How^E. And that was the matter you had to avail yourselves of 
 in supplying the conferees with the particular print the}' were impa- 
 tient to receive ( 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir. 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. How^E. Well, I must say that 1 am experiencing a great deal of 
 difficulty in finding out about that. 
 
 Captain Brian. Jf the reporter will stop for one moment, I think 
 we can make that plain to you, Mr. Howe. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you the engrossed amendments on this? 
 
 Mr. Young. No; 1 have not. 
 
 Captain Brian. I have the engrossed amendments. 
 
 Mr. W. A. Smith. What number was that? 
 
 jMr. Wold. That was No. 20i03. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 will illustrate this, if you wish me to, "Sir. Howe. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. I wish you would. 
 
 Mr. Young. 1 will illustrate it with this bill [indicating]. It is 
 immaterial what bill we have. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Yes; any bill will do. 1 simpl}" want to find out what 
 print it was they wanted. 
 
 Mr. Young. Here is a bill, for instance, as it is reported in the 
 House. That is passed 1\y the House and then printed as an engrossed 
 bill. This is the engrossed bill, and that goes to the Senate. The 
 Senate has it reprinted and referred to the committee. Then the com- 
 mittee reports that bill. When that bill is reported, the amendments — 
 the numbered amendments — are made up by Mr. Piatt. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
PRINTING OB' KILLS AND JOINT KKSOLUTIONS. G5 
 
 Mr. Young. That is this print [indicatino-]. 
 
 Mr. HowK. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Young. Now. Mr. Phitt goos to woik and ho takes the repoi-ted 
 bill, for instance, and he takes each one of these items [ indicating], and 
 uses them as liis tentative copy, does he not^ 
 
 Mr. A\'oLU. So I understand. 1 think tliat is his [)ractice. 
 
 Mr. YouNc;. He takes that copy, and lie gets a proof of it. Then, 
 when the Senate finally passes the bill, he inserts whatever new amend- 
 ments they have made. 
 
 Mr. Howe. luto the proofs 
 
 Mr. Young. Into the proof. He strikes out whatever has not been 
 passed by the Senate. Then they are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, ."), G — do 
 you see i 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Young. Like this [indicating]. That is then printed, and is 
 considered as the munbered amendments of the Senate to the bill. 
 They put a resolving clause over it, saying that it has passed the Sen- 
 ate with numbered amendments. It goes to the House and the House 
 then has it printed for the use of the conferees, with the amendments 
 of the Senate numbered in the original bill, and there it is. That is 
 the bill the conferees were waiting for. 
 
 Mr. Ho^yE. Now, wheu did the copy for the uumbered-amendments 
 print reach the Printing OfHce ^ 
 
 Mr. Young. It reached there at 10 o'clock in the morning. 
 
 Captain Brian. Oh. no; wait a moment. 
 
 Mr. Young. The tinal copy. ^ 
 
 Captain Brian. No; vou are wrong. 
 
 Mr. Young. All right; I will retract that, then. 
 
 Mr. Wold. I will clear that up for 3'ou gentlemen, I think, in a 
 very short statement here. 
 
 Mr. Howe, I do not want to get awa}' from this question because 
 I have been trying for two days to get it straightened out. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. I can tell 30U the minute the othcial copy of this l)ill 
 reached the Oifice. 
 
 ]Mr. How?:. I wish you would. 
 
 Mr. ^Morgan. It reached there at 2.-35 in the afternoon. 
 
 :\[r. Howe. Of what day i 
 
 ]Mr. Morgan. Frida}' afternoon. That is, the official cop}- for the 
 numbered amendments, printed as 3'ou have it here before you. 
 
 Mr. Young. I thought 3'ou were talking about the engrossed amend- 
 ments of the Senate. 1 see. 
 
 Mr. Wold. That is right. 
 ( Mr. Howe. That is the l^ill that you returned at 3.25 on that day? 
 - Mr. Morgan. 3.25 on that dav. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Then it was not possiI)le for the conferees to ha\'e that 
 print before 3.25 of that da}'? 
 
 Mr. Morgan, No, If we had waited for the official cop}' it would 
 not have been possible for them to have had it for an hour or two 
 later, 
 
 Mr. Howe, Now. it remains to be shown whether any undue amount 
 of time Avas consumed in getting that copy to the JPrinting Office. 
 How was it with regard to the measure as vou had it in the Senate, 
 Mr. Wold? 
 
 i 
 
6G PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. WoLi). The bill passed the Senate, and the engrossed amend- 
 ments were received by Mr. Piatt next morning, I suppose, as usual, 
 and he could not transmit that until the House convened on Friday. 
 Then he transmits it to the House with his official amendments, and 
 then, 1 suj)pose, it is up to the clerks of the House of Representatives 
 to prepare this copv. 
 
 Mr. YouN(;. That is it— Mr. Matlack. 
 
 Mr. Wold. And they could not prepare it in any way in the woi'ld 
 until it was received in the House unless they were in possession of an 
 advanced copy. It would be an inipossil)ility. 
 
 Mr. HoAVK. ^Vas it messaged over to the House Friday morning? 
 Mr. NVoLD. I think it was messaged over to the House Friday. I 
 can not tell you anything about that positively, but I think it was. If 
 the ))ill passed Thursday evening it was messaged over to the House 
 about Friday noon. If the House convened at 11 o'clock 1 have no 
 doubt it was messaged over there a few minutes after 11. officially. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. ^^'e will get the record right here before us, and lind 
 out when it was messaged over. 
 
 Mr. WoLD. Friday. .June 29, 1 think you will tind it, i\t 11.15. 
 Mr. HoAVE. Captain Brian, I see you have been looking at the 
 Record. What do you find ( 
 
 Captain Brian. 1 find the House convened on Friday, June 29, at 
 11 o'clock. That is shown on page !>930 of the Record. I find on 
 page 9958 that a message Avas received from the Senate amiouncing 
 the passage of that liill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But there is not anything here to indicate the time, is 
 there? 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Judging from this record the general deficiency bill 
 certainly Avas not messaged over to the House on the morning of that 
 day. 
 
 Mr. WoLD. How are you going to judge 1)}^ the Records 
 Mr. HoAVE. Simply because the House met at 11 o'clock, and here 
 are 27 pages of proceedings and debate, and that amount of debate 
 
 could not have been certainly 
 
 Mr. Wold. You are not under the impression, are you, that every- 
 thing that transpires is put in in its regular order as the things happen i 
 Mr. HoAVE. Why, Avhen your messenger from the Senate goes to 
 the House he is recognized innuediately, is he not? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I suppose so; I don't knoAV. I suppose he is, but that 
 does not necessarily say that the proceedings Avill go into the Con- 
 gressional Record the first thing. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. If the messenger appeared in the middle of the remarks 
 of Mr. So and So, it would shoAV. Now, Mr. Wold, you Avill ol)serve 
 in the proceedings there that one message went over early in the pro- 
 ceedings, but the general deficiency bill Avas not among the measures 
 that Avere messaged over at that time. This was a second message. 
 
 Mr. Wold. How about this? [Indicating in Congressional Record.] 
 These are only bills passed. That does not consume any time. The 
 passing of a bill does not consume ahy time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. No; but there Avas considerable debate. 
 
 Mr. Wold. This is all insert. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Yes; but there was considerable debate, and the House 
 
PRINTING OB' BILLS AND JOINT KKSOHJTIONS. 67 
 
 did not meet until 11 oVlock, so that it i« quite coiu-eiva))le that it 
 uiioht have lieen after 12 o\'k)ck before it was messaged over. 
 
 Air. Wold. Here are ten pag-es of printed matter, inserted. 
 
 Mr. HowK. I realize tiiat, hut on th(> other hand thei'e were nine- 
 teen bills passed, some of thiMu involving' considerable debate; and 1 
 repeat that it is probably true that it could not have I'eached the 
 House l)efoi'e the afternoon of that day. 
 
 ]\Ir. Wold. Well, of course that is something- that 1 have nothing 
 to do with. Mr. Piatt is the man who will answer as to that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 understand, of course. 
 
 Mr. Wold. But I was just speaking from memor}-, you understand, 
 of what I thought Mr. Piatt was doing at the time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, it is sinjply important as showing where the 
 time was consumed. I am not asserting, of course, that there was any 
 undue delay anywhere. 
 
 Mr. Wold. No. 
 
 iNIr. Howe. But that it is prol)able it did not get to the House until 
 after 12 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. '\\'oLD. Well, I would not know anything about ^\•hen it got 
 there. That is for Mr. Piatt. 
 
 Mr. Howe. According to the testimony of the Printing Office they 
 did not receive the copy until 2.3.5. and they returned it at 3.25. 
 
 i\Ir. Youx(J. I think Mr. Matlack did pretty good work at that. 
 
 Mr. Wold. I received four advance copies from ]Mr. Dierken at 
 3.25. He called me up on the phone and asked, as a favor, that I 
 carry them into the conference committee right away, which I did at 
 3.25; and I think that ten minutes afterwards additional co})ies came 
 up. I don't know liow man3\ 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes; we gave tliem enough to woi-k on. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, we have got about all we want in regard to the 
 general deticienc}' bill. Of course I will tr}^ to question Mr. Piatt 
 further al)Out it. Now, as to the public })uildings bill. 
 
 Captain Brian. Before you get away from the general deficienc}^ 
 bill may I ask Mr. Wold one question^ 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Y'es, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. jSIr. Wold, we have here the copy of that bill for 
 the numt)ered amendments, sent from the House, and 1 want to ask 
 you what your opinion is as to the length of time it would talvc the 
 clerks to prepare that bill as this is prepared [indicating]. 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, 1 should think — that is something that I have 
 never tackled; 1 have never been up against a proposition like that 
 myself — l)ut if a man has an appropriation bill on hand he wants to 
 try to be accurate, and he is going to take some* time. It ought to 
 take a couple of hours, in my estimation. 
 
 Captain Brian. Not less than two hours, on a bill of this size, and 
 more likely three hours ^ 
 
 Mr. Wold. Y'es; I have never done any of that work, ])ut of course 
 I have seen lots of it done. 
 
 Captain Brian. If this bill had been turned over to the clerk at 11 
 o'clock, at the hour the House met, it could not possibly have been 
 done before 2 oYdock. 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. Unquestionably an appropriation bill just a little bit 
 larger than that takes three or four hours. 
 
68 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Wold. So far as 1113^ saying- that the deticienc>^ bill went OAer 
 at 11 o'clock is concerned, I do not know anything' al)oi>t it. 1 did 
 not have anything to do with it. I only heard. Of course, being the 
 last days of the session, I am keeping a history of the bills, you 
 know, the api)ro])riati()n bills that are to be acted upon, and I natur- 
 ally inciuiicd, but I think you will find that Mr. Flatt sent over one of 
 the appropriation bills at 11 o'clock to the House, ofiicially, in the 
 tirst message, although I am not sure. 
 
 Mr. Morgan. I think so, too. That is probably the engrossed 
 amendments on the public l)uildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We are talking now particularly about the general 
 deficiency bill, and 1 think it is safe to assume that it did not reach 
 the House until afternoon. Now, to g-et back to the public buildings 
 bill. That bill went over in the hrst message on Friday, did it not^ 
 
 Mr. A^'^OLD. Well, it passed Thursday night with amendments, and 
 I don't know when Mr. Piatt sent it over. I can not tell you any- 
 thing aliout that. 1 know that ni}^ records show that it passed Thurs- 
 day evening. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Have you the exact time there? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I have the card here showing the page of the Journal, 
 and the page of the Journal will give the date and 1 can tell. This 
 number here includes that date. 
 
 Mr. HowK. On page !)H3o of the Record of June 20, which is Frida}^ 
 it appears that the public buildings bill was messaged over to the 
 House in the tirst message. Do your records show when it came 
 back from the House disagreed to? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I would have to have the Journal pages down here, and 
 I haven't them with me. I have an entry '" Senate insists and agrees 
 to conference." 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is on Friday? 
 
 Mr. Wold. That is on Friday; yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Will jou get the Journal pages? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes, sir. 
 
 (Mr. Wold left the room and subsequently returned with the pages 
 referred to.) 
 
 Mr. Wold. Here it is. Page 6SS of the Senate Journal shows that 
 there was a message from the House of Representatives by Mr. Brown- 
 ing", its Chief Clerk, and that the House of Representatives has disa- 
 greed to the amendments of the Senate to the l)ill tiOllO. It gives the 
 title of the bill. It asks a conference with the Senate on the disa- 
 greeing Azotes of the two Houses thereon, and has appointed Mr. Barch- 
 feld, Mr. Burleigh, and Mr. Bankhead, managers at the same on its 
 part. 
 
 Then on the same page it says, "The Vice-President laid before the 
 Senate a message this day received from the House of Representatives 
 announcing its disagreement to the amendments of the Senate to the 
 bill 20410," and it gives the title, and asking a conference with the 
 Senate thereon. "On motion of Mr. Scott, Resolved that the Senate 
 insists upon its amendments to the said bill disagreed t6 by the House 
 of Representatives, and agree to the conference asked for by the 
 House on the disagreeing notes of the two Houses thereon." It was 
 ordered that the conferees on the part of the Senate be appointed b}" 
 the Vice-President, and the Vice-President appointed Mr. Scott, Mr. 
 Warren, and Mr. Culberson. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 69 
 
 :Mr. liowE. AMiat day was that? 
 
 Mr. Wold. June 29.' 
 
 Mr. Howe. That wa« Friday. It then went to conference? 
 
 ]Mr. Wold. It went to conference. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is there anythinu- in your record to show when the 
 conference report was submitted in the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Wold. On pat>v ()9!», under date of flune 29, in the evenino- 
 session, it appears that Mr. Scott presented the conference report, in 
 part, and furtiier insisted upon certain amendments whicli were in dis- 
 aoreement, and asked a further conference. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Were there any more conference reports, oi- tlid those 
 two comprise them all? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Of course the second conference report was presented. 
 The conference report that was first presented, the one I have just 
 mentioned, was not a full report. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It was just a fi-actional report? 
 
 ^Ir. ^^'or,l). Just a fractional report. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. How about the second conference report? Was there 
 not a second report ? 
 
 Mr. ^VoLD. On page TOT, under date of June 30, the second one 
 was presented. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It is safe to assume, is it not, that conference reports 
 go into both Houses about the same time, relatively speaking? 
 
 Mr. AVold. No. 
 
 Mr. Howe. No? 
 
 Mr. Wold. A conference report is handled in this way. The body 
 that grants the conference presents its conference report tirst. Then 
 that l)ody notities the other branch of Congress that it has agreed to 
 it, and tiien the other branch presents its report- after the official noti- 
 lication has been presented. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But it generalh^ follows that there is not much of a lapse 
 of time between the sul)mission of the two? 
 
 Mr. ^VoLD. Oh, no; not very nuich. 
 
 Ml. Howe. Not so much as a day ? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, that depends uyjon what kind of a l)ill it is. It 
 is never a day with an appropriation bill. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. What I am trying to get at is, was there any undue 
 lapse of time between the moment when the conferees agreed among 
 themselves and the time of the sulnuission of the i^eport to either or 
 both Houses, and what would probabh" cause the consumption of that 
 time? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I do not know anything about that. All I have to deal 
 with is the Senate Journal. Tiie clerk to the conmiittee of confer- 
 ence prepares the conference report, and the time that he takes to 
 prepare it and the time that any Senator or Member presents it I 
 would not know. 
 
 ]\Ir. HoAVE. Actually, how much time was there? Have you any- 
 thing to show how nuich time there was between the moment the 
 conferees agreed and the time the report was submitted? 
 
 Mr, Wold. Why, all I know about it is that the report was sub- 
 mitted on June 30, but from my own knowledge, from being in the 
 Senate Chamber, 1 can give you the exact time. It was about 1.30 
 to a quarter of 2. on Saturday, June 30. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the time it was submitted? 
 
70 TKINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 ]Mi-. WoLi). That is the time it was snl)mitted to the Senate. The 
 niessao'e from the House, I tliink, came over about 1.15; 1 am not 
 positive, only from being present in the Senate. 
 
 jVIr. IIowK. Now let us try to o-et at it in another way. Is there 
 anvthino- to show wlien the bill went to conference^ 
 
 Mr. WoLi). Which l)ill^ 
 
 Mr. Howe. The public l)uildinos bill.- 
 
 Mr. ^^'oLl). Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Biiiax. May I ask Mr. Wold if, after that, the Senate did 
 not have to notify the House that they had agreed^ 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. That was after 1.55. 
 
 Mr. Howi<:. That took a few minutes, of course. Now, Mr. 
 Reporter, will you read my previous question? 
 
 (The reporter read as follows:) 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, let us try to get at it in another way. Is there anything to show 
 Avhen the bill went to conference? 
 Mr. Wold. Which bill? 
 Mr. Howe. The public buildings bill. 
 Mr. Wold. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Wold. That shows, as I was reading- to 3'ou awhile ago, on 
 page OSS, that the Senate insisted and agreed to a conference on June 
 29. That throws it into conference. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There is nothing there that would indicate the time of 
 day. Could you approximate it? 
 
 Mr. Wold. 1 would not have any idea about that. You would have 
 to ask Mr. Piatt. I imagine from the entries on the Senate Journal 
 that it would l)e somewhere right after the convening of the Senate 
 on Friday, June 29, between 12 and 1 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And the conferees did not report until the next dav 
 after 1 ? 
 
 Mr. W^OLD. The conferees reported that night about 10 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then w^hat is this mention of 
 
 Mr. Wold. That is, upon a partial agreement. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There seems to ))e some confusion in fixing the time of 
 the subunssion of these reports, growing out of the fact that the Senate 
 adjourned Friday night 
 
 Mr. Wold. -Immediately after the adoption of the public buildings 
 conference report. 
 
 Mr. Howe (continuing). To resume next morning, while the House 
 simply recessed, and the House proceedings of Saturday morning- 
 were made to appear in the Record as })eing the proceedings of Friday. 
 
 Mr. Wold. 1 would not know anything about that. Probably they 
 took a recess. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Wold. The Senate adjoui-ned. Wait a minute; the Senate 
 adjourned at 11 o'clock and 45 minutes on Friday, June 29. That is 
 in the Senate Journal on page 701. 
 
 Mr. Howe. While the House simply took a recess. 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, I would not know anything about that unless I 
 looked at the Record. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is the fact; the House took a recess. Do vou 
 recognize any delay, Mr. Wold, in the handling of this public build- 
 ings bill? 
 
TKINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 71 
 
 Mr. AVoLi). Well, I can not say that I do, inannuich as I do not 
 know anything- of the particulars a])oiit it. 
 
 ]Mr. HowK. There seems to have been a good deal of time between 
 the ao-reement of the conferees and the submission of the report, and 
 I thouo'ht possibly you mioht have some theory as to why that amount 
 of time was consumed. 
 
 ]Mr. WoLO. I do not know when the conferees agreed. I do know 
 that the conference report was presented and agreed to in the Senate 
 about, as 1 said before, between l.'.M) and 1.45. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. On Saturday. 
 
 Mr. Wold. On Saturday. ^ 
 
 Mr. Howp:. Do your duties carry you over to the Housed 
 
 ]\Ir. WoT>D. No; not officially. 
 
 Mr. ITowE. You are not cognizant of any proceedings that took 
 place over there, then i 
 
 Mr. Wold. Nothing officially; no. 
 
 Mr. IIowE. The correct procedure in this case would have been that 
 the conference report should first be submitted in the Senate, or in 
 the House? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Which conference report? 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. The conference report on the public l)uildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Wold. There were two conferences. The first one was pre- 
 sented in the Senate. The House disagrees, and the Senate insists 
 and agrees to the conference, which means granting- the conference. 
 The Senate presents its conference report first. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How was it in the other case? 
 
 Mr. Wold. In the second conference the House conferees were 
 supposed to present — or rather, they are not supposed, they ought to 
 submit their conference report first, under the rules of practice 
 between the two Houses. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There was not any confusion about that, so far as 3'ou 
 know ? 
 
 ]Mr. Wold. Not that I know of, that I can sa}^ positively. The 
 conference reports are confusing-, especially where there are two or 
 three conferences. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You say they are confusing? 
 
 Mr. Wold. At times; yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Actually, was there any confusion in this case? 
 
 Mr. Woi D. I do not know of any, because all 1 have is the Senate 
 Journal to go by to make my entries. There may have been some 
 delay in it, but I do not know where it was. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You say that your duties do not officiallj'^ carry you 
 over to the House i 
 
 Mr. Wold. No, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did 3T)u have any occasion on that day to go over to 
 the House on the business of the Senate ? 
 
 Mi-. Wold. I never went over on business of the Senate. 1 just 
 went over from personal interest, to find out how the public build- 
 ings bill was getting on, after the Senate had acted upon the con- 
 ference report. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That was after 1.55, or whatever the time was? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes. 
 
 ]VIr. Howe. What did you discover over there? 
 
72 PRINTING OF 15ILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. WoLD. I just went over into Mr. McKenney's office, and I was 
 talking: to him about the public building-s bill. He had not prepared 
 the copy to be put on j^archnient yet. He had not received the con- 
 ference report. 
 
 Mr. Howe. He had not received it? 
 
 Mr. Wold. He had not I'cceived the papers in the case, 
 
 Mr. HowK. Notwithstandino- the fact that the House was required, 
 under the rules of practice, to submit the I'eport ii-rst:! 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, they had su])mitted it. At this time it had 
 passed the House and Senate; and it had just passed the Senate, and 
 1 went over to see INIr. McKenney to find out about how long it was 
 o-oing- to take him to enroll it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What did he say al)Out the length of time it was going 
 to take him to enroll it^ 
 
 Mr. Wold. This was 2.15, and he says: ''It will take me all the 
 way from an hour to an hour and a half to enroll it,'' so that I should 
 think he would have the copy ready for the Government Printing 
 Office to put on parchment about 4 o'clock or later. It depends upon 
 whether or not it took him an hour and a half; but he surelv could 
 not have gotten it there before 4: o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I am getting a little away from the point. I was try- 
 ing to ascertain whether there was any delay in the action of the House 
 in sulnuitting the second conference report which you say they were 
 recjuired under the practice of the two bodies to make first. 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, I could not say about that. The House must 
 have acted on that conference report about 1 o'clock, or close to that 
 time, and they convened at 11 o'clock. Prol)al)ly the report was not 
 prepared at that time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was any explanation made as to why it was not pre- 
 pared 'i 
 
 Mr. Wold. 1 did not talk with anybody about it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Let us get bade to this question of confusion in the pro- 
 cedure. Did you say there was, in your judgment, confusion in this 
 case as to which house should first submit the report? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, there somi^times is a question. Some Senators 
 and some Members not being entii'ely familial" with the procedure, 
 sometimes they question the mode of procedure. 
 
 Mr, Howe. Was there any question in this regard^ 
 
 Mr. Wold. There was none asked me. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did you hearanv question raised a])out it at all? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes,' I did. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you care to state who raised the question? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Wh}', I don't know of an^dwdy in particular raising 
 the question, except that I heard some one remark in the office — 
 whether it was one of the clerks or a newspaper reporter I do not 
 know — that there was some question as to just where the conference 
 report should be presented first. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That probaldv accounted for some of the delav. did it 
 not? 
 
 Mr. Wold. It probably would, where there was a question like 
 that raised. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Who would naturally decide a question of that kind? 
 Who would be the natural man to state the procedure to anyone inter- 
 ested to know it? 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 78 
 
 Mr. Wold. In the Senate they always go to Mr. McDonald, the 
 chief clerk, and ask him any (luestions as to parlianientar}- procedure. 
 Mr. Howe. Whs any inquiry made of him so far as you know? 
 Mr. Wold. 1 do not know. 
 
 Mr. IIowE. Who, in the House, would he the party to decidi> such a 
 ^ question? 
 
 Mr. ^^'oLD. 1 imagine that Mr. Hind.s would l)e the man. 
 ]\Ir. Howe. Then, if there was a (piestion, one or the other of these 
 . g-entlemen nuist have been (piestioned and must have derided it? 
 Mr. Wold. Prol)a))ly; if there was any question a))out it. 
 ]\lr. Howe. But I thought you said there was a q\iestion ahout it. 
 Mr. \\'oLD. Oidy what I heard. I do not know about it officially. 
 ]\Ir. Howe. Would you care to state Avhat you heard? 
 Mr. Wold. Well, all 1 know is that there was a rwnark made that 
 they did not know just where the conference report ought to have been 
 presented; ])ut of course it should be presented in the House first. 
 Mr. Howe. ^Mlo were the parties to this conversation? 
 i ]\ir. Wold. I can not say that positively, t)ecause I do not know. 
 ' I could not sa}" that positively, as I only heard the remark. 
 Mr. Howe. How did they finally get enlightenment? 
 Mr. Wold. 1 don't know. You have got me there. I can not 
 ; ansAver that. I know the night liefore I suggested — I don't know the 
 i man's name; he is on the floor of the House— I suggested to him when 
 he came over to inquire about the public buildings bill to remember 
 that the conference report was to be presented in the House first. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Now, Mr. Wold, this committee is trying to get at 
 the facts in this matter. They are required to get at the facts by an 
 order of the Senate, and if you have any information on this subject I 
 i should judge it would be quite proper for you to furnish it. 
 
 Mr. Wold. Mr. Howe, I would not want to give any information 
 that I do not know positively about the facts. 
 Mr. Howe. No; of course not. 
 
 Mr. AVoLD. But, in my personal opinion, I suppose if the conference 
 report on the })ublic l)uiidings bill could have Ijeen prejjared and pre- 
 sented in the House of Representatives, or had ])een finished and pre- 
 sented in the House of Representatives when they convened at their 
 11 o'clock session on Saturday — 1 suppose the Government Printing 
 : OHice would have got the copy for that bill just that nuich earlier. 
 ' Mr. Howe. Actually, froili 3'our information, was there any con- 
 / fusion over there ? Did they believe that the report ought to l)e first 
 submitted in the Senate? Were they in doubt about their rights in 
 the matter? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Nobod^^ ever asked me about that at all, and 1 could not 
 sa3^ Nobody ever came to me and asked me about it. Pro))ably Mr. 
 Piatt could give you more information on that very point. 
 Mr. HoAVE. We hope to hear from Mr. Piatt on that subject. 
 
 ^ Captain Brian. May 1 ask a question, ]Mr. Howe. 
 Mr. HoAVE. Certainly. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Wold 1 understood you to sa,y that you Avent 
 over to Mr. McKenney's room about 2.15, and that he had not com- 
 menced to prepare the copv for the enrolled bill. 
 Mr. Wold. That is right. 
 
 Captain Brian. Did Mr. McKenney say that he Avas busy on other 
 bills at that time? 
 
74 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. WoLi). lie had not received tlie papers in the case. 
 
 Captain Brian. Hut did he sa}' anything about being- too busy to 
 prepare it when it canie^ 
 
 Mr. WoLD. He was sitting there waiting for it, and had sent his 
 messenger after it. 
 
 Captain Bkian. He had nothing else to do? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Nothing else to do. 
 
 Mr. Howp:. Is it not unusual at that stage of the proceedings for the 
 enrolling clerk to be idle? 
 
 Mr. \VoLD. Why, he might have had something to do, but he was 
 waiting for an appropriation bill. 
 
 Captain Brian. Do you know how long after that time it was before 
 the copy reached Mr. ^IcKeimey so that he could go to work on it? 
 
 ■Nlr. WoLD. It reached him while I was in there. 
 
 C'aptain Brian. Did he go to work on it or turn it over to an 
 assistant? 
 
 Mr. Wold. He went to work on it immediately. 
 
 Captain Bkian. Did he have assistants? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. 1 believe you said that in your opinion it would 
 take from an hour and a half to two hours to prepare that bill, which 
 would bring it up in the neighl)orhood of 4 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Wold. I think so. and he said so himself. 
 
 C'aptain Brian. Yes; that would take it up to about 4 o'clock. Did 
 Mr. McKenney say how long it would take him to read the proof on 
 that bill after it was Returned ? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Well, I believe he did say something about that.. I 
 don't remember the time, but on an appropriation bill it would take 
 him-^ — 
 
 Captain Brian. This bill made 20 large pages, you know, in its 
 enrolled form. 
 
 Mr. Wold. I have no idea, becau.se I never read the bills, but of 
 course it is going to take some time. 
 
 Captain Brian. Would it take two hours:? 
 
 Mr. Wold. I would not like to testify about that, ^Nlr. Brian, for 
 the simple reason that I do not know anything about it. I never had 
 any experience in reading appropriation bills. 
 
 Captain Brian. Did Mr. McKenney say he was going to read that 
 himself? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes, sir. 
 
 Captain Brian. Or that he was going to entrust it to someone else? 
 
 Mr. Wold. He was going to read it himself. 
 
 Captain Brian. Did he give any reason for that? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Yes, I believe he did. 
 
 Captain Brian. Have you any objection to stating the reason? 
 
 Mv. Wold. He said that there was a mistake discovered in th 
 sundry civil bill, and he proposed to have the public buildings bill 
 correct. 
 
 Captain Brian. And for that reason he proposed to read it himself,, 
 and to be very careful with it? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Y^es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howp:. That is the point I was trying to get out yesterday. I 
 was trying to show that the error in the sundry civil l)ill constrained 
 the enrolling clerk of the House to be extra cautious in the enroll- 
 
 J 
 
PRINTIN(} OF mLLS AND JOINT KESOLUTION8. 75 
 
 ment of sii])se(iiieiit-nieasuro,s. Now, Mr. Wold, yoiisay Mr. McKcimcy 
 was waitinu- foi- tlic pap(M's in the case^ 
 I Mr. WoLi). Yes, sir. 
 
 ; j\Ir. Howe. From whom would ho naturally icccivo thonr!' 
 ' Mr. Wold. I could not tell you that. I suppose they would conic 
 r from somebody in the House — from the Speaker's table, presumal)ly. 
 ) Mr. Howe. From the Speaker's table or from the Committee on 
 Public Buildinos and Grounds? 
 
 Mr. AVoi.D. From the Speaker's table, because the Senate officially 
 notitied the House that they had agreed to the conference. Then it 
 would lay upon the Speaker's table until the proper official delivered 
 j it to Mr. McKeimey. 
 
 ^ Mr. Howe. Is it not a fact that the Senate met at 10 o'clock on 
 Saturda}', in the expectation of receiving that conference repoi't 
 immediately after convening-, and that they had to wait until after 1 
 o'clock before it came over? 
 Mr. Wold. So 1 understand. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It is pretty generally known around the Senate that 
 there was confusion on the part of the House as to their rights to sub- 
 mit that report, and that some one came over here from the House on 
 a mission of investigation, as it were. Do 3'ou know anything about 
 that? ' ■ " 
 
 Mr. Wold. Not that I know of. Probably Mr. Piatt does, as he 
 would be the man who handles all the papers in the case. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Speaking from your experience, have there been any 
 unreasonable delays on the part of the Printing Office in returning- 
 matter to the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Wold. Not as long as I have been in the Secretary's office. 
 Mr. Howe. You have never heard of any criticism of that kind? 
 Mr. Wold. No, sir. 
 
 The committee (at 4.30 o'clock p. m.) adjourned, subject to notice. 
 
 Committee on Printing, United States Senate, 
 
 mtshmgton, D. C, July 12, 1906—3 o dock p. m. 
 
 Met pursuant to notice. 
 
 Present: Mr. Albert H. Howe, representing- the Committee on 
 Printing. 
 
 Also, Captain Brian, Mr. Young, Mr. Morgan. Mr. Benjamin S. 
 Piatt, Mr. W. A. Smith, Mr. Wold, and others. 
 
 STATEMENT OF BENJAMIN S. PLATT, ENROLLING CLERK, UNITEB 
 
 STATES SENATE. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We are glad to see you, Mr. Piatt, because we want to 
 get some facts 
 
 Mr. Platt. I sent the resolution over to you, init I did not know 
 you would get to work so soon. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We want to get some facts about the bills regarding' 
 which there was some criticism in the latter days of the session. Will 
 you state your full name and the position you occup}^? 
 
7G PRINTING OF lilLLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Platt. My nanio is Benjainiu S. Piatt, (uirollino- clerk of tht 
 United States Senate. 1 am engrossing and enroUint;' clerk. I do not 
 8U])i)()se it makes any difference. 
 
 Mr. lIowK. And you have occupied that position for a considerable 
 leno-th of tim(\ have you not!! 
 
 Mr. Pi.ATT. Well, I ha\'e been here as assistant enrolling- clerk and 
 as enrolling clerk for al)out twenty-two 3'ears. I think I have been 
 enroilino- clerk about twenty 3'ears. I came here in 188-I-, I believe, 
 under (xcneral McCook. My immediate predecessor, Mr. Sympson, 
 died either during my first or second year — 1 do not know just which 
 it was — just after the adjournment of Congress. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. ]\Ir. Platt. the two bills regai'ding which there Avas 
 criticism as to delay, seem to have been the general deficienc}' bill and 
 the public l)uildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And 1 would like to get some facts from you as to the 
 handling of those two measures in the Clerk''s office of the Senate. 
 Do 3'ou recall about what hour the general deficiency bill passed the 
 Senate ? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I am a little in doubt about the general deficiency bill 
 and about the public buildings bill. I think the public buildings bill 
 passed first, but I am not certain a])Out that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I know, but if it is agreeable to j^ou I wovdd like to 
 take up each measure separately and get the facts about that. The 
 testimony that has been taken would show that the general deficiency 
 bill passed the Senate sometime Thursdav evening? 
 
 Mr. Platt. That is right. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. Do vou remember about when? 
 - Mr. Platt. No, I am a little mixed as to which one I got first. I 
 think I received the public buildings l)ill first, and that would be about, 
 possibly, 10 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then if you received the pul)lic buildings bill first you 
 could not have received the general deficiency bill until after 10 o'clock, 
 certainly. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I am in doubt about it. Mr. Wold, if you will look in 
 Mr. Home's desk, if you can get in there, there is a note that I made 
 or that he made for me. 
 
 j\Ir. Howe. We will pass that bv for a minute. It certainly passed 
 the Senate on Thursdav night. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I sent the public buildings bill to the Printing Office first. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. I am coming to the question of the pulilic buildings bill 
 later. 
 
 Mr. Platt. All right. 
 
 'Mr. Howe. You sent the engrossed copy for the general deficiency 
 bill to the Public Printer that evening^ 
 
 jNIr. Platt. No; I sent my copy, not the engrossed copy. It would 
 not be that. I sent my copy for the deficiency bill to the Government 
 Printing Office between, 1 think, 11 and 12 o'clock.^ 
 
 Mr, Howe. At night? 
 
 Mr. Platt. At night. I did not get the proof back that night . 
 because it was very late, but I received the general deficiency bill the j 
 next morning. I asked Mr. Dierken — I think he was in charge — to 
 .send me the proof next morning by half past 8. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You did not want the proof ihat night, yourself^ 1 
 
PKlNTINa OF BILLS AND JOINT KKSOLUTIONS. 77 
 
 Mr. Platt. Woll, 1 did not see tluit we could j^et it luick that iiioht 
 very Avell unless it was 2 or 3 o'clock in the niorniuo-. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did the House want it messaged over that nioht^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Oh, no; they did not want it niessaocd over. They 
 were not in session. 
 
 Mr. HowK. 1 undei'stood the House was in scission. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not at that hour. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And that the House was ratluM' anxious to get the g<'n- 
 eral deficiency bill that nights 
 
 Mr. Platt. No, sir; the}" were not in session at that hour. The 
 man who makes up the bills with the Senate amendments numbered, 
 came over to me and wanted to know what time he could get it. and 1 
 told him he could not get it that night; but the House was not in ses- 
 sion at that hour. 
 
 Mr. Howio. 1 see. AVell, j'ou got the proof ])ack next morning, 
 you say ? 
 
 iVlr. Platt. I got the proof back. l)ut instead of being half past 8 it 
 was 20 minutes past *.) when I got the proof back on the deficiency 
 bill. That is mv recollection, that it was 20 minutes past 9. 
 
 Mr. How^E. We have testimony to the effect that the proof was sent 
 to you next morning at 8.25. 
 
 Islv. Platt. That is a mistake. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Can the Printing Office show deliver}^ at any specified 
 time on that proof, Captain Brian!' 
 
 Mr. Platt. Because I telephoned for the proof in the morning to 
 Mr. Dierken, and wanted to know how soon it could be up, and it 
 came to me, I am very sure, al)out 20 minutes past 9. In fact, as my 
 memory is refreshed now, 1 think the messenger brought it to me and 
 I said, "Where have you been so long^ I understand this was on the 
 wa}" some time ago," and if I am not mistaken — I would not be dead 
 sure about it — I think he said " No; I have been delivering something 
 to the House." I said, "You should have come here first." That is 
 my recollection. Howe\er, that is a very small matter, it seems to 
 me. the difference between sending it at 8.25 and 20 minutes past 9. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Had ^ou asked for it earlier^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. I asked the Piinting Office where it was and why it was 
 not here, and Mr. Dierken, I believe — I have almost always had my 
 connniuiication with Mr. Dierken — said it had ))een started. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. That was about when? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, that was before 9 o'clock, or al)Out 9 o'clock, but 
 it had not reached me. I was more anxious about that, because ni}" 
 public buildings bill was all right. I was not so anxious about that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. This matter that came to you shorth' after 9 o'clock 
 was proof, was it? 
 
 ]Mr. Platt. That was proof. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And you presumably inspected it and returned it for 
 correction ? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Let me go back a moment. That bill was reported on 
 Thursdav morning. It was sent down to the Printing Office, with the 
 Senate amendments, by Mr. Gibbons. It came l)ack here complete, I 
 ! think, somewhere along toward 12 or 1 o'clock, and that was the ear- 
 jliest I could get hold of that bill, to write my amendments. I antici- 
 ipate all amendments. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
78 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. PiiATT. I imincdiateh' put Mr. Home to work, and in the coui-se 
 of an hour and a half or so he had completed the work of preparing; 
 tiie copy for the amendments. 
 
 Mr. ilowE. That was not an unusual consumption of time^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not by any means. It was remarkably (juick work. 
 AVe sent that down to the Printino- Ottice and 1 had it back — I do not 
 know what titne; I will not say what time, as I do not know just what 
 time — but it was back in time, and the Senate went on with their work 
 of passinu- that bill. 1 coukl not do any more about my amendments 
 until they got through with their bill on the floor of the Senate, 
 excepting to get an amendment occasionall}" and write it out. Then 
 after the Senate passed the bill 1 had to prepare the other copy of 
 the amendments that had been put in the bill on the floor, which we 
 did, and sent it to the Printing Oftice that night, Thursday night. 
 Generally a bill is reported on one day and taken up maybe the next 
 day or three or four or Ave days after. 1 get my amendments written 
 immediately as they come in, and if a day or two are consumed in 
 passing a bill, 1 amend my })ill e\"erv night and send it to the Printing 
 Otiice, get the proof back again, and keep it going in that way; ))ut in 
 the last da}' of the session, when a bill is passed, it is impossible for 
 nie to write out the amendments and put them in until the bill is 
 passed. I can not disturb them at the desk and get the copy always. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then you got this back next morning sliortl}- after !• 
 o'clock, 3'ou say? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Shortl}^ after 9 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And presumably 
 
 Mr. Platt. Read my proof. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Oh, 3'es; you read your proof and returned it to the 
 Printing Oftice? 
 
 Mr. Pi-ATT. J read my proof and returned it to the Printing Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When did you get it back flnally in its corrected form? 
 
 jNIr. Platt. We had it back with the Senate amendments numbered- 
 the deflciency bill we are speaking of now? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr Platt. Well, I got that bill back betw^een 1 and 2 o'clock, I 
 think. 
 
 (At this point Mr. Wold returned to the room with the note referred 
 to by Mr. Platt.) 
 
 Mr. Platt. Let me see if I have a note here, if I may; I do not 
 know whether I have or not. I got the deficiency bill back from the 
 Printing Office somewhere near 1 o'clock, with my Senate amendments 
 numbered. Then I compared the bill again, because I had not read a 
 lot of the amendments that were in the bill. I had it here, though, in 
 the engrossed state. If there were any slight amendments, or an 
 amendment that was left out, 1 would either send it back to the Print- 
 ing Office, or if it was a line that was left out I would write it in or 
 print it in. But I got that back, read my amendments, and found the 
 bill, I think, substantially correct, and then messaged it to the House. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. About when ^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Between 1 and 2 o'clock. That would be Fridav. 
 
 Mr. How^E. Now, the print of the bill that Senator Hale wanted 
 use in conference, of course, could not have been supplied to hir 
 before it was messaged to the House and enrolled b}' the House? 
 
PRINTING OK BILLS AND JOINT KKSOLUTION8. 79 
 
 Mr. 1*LATT. Yes; it could have I)ihmi, bocauso the man who makes 
 up the l)ills with the Senate anietiduietits nuuiJjered could have j^'oue 
 to the Pi'intino- Oliic(% which we have done time and time aoaiu. and 
 have made out his amendments there, and then they probal)ly would 
 have received that bill at the House souk^ little time earlier than thev 
 did receive it, 
 
 ]\[r. Howe. Who is that man if 
 
 Mr. Pi>ATT. 1 do not know his name. Wakefield — no; 1 do not 
 know his name. 
 
 ]Mr. HowK. Is he an emplovee of your olHce^ 
 
 Mr. Pi-ATT. No; of the House. The House oenerally prints the 
 hills of the Senate with the amendments numbered— that is, dove- 
 tailed in the l)ill. They do not print our amendments the way we 
 print them; 1)ut they take our amendments and dovetail them in the 
 deficiency bill, with the Senate amendments numbered. 
 
 j\Ir. Howe. And the print resulting' therefrom is the print the con- 
 ference conunittee wanteds 
 
 Mr. Platt. That is the print the conference committee wanted. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And you thiidv the conferees would have gotten that 
 pri?it more (juickly if some attache of the House had taken the trouhle 
 to go over and get an advanced cop}"? . 
 
 ]Mr. Platt. If he had gone over, 3'es. I telephoned to that gentle- 
 man, I think in the morning:, that I had the amendments ready and 
 had sent them ])ack to the Printing Office, and I presumed that he 
 would go down thej'e, ))ecause the night before he asked me if he went 
 . down there if it would do anV goodon that night. I told him I did not 
 think it would do any good, but he could go if he wanted to. He was 
 the judge of that, not I. 1 think thei'e may have possibly been an 
 I hour lost there, but I would not say that for sure; but I thiidv there 
 I was some little time lost there. 
 
 I Mr. Howe. There seems to have been no criticism concerning the 
 general deficiency l)ill beyond that point, so we will turn our attention 
 now to the pul)lic l)uildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, I did not know there had been an}- criticism in 
 regard to the deficiency bill anyway, excepting that they were a little 
 anxious to get the bill in conference a little earlier than they did. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The only criticism there was about the deficiency bill 
 was that the conferees were delayed in getting that print on which 
 they wanted to work, and m}" inquiry concerning that bill has been to 
 explain, or to ascertain, where the delay was, if 'dny. Now 
 
 Mr. Platt. If j^ou will allow me, Mr. Howe, I can not conceive 
 that there was any delay, unless it was in going from here to the 
 Printing Office. If that gentleman who makes it up had worked there 
 a little he might have saved a little time there, but that delay was not 
 much. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the bill was 
 ready and out before the other bill was. 
 
 •j\Ir. Hoave. Before I get into the public buildings bill in([uiry just 
 let me ask you whether, in ^^our judgment, there was any luuiecessary 
 delay in the handling of the deficiency bill in your office^ 
 
 Mr. Plait. I think not. I think, without any doubt, there was not 
 a particle of delay in the handling- of the bill in our oflice — the Secre- 
 tar3"'s office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When did you sa}' the public buildings bill passed the 
 Senate? 
 
80 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Platt. That passed Frida}' iiioht. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Friday nioht^ 
 
 IVlr. Platt. Thursday night. The public 1)iuldinos bill passed on 
 June 28, and that was Thursday night, I think. 
 
 Mr. Howe. About when? 
 
 INIr. Platt. Well, I am under the impression that it was between 
 9 and 10 o'clock. I am not certain about that, Imt the public build- 
 ings bill and the Senate amendments were messaged to the House 
 shortly after 11 o'clock on Friday morning. That went over before 
 the deticiency bill did. We had the public buildings bill. My work 
 was back at my office when the messenger came there about 9 o'clock, , 
 or 20 minutes after 9. 
 
 'My. Howe. That was Friday morning l! 
 
 Mr. Platt. That was Frida}^ morning. Then 1 ran over that bill 
 again. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The proof of that, Mr. Platt, was in the same situation 
 that the proof of the deticiency l)ill was — that 3'ou did not care for it 
 that night, and got the proof of it the next morning? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I had the public buildings bill ready before the House 
 met the next morning, so that ijt could not have made any ditference. 
 
 I think, if I am not mistaken, the House met at 10 or 10.55 that morn- 
 ing — I am not certain. I had the public buildings bill ready to go 
 over when the House met, and it was messaged over between 10 and 
 
 II o'clock — shortlv after 10; but it was practically ready to go when 
 the House met. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. The House did not meet, 1 think, until 11. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I think it met at 10.55 that morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It went over in the first message? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Oh, yes. We did not wait for anything-. Just as soon 
 as we had it ready and the House met we sent it over. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The procedure over there, Mr. Platt, after 3'ou mes- 
 saged it over, would be to 
 
 Mr. Platt. To order it printed with the Senate amendments num- 
 bered, if they wanted it. That is, with my amendments, which were 
 alread}^ numbered in my bill, dovetailed into the ordinary bill, so that 
 the conferees would have the l)ill with the amendments right before 
 them in the one bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. At what stage of the proceedings does the House dis-' 
 agree to the amendments — the minute it is messaged over? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Oh, yes; we sent that bill over l)etween 10 and 11 o'clock, 
 or shortly after 11 o'clock, and they disagreed to the Senate amend- 
 ments and asked for a confei'ence. Just at what moment, or what 
 hour or half hour, they did that 1 do not know. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, that is not material. 
 
 Mr. Platt. But it was practicall}^ soon after the bill went to them, 
 between 10 and 11. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you recall about when it was that it went to confer- ■ 
 ence, approximately? ^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. When it went to conference? No; I do not. That 
 would not come under my notice. The House sends the message that 
 they have disagreed to the Senate amendments, and ask a conference, 
 and I write the message that we insist upon our amendments and grant 
 the conference, and send the bill back, and I do not see the bill again 
 until the}' agree or disagree; so that I could not tell .you. Of course 
 
PETNTING OF KILLS AND J<1INT RESOLUTIONS. 81 
 
 the jounirtl dork — the chM-k at the desk — would know just wliat tiino 
 that came hack, if there is any reason why they shoukl know; hut 
 there never has heen any reason why they sliouhl know it particularly, 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you hai)pen to reineuiht*^' when the tirst conference 
 report on the public buildings bill was submitted^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. No, I do not. When it was submitted^ That was 
 I Friday morning. 1 am under the impression that the report was 
 [ submitted on Saturday morning, ])ut I am not certain about that. 
 » Mr. Howe. Mr. Wold yesterday testitied. reading from the Journal, 
 that on. June :^9th. in the evening session, Mr. Scott presented the 
 conference report in part and further insisted upon certain amend- 
 ments which were in disagreement, and asked a further conference. 
 
 Mr. Platt. June 2yth^ 
 
 Mr. How E. That was in the evening session of Friday. It went to 
 conference. Well, it must have been shortly after noon. It is 
 ii>ual 
 
 Mr. Platt. It probal)ly went to conference along toward 3 or 4 
 I o'clock. 1 do not tliink it went to conference much l)efore that in the 
 afternoon of the night that it passed. I sent it over there. Yes; it 
 may liave gone to conference before that. I guess it did. It prob- 
 ably went to conference immediately: probably within an hour after 
 they received it. You say Mr. Wold testitied that the conference 
 report was made Thursday i 
 
 Mr. Howe. That it was made on the evening of Friday. Then ]\Ir. 
 Wold further testitied, reading from the Journal, that on the 80th the 
 second one was presented. It seems, Mr. Platt. that there was con- 
 >iderable delay in the submission of the conference report on the 
 pul)lic buildings bill — the last conference report. I gathered in some 
 way or other that there was some confusion as to which House should 
 submit the report tirst. Do you recall anything al)Out that? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, there ought not to have been any confusion. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was there confusion? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not that I know of; not that I know of. Not being 
 inside, 3'ou know, I do not catch onto all those things. There is a 
 parliamentaiT rule for proceeding in regard to conference reports. 
 The House that grants the conference always should make the repoit 
 first, but this conference report was agreed to in part, and then I pre- 
 sume — I have not got the conference report with me — unfortunately 
 at the end of the session the conference reports are not all sent to me 
 from the other House, and so I have not got the second conference 
 report on the public buildings bill with me. Mr. McKenney must 
 have that in the ofiice, and he should have sent it to me >o that 1 could 
 keep my papers intact. But we sent that bill back, or that bill went 
 back, with the statement that the Senate had agreed to the report of 
 the committee on conference on the disagreeing votes of the two 
 Houses on the amendments of the Senate, and so on. We sent that 
 back, and then the House 
 
 ». Mr. Howe. That was about 1.45 p. m. ? 
 Mr. Platt. It was possibly about that tim(\ as well as I can recol- 
 lect now. I have not any tiote of it. I would not judge there was 
 any delay about it. The thing went right along. 
 
 Mr. How E. There w^as no delay in the Senate action at all, I under- 
 stand. 
 
82 I'RINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Then the House insisted upon the amendment disagreed 
 to. We sent the report back that we had been unable to agree upon 
 amendments 5, 11, 14, 17, and so forth, and the House then insisted 
 upon their amendments, fflid asked, as I remem])er, a conference. I 
 may l)e a little at fault on that, Init I think the House insisted and 
 asked a conference, and then we granted the conference again; and if 
 that is so we ought to have made the first report. 
 
 Captain Briax. May I ask right there, if you stated a while ago that 
 this hrst conference report was agreed to about 1 o'clock on Saturday '. 
 
 iNIr. Platt. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. I think, by the Record, that is a mistake, and that 
 the second conference was ordered on the 29th, so that the iirst report 
 was made on Friday. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Friday is the 29th. 
 
 Captain Brian. 1'hat is when the first report was made; not on 
 Saturday. 
 
 Mr, Howe. The second report was made on Saturday. 
 
 Mr. Platt. The first report of the committee on conference a\ as 
 made Friday night, along toward lU or 11 o'clock, I think, after the 
 House had adjourned, if I am not mistaken. Does the Recoi'd show 
 a message over that night or the next morning? I think it was 
 messaged over the next morning, because the House had adjourned. 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not know when it was messaged over, 
 
 Mr. Platt. It was pretty late that night, because I loaned the con- 
 ference report to the official reporters to make up their proceedings 
 for the Record, and 1 am under the impression that the conference 
 report did not go back that night. If it did, it was put in the action 
 of the House immediately the next morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, the Journal shows that on June 29, which was 
 Friday, Mr, Scott presented the conference report on the public build- 
 ings bill in part, and further insisted upon certain amendments which 
 were in disagreement, and asked a further conference. Under that 
 procedure which House should make the report first? 
 
 jSIr. Platt. The House which granted the conference should have 
 made its report first. That reversed the order of procedure. I had 
 forgotten. I have not that other conference report 
 
 Mr. Howe. There seems to have been a great deal of time, iMr. 
 Platt, between the moment when the conference agreed on the second 
 report and the time when the report was submitted in the House? 
 
 Mr. Platt. That I know nothing about. 
 
 Mr. Howe. As 1 have said, there was an impression around that 
 the House were in doubt as to their rights, and that the}" were waiting 
 for the Senate to submit the report, and the Senate on the other hand 
 were waiting for the House to submit their I'eport, and that some one 
 came over from the House to inquire why the Senate had not sub- 
 mitted this report. 
 
 Mr. Platt. They would not inquire of me. I would know nothing^ 
 Avhatever about that. 
 
 ^Ir, HoAVE. Of whom would they inquire? 
 
 Mr. Platt. They would inquire inside, of the Journal clei 
 undoubtedly. If the}^ had come to me I would have told them how 
 conference report should be made, but I have no recollection now 
 anybody coming to me and asking where the conference report should 
 be made. 
 
 ing 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND .HUNT KESOLl'l I< >NS. 83 
 
 Mr. IIowE. Iliivo you nuy recollection of anvoiie coniiiio' from the 
 House aiul niakiuo' such an in((uii\v^ 
 
 ^Ir. Platt. No: I have not. What information have you as to 
 when the first conference report was made, did you say ( That was 
 made 
 
 Mr. Howe. On June !>1>. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Friday niolit. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. In the evening? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Ves; it was along toward 10, 11, or 12 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Tiie Record shows that shortly after the Senate assem- 
 Ijled on Saturday, June 80, Senator Scott asked the Senate to have 
 patience, and said that he wished to state "that as soon as the report 
 could be written up ])y the clerk the conferees on the public l)uildings 
 1 ill have agreed on a report, which will be presented." That was 
 shortly after the asseml)ling- of the Senate on Saturday— shortly after 
 10 o'clock. The conferees had agreed, and it was about 1.30 o'clock 
 on that day when the conference report was submitted. 
 
 Mr. Platt. In the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Howe. In the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, that did not delay the matter. It expedited the 
 matter to some extent, because if the House had made the conference 
 report first, as really they shoidd have done under the parliamentar}' 
 procedure, the papers would all have l)een sent back here and the}^ 
 would have had to lay here until we had agreed to the conference 
 report, before Mr. McKenney could get the papers to go to work on 
 his bill; so I do not realh' think there was any delay there. I could 
 not conceive that there was much delay on Saturday morning on that 
 bill, from the time the conference report was submitted here until Mr. 
 McKenney got the bill to enroll. 
 
 Ml". Howe. But the fact was that Congress was Avaiting and waiting 
 for the submission of that conference report. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes: but if the conferees did not have it read}* Congress 
 had to wait. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But the conferees agreed, according to Senator Scott's 
 statement, early in the morning. 
 
 Mr. Platt. That may be, but they have to read over the conference 
 report, and that would take some time to do. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Would it take until so late in the day 
 
 Mr. Platt. If I had the second conference report I could tell more 
 about it, but I have not got it. Here is the first conference report, 
 and by examination you will see that it took the clerks of the House 
 and Senate committees some time to make up this conference report. 
 Then it was sent back and they disagreed, and then, you see, that 
 had to go into another conference. -Just what time that second con- 
 ference was reported I am unable to say. In fact, I do not know 
 what time I received it. I was too busy to note whether that came to 
 me at 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 1 o'clock, or what time, because I did not 
 suppose there would be any confusion about the matter. If I had 
 supposed there would l)e I would have made notes about the matter, 
 so that I could have spoken definitely al)Out it: but the fact was that 
 we did not meet until 10 o'clock, and it was some time after that l)efore 
 the conference report was submitted and sent back. >sow, where the 
 delay was, whether it was in tlie House or the Senate, and the 
 length of that delay, I do not know. If I had the second conference 
 
84 PRINTING OF BILL!^ AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 report and could look at the amendments 1 could tell how long- it 
 would take a clerk to write otf those amendments and get the hill 
 back again. 
 
 ^[r, YouNO. Would this help you [handing- paper to witness]? 
 Ml-. Platt. Well. I should thiid< an hour's time would ))e sufficient 
 to make up that second conference report. How long they were I do 
 not know. 
 
 Mr. Hc^wE. I shall have some testimony to-morrow from Mr. Steele, 
 who had something to do with the writing of that conference report. 
 ]Mr. Platt. But 1 can tell you — have you any testimony as to when 
 the enrolling clerk of the House got the second conference report, so 
 that he could go on and enroll the bill? I might give you some infor- 
 mation about that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That has been brought out. Do you recall, Captain 
 Brian, when that was^ 
 Captain Brian. About half past 2, I think, it was testified to. 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Wold says he went over to Mr. McKenney's room 
 at 2. 15 and he had not commenced to prepare the copv for the enrolled 
 bills. 
 
 jNIr. Platt. The conference report had to be made up on Saturday 
 morning and the Senate did not meet until 10 o'clock. It would take, 
 sav, an hour for those clerks to make it np. If they had not com- 
 menced before 10 o'clock, that would be 11 o'clock. Just what time 
 we sent that back to the House I can not say, but Mr. ^IcKenney got 
 the conference report on the pu'olic buildings bill about half past 2 
 o'clock to make up his copy for the printer. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Captain lirian, was not that the matter that went to you 
 at 2.35 and came back at 3.25!' 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir; this is the copy that reached us at 4 o'clock. 
 Mr. Howe. Yes; I recall now. 
 Captain Brian. It was the deticiency bill at 2.35. 
 Mr. Howe. You got the copv at 4 o'clock? 
 :Mr. Platt. Of what? 
 
 Captain Brian. My. ^NIcKenney's enrolled copy. 
 ^Ir. Platt. Of the public l)uildings bilH 
 Captain Brian. Y'es. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Mr. McKenney got the conference report to make up 
 his bill in the neighborhood of half past 2 o'clock. Then he had to 
 make up his copy for the printers, from his bill, from our amend- 
 ments and from his conference report. There are three things that 
 that man had to have before him to make up his bill, and there was 
 an amendment in almost every line of that bill, or an amendment 
 between every other line or so. It is no small job to do it. I do not 
 know just when he got his copy down to Captain Brian, or Mr. Young, 
 and what time it came back from the Printing Othce. That I do not 
 know. Captain Brian has prol)ably testified about that; but I do 
 know there was considerable delay here about the time we were going 
 to adjourn. At hrst the I'eport came that we were going to adjourn 
 at half past 11 and then at half past 12. If they had been my bills 
 I could have told, and I guess probably Captain Brian will l)ear me 
 out in this, within about an hour's time of when they could adjourn. 
 
 It may be that the powers that be did not inquire of anybody who 
 knew what time they could set for adjournment; but it was very pro- 
 voking to have the President compelled to stay here until half-past 8 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 85 
 
 o'clock at nig-ht. But, really, as far as I can see, it was unavoidable, 
 except in one way. I do not testify to thai as being- a sure tiiino-. but 
 I went over to tiie enrollino- room. 1 in(|uired of the Printing- Ottice 
 about what time the l)ill would be up carr3'ing the appro|)riations for 
 the public buildings bill. It was not any of my attair, but I inipiired, 
 and they told me that would be up about 6 o'clock, and that the pu1>- 
 lic buildings bill would follow shortly. They did not say just what 
 time. So 1 went in and told the Secretary. They were ail impatient 
 there in the Presidenfs room, and I told the Secretary about it. I 
 said. "You can tell the President, Mr. Secretary, that the bill will l)e 
 over here — the bill carrying- the appropriations — about «> o'clock, 
 ready for signature; and the other bill, as 1 understand it, will be up 
 shortly.'' 
 
 The President said — I do not know whether I should relate it or 
 not, but I do not know as it would make any difference — the President 
 said, "' 1 will svait until 7 o'clock, but I would like it better if I could 
 get away a little before that." AVe said that from all accounts at that 
 hour we thought possibly he might get away at 7 o'clock. So then I 
 went over to the House, to iMr. McKenney's room, to find out what 
 he was doing. He was busy thei-e with his two clerks, and when 1 
 got a chance I said, "Mac, what time will the public buildings bill l)e 
 over to the Senate?" He said, "I don't know; it will be some time 
 
 yet." 
 
 Mr. Howe. What reason did he give for thati 
 
 Mr. Platt. He sa3's, "I do not know; it will be some time yet 
 before that bill will be over." He says, "I find a mistake in nearly 
 every" — he was reading the enrolled copy then, the parchment copy — 
 he says, '"I find a mistake in every page, or almost, or every other 
 page, and have to send it l)ack to the Printing-office to be corrected." 
 It would take ten minutes to get to the Printing Office, and they would 
 have to make that correction, and put that form on the press again, 
 and it would take a man ten minutes to get back again, and by that 
 time another sheet was ready to go b.ick. I presume, or may be before; 
 but whether those mistakes were Mr. McKenney's mistakes or the 
 fault of the Printing- Office I do not know. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We have testimony on that subject. 
 
 ^Ii-. Platt. I do not know anything about that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We understand there were seven pages containing Capi- 
 tol errors, and thi-ee pages containing- Printing Office errors. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, that I know nothing about. There was a delay 
 there, but where it was I do not know, or whose fault it was I do not 
 know. Probably it was unavoidaljle. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Would you call it a delay, or simply say that it was a 
 consumption of a legitimate amount of time, considering the magni- 
 tude and complexity of the work? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, I think the delay was rather unavoidable and yet 
 I do not know why every page or every other page should go back. 
 I do not put the blame on anybody; I do not want to do that, l)ut I 
 can not quite conceive how you w^ould prepai-e the copy for a bill of 
 that character and then when you get the enrolled copy back have a 
 mistake on every page or every other page, or two or three mistakes. 
 1 think there might have been some time that might have been saved 
 there, but 1 can not say. It was not my bill and I can not say. 
 
86 PRINTING OB' BILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have ,you any theory as to why so much time elapsed 
 between the agreement of the conferees on the public buildings bill 
 and the time when the conference report was oti'ered in the Housed 
 
 Mr. Pi. ATT. 1 have no theory whatever, l)ecause I do not know what 
 time it was otiered in the House. That I do not know anything" 
 about. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What time was it otiered in the Housed We have some 
 testimony on that. , Do you recall, Captain Brian;! 
 
 Ca])tain Brian. 1 do not know. The Senate took a recess imme- 
 diately after that — at 1.55. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Innuediately after it was otiered here? ■ 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes, immediately after it was otiered in the Senate. 
 
 j\lr. Platt. The Senate agreed to it and then took a recess? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Platt. We had agreed to it, then, at possildy 1.50. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Platt, the House took a recess at 1.20 p. m., just 
 before which they had agreed to the conference report on the public 
 buildings bill. 
 
 Mr. Platt. At 1.20? 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1.20. Just before 1.20 they agreed to that conference 
 report. You see Senator Scott said that the conferees had agreed 
 A^ery shortly after 10 o'clock in the momiing. and there was a lapse of 
 time between say 10 o'clock in the morning and 1.20 which I am try- 
 ing to account for. You have testitied that in your judgment, from 
 an inspection of the matter, an hour would probably be a sufficient 
 amount of time for the preparation of that conference report. In the 
 light of this statement, have vou any theory as to why so long a time 
 elapsed l)etween the agreement and the rendering of the report? 
 
 Mr. Platt. No, I have not any whatever. It is not in mv province 
 at all. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did Mr. Hinds come over here to inquire why the Sen- 
 ate had not submitted that conference report? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not to me. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you know whether he came over or not? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I do not. He did not come to me. I can tell you that. 
 Nobody came to me. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That, of course, was not my question. I am simply 
 trying to get the facts for the information of the Committee on 
 Printing. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I beg your pardon 
 
 Mr. Howe. If you have any knowledge on the subject, I think it 
 Avould be quite proper that you should give it. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I beg your pardon. I answered to the l)est of my al)il- 
 ity. Mr. Hinds did not come to me; neither do I know of his l)eing 
 over here, or anybody else, in regard to the public buildings bill, or 
 any other bill on that day. I did not (juite catch onto your question, 
 if I did not answer it properly. You tiiink possibly that I had some 
 knowledge and did not state it. I have no knowledge whatever. Mr. 
 Hinds did not come to me. Who he went to, if he came, I do not 
 know. I have no knowledge of his coming here at all — not a particle 
 of knowledge. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Haveyou any knowledge that there was any confusion 
 in the matter? 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND -lOINT KESOLUTIONS. 87 
 
 P Mr. Platt. I have not. I know Mr. Stoelo on several oeoai^ions 
 has asked me how conference reports were made and I have told him. 
 He spoke to me al)Out that conference report a day or two before it 
 went into conference: about how the conference re])ort siiould he ma(h', 
 and asked me if T would j>ive him information as to making out one. 
 I told him that if there was any way in which I could assist iiim 1 
 would do it; but I tell most everybody, if 1 am in doubt about it. that 
 
 ' Mr. Cleaves is the best authority on conference reports around the 
 building-, if I am ever in doubt about it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. ]Mr. Cleaves p/efers not to testify. 
 
 ]Mr. Platt. Well. I suppose you can not compel hiuK I can not 
 explain that. As I say. the clerks often come to me aljout conference 
 reports, and when I am able to give them the information I give it to 
 them; but, as I say. if I am in doubt about it I tell them that Mr. Cleaves 
 
 i is one of the best .authorities around the Capitol, and to i-un right 
 
 t across the hall and ask Mr. Cleaves. 
 
 [. Mr. Howe. Mr. Platt. that there was confusion in regard to the 
 
 ' procedure of submitting this conference report is shown in the Record, 
 
 I where Senator Hale, on Saturday, asked: 
 
 I Does either of the Senators know which body assented to the conference? 
 
 p Mr. Warren. The House assented. The Senate asked for tlie last conference. 
 
 Mr. Hale. Is the Senator sure of that? * 
 
 Mr. Warren*. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Hale. Because that will make a difference in the proposition of our taking a 
 f recess. 
 
 I quote that to show that there was confusion, and I thought that 
 you perhaps might have l)een aware of the confusion. 
 
 Mr. Platt. No: I did not read the Record, and I was not in there 
 
 . at the time. I had no time to be in the vSenate, and I had no time to 
 
 [ listen to these debates at that stage of the session. I know nothing 
 
 about any confusion, and even if there was any confusion it was a 
 
 very easy matter to settle it. It need not have taken several hours, 
 
 , or a half hour, to have settled the matter. Ten minutes would have 
 
 settled the matter. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I should think so, unless each House was quietly wait- 
 ing with folded hands for the other House to report. 
 
 Mr. Platt. 1 think not. They were both anxious to get that bill 
 through. There is no doubt about that; and 1 do not know why they 
 [ should have taken that time, because ]\Ir. Hinds could have told them 
 over there, or the Journal clerks could have told them, that if the}' had 
 inquired over here some of us could have told them where the confer- 
 ence report should have been made first. But just how much delay 
 there was anywhere I do not know. As I said before, if it had been 
 my bill 1 could have told you where the delay was, if there was any 
 delay, and just how it occurred. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Platt. in your judgment was the Printing Ottice 
 ordinarily expeditious in its work during the latter days of this session i 
 
 ]\Ir. Platt. I think so; I think the}' were. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Your experience is that the copy you send them comes 
 i back to you with reasonable alaerit}'^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes. I have not any hesitation in saying that I think 
 the Printing Office, on the whole, is very expeditious, iuid, as a gen- 
 eral thing, very correct. There is occasionally a short delay some- 
 times, when we think there ought not to be. and there may be a little 
 
88 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 fault to find ill the proof reading- .sometimes, but those things will 
 happen in the best-reouhited families. You can not help it. I have 
 never lost anything- on account of delay in the Printing Office since 
 we conunenced to enroll bills by printing: never. I have always 
 found that the Printing Office has been, I think, equal to the emergency. 
 
 Mr, HowK. Mr. 8pott>^wood, the other day, in his testimony alluded 
 to your having called at the Office— the Government Printing Office — 
 and having made some such expression as the one you have just made. 
 Do you recall what you said to Mr. Spottswood^ It was in the nature 
 of a commendation of the Printing Office for the work they had done. 
 
 Captain Bhiax. Mr. Piatt called at Mr. Spottswood's house, he said. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Oh, that is right. He did say that you called at his 
 house^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. We did make a call at Mr. Spottswood's house Sunday 
 evening. We were going away in a day or two, and we went around 
 there. He was speaking about what the papers had stated and what 
 Senator Hale had said, and I remember saying to him, the same as I 
 have said now, that as a general thing the Printing Office was pretty 
 rapid in their work. I do not think 1 ever told him that we had not 
 any complaint to make, because that would not have been true. I 
 thought, when you first spoke, that it might have been in regard to an 
 interview 1 had with Mr. Stillings. I do not recall just what I did say 
 to Mr. Spottswood, excepting that as a general thing I had no com- 
 plaint to make about the work. What little complaint I have made I 
 have made to the Printing Office, to Mr. Stillings. 
 
 Mr. Howe. With reference to the complaints you have had to make, 
 have they related to errors of such magnitude that they would assume 
 the nature of a scandal? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not in the least; no, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have they operated to subject Congress to unreasona- 
 ble inconvenience i 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not anything that has occurred in my branch of the 
 business — not anything. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You say vou had a conversation with Mr. Stillings? 
 
 Mr. Pi>ATT. Oh, I say that; yes. Mr. Stillings called me over the 
 phone one day and wanted to know if I would come down there, or if 
 he could come up here: that he would like to see me. I think it was 
 in regard to something that happened just previous, and I said yes, 
 that I would come down there, which 1 did. I went thei-e and had 
 quite a long talk with Mr. Stillings about the work of the Office, and 
 about the work here. 
 
 Captain Bhian. Have you any objection to stating how long ago 
 that was — about i 
 
 Mr. Platt. No; 1 have no objection whatever; if I could only 
 recall the time. It was sometime, po-ssibly, in 
 
 Captain Brian. Deceml)er, was it not? 
 
 Mr. Platt. When? 
 
 Captain Brian. In December. 
 
 Mr. Platt. No; not as long ago as that. It was after the holiday 
 recess some time. I should say, if I was going to set the time, that 
 it was in March or April. 
 
 Captain Brian. It was before that. I was there, and it was before 
 that, I am sure. 
 
PRINTING OF BILL8 AND -JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 89 
 
 Mr. Platt. It niioht help mo ii little hit if you \\<nii(l tell me when 
 i you wer(> iippointed cliief elerk l)y Mr. Stillini>"s. 
 
 Captain Brian. That was when he came in, in November. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, this was some time after, Captain, beeauso we had 
 been in session some time. It was in regard to some tliinos — l)y the 
 way, 1 think it was in regard to yourself, if 1 am not mistaken. You 
 were up here one day. and something had happened the day ))efore. I 
 can not recall what it was. There was some bill that the Senate was in a 
 great hurry foi', and there Avas considerable delay, whether avoidable 
 or unavoidal)le 1 do not know, in getting that bill ))ack; but finally we 
 got some 50 copies along about 5 o'clock or so. As 1 rememl)er, you 
 came in and you were at my desk, and we were talking about it. I said 
 something about it and showed the bill to you, and 1 said I thought 
 that two hours would have been sufficient time to have prepared that 
 bill and had it back here, and you looked it over and said, "" Yes; that 
 is a two hours' job." 
 
 Mr. Howe. What bill was that? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I can not recall what it was. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Captain Brian, do you recall what bill it was;' 
 
 Captain Brian. I do not remember. It was early in the session. I 
 do not remember the bill, l)ut 1 remember the circumstances. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It was not one of these bills, was \t( 
 
 Captain Brian. Oh, no. That occurred in. January or Fel)ruary. 
 
 Mr. Platt. No; it was not one of these bills. That was the only 
 real delay that I know of in anything that has occurred. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Platt. there is Mr. Spottswood's quotation of youi- 
 remarks to him [handing record to the witness]. Do you stand for 
 that^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, I might have said to Mr. SpottsAvood sonu'thing 
 of this nature, and possildy, in substance, it is what I said; but 1 do 
 not think I said to Xiv. Spottswood [reading], "That no more than a 
 propel' amount of time had been consumed by those who handled the 
 measure in perfecting it,'' because I really could not tell what time 
 they might get the measure in hand and what time they might get it 
 back to the House; but I think in the main that is correct. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Did you say anything to Mr. Spottswood al)out the 
 criticism that had been made of the Government Printing Office in 
 connection with the work of the closing days of Congress? 
 
 Mr. Platt. No; I can not recall any more than ]Mr. Spottswood 
 ; said along in that sauje connection. I can only repeat here, and I am 
 willing to stand for that, and if it coincides with what Mi'. Spotts- 
 wood said, all right, and if it does not. all right, that so far as my 
 branch of the business is concerned I have but very little fault to lind 
 with the way the work has been conducted by the Government Print- 
 ing Office, and that my work has never been delayed so that it would 
 make any difference to the Senate or to myself. 
 
 Once in a while I have telephoned to the Office. "How long ])efore 
 that bill will be up, Joe," and the answer would be. ''So and so.'' I 
 would say, •" Well, hurry it along; they are in a great hurry to get 
 that bill over," and he would say. "We are doing the yery ])est we 
 can.'' I would say, "Yes, I think you are, but you have got to follow 
 these things. You are a part of the enrolling force now, and you 
 must follow these things. Hurry it up." But I do not think that 
 
yO PRI.^fTlNG OF BILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTtONS. 
 
 any delay has over niado any difference with nn^ work, at tlie Govern- 
 ment Printino- OfHce, and I must sa}' that the dehi3's have been very 
 few and far i)etween. 1 did niaice some sug-o-estions to Mr. Stillings 
 about the delay that occurred, and he took copious notes of what 1 said, 
 and he said he would have the evils corrected and he wanted me to 
 make sugoestions to him, which I did. 
 
 1 told him 1 thought the time had come when he ought to keep a 
 force there during the dinner hour or the lunch hour; that our work 
 coimnenced here at 12 o'clock, and that very often m the first half 
 hour we would have a bill which was in a great rush, and if the Print- 
 ing Office takes a luncheon hour from 12 to half past 12 or 1 o'clock, 
 and- there is no])ody there there is half an hour delay, and 1 suggested 
 that the force be kept there, as it had been kept there in former 
 administr.Ltions, and he said he thought it would be a good idea, and 
 that he would do it. \^'hether that was done after that, from that 
 time up to the time we adjourned, J can not say. I thought once or 
 twice that possibly it had not occurred, but he said he would attend to 
 it, and that he would see that some))ody was kept there all the time. 
 
 Furthermore, he said he would keep a messenger here most of the 
 time, but as far as that was concerned it was entirel}^ unnecessary, I 
 told him, because I could never tell when I was going to have hurried 
 work. I could not tell until it was necessary to have him, and then I 
 could send a messenger or telephone to the post-office for a riding- 
 page. It may l)e a digression, but I might say that we have no mes- 
 sengers here that we can send to the Printing Office. When I have a 
 hurried bill 1 have to send down to the post office to see if I can get a 
 riding page. Perhaps once out of a dozen times I would not be able 
 to get one, and if I could not get one, then I would have to send one 
 of our bo3"8 or men down to the Printing Office. That consumes time; 
 but during the latter part of the session Mr. Stillings or Captain 
 Brian, or whoever it may be, had a messenger at Mr. Smith's place, 
 over in Statuary Hall, and I found it very convenient a number of 
 times to call on him and have him come right over and take a bill down. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The copy you send over to the Printing Office is care- 
 fully prepared, is it not? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I think so. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is it ever in such shape that the Printing Office has to 
 call upon you to elucidate it, and make it plain? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I do not recall one instance in wdiich any of our copy 
 has been questioned at the Printing Office, except once in a while to 
 make a quer}^ mark on the galley slip, and when, I get it I settle the 
 matter right there and then. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What kind of proof have you got back? Pretty satis- 
 factory proof? 
 
 Mr. Platt. 1 get back pretty satisfactory proof. Of course, there 
 are some mistakes in punctuation and one thing or another. Some- 
 times the printer y^robably thinks a comma ought to go in here or 
 there, and he puts it in, and we have to ttike it out. However, that 
 is a small matter, and is not a vital question. As a general thing the 
 proof we get back is good. I have had an original bill come back to 
 me which I have corrected, but I think when 3^ou take into considera- 
 tion the amount of work that comes over here those errors are very 
 few. 
 
PRINTI^'G OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOH'TIONS. 91 
 
 ]Mi-. IIoAVE. There hiis l)eeii testimony to the etlect thiit the Priiitinj;- 
 Otfice, on occasions, has iiad to telephone, not to your enrolliiio- desk, 
 but to the House enrolling desk, to i>et them to make phiin some (Uifects 
 in the copy, and I asked some one here whether he would consider it 
 feasil)le for the Public l*rinter to detail a copy preparer to serve the 
 two enrolling- desks during the rush time. Would that be of any 
 assistance to you i 
 
 Mr. Flatt. Not in the least. It would l)e a detriment to the service. 
 I do not want to be egotistical, l)ut no man can make up my copy. 
 
 ]Mr. lIowK. You can be absolved from any charge of egotism. Ijecause 
 the answer I got to the question was that you had had a thorough 
 printing otHce training, and did not need any advice. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Oh. it would be a detriment to have any such man. It 
 is not necessary at all. I thank whoever it was for that statement, 
 but I can tell you where I think an improvement can be made. There 
 are times when the enrolling clerk has nothing to do. comparatively, 
 at the conunencement of the session; l)ut there are other times, in the 
 last month or two of the session of Congress, when he does not get a 
 minute's time, and it is just simjjly a jump from the time he comc'-^ in 
 until he goes away at night. He is really under a mental strain, I 
 think, all the time, especially during the last month or two or three 
 weeks of the session, as you can conceive. I think that — well, I do 
 not know whether I should say this or not, if you are going to have 
 Mr. McKenney before you, or any one from the House side — but 1 
 think Mr. ^IcKeniiey ought to have more assistants. He has one 
 assistant there, and Avhen I went over to see about the public buildings 
 bill he had a third man there in his othce. and they were each one 
 looking at copy while the}- were reading to Mr. McKenney; but as a 
 general thing f think he has to depend upon himself and his assistant- 
 Mr. Wing, I think it is. 
 
 I am under the impression that Mr. McKenney ought to have at 
 least three assistants, and I think one of those assistants should be a 
 thoroughgoing typewriter, and a rapid one. As I understand it, ]Mr. 
 McKenney has to write all his amendments out pretty much, and I 
 think it would be more expeditious to have a typewriter with some 
 experience. Then, at the close of a session. Mr. McKenney could 
 take charge of his appropriation bills, and he could have these other 
 two men attending to the other work. As I understand it- and if 
 you do not want this, why just stop nie 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. It is very interesting. 
 
 Mr. Platt. As I understand it, Mr. McKenney can not, at the end 
 of a session, read all his bills or compare his bills. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Who does? 
 
 ^Ir. Platt. He could not do it. It is simply a human impossihility. 
 
 Mr. Howe, ^^'hodoes^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. I will come to that, if you will excuse me. When you 
 have four or tive big appropriation bills open in the last twenty-four 
 hours of the session of Congress, and especially preceding the 4th of 
 March, with the other work, no two men can do that work: they can 
 not do it, and do it properly. It has often been the case that three 
 and four and live appropriation 1)ills have been open in the last day 
 or two— and what I mean by "'open" is that they have not been agreed 
 to in conference. 
 
\)2 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 jNIr. Howe. Do tho,s(? conditions obtain in your otiiee? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Not to that extent. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You do not ^et under that extreme pressure? 
 
 Mr. Platt. We do, as far as our work is concerned, in the passage 
 of hills; hut the hardest part of the work comes on the enrolling clerk 
 of the House in the last two or three days, in making up tliose big- 
 bills. Now, what was 3'our (piestioni' 
 
 Mr. Howe. My (question was. Who reads the bills over there? 
 
 ^Ir. Platt. Well, I thiidv — I may l)e mistaken, but I think not — 
 that the sundry civil bill, as 1 understand it, was turned over to the 
 Conuuittee on Enrolled Bills to read, and that Mr. McKenney did not 
 compare that bill at all. I am under the impression that he told me, 
 or somebody told me, that the Committee on Enrolled Bills would 
 have considerable to do if they examined every bill; ])ut 1 would not 
 trust any conuuittee on enrolled bills to examine my bills, and not 
 read them. I would not do it, especially where a conference report 
 is involved. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is it not the duty of the Committee on Enrolled Bills 
 to check Mr. McKenney 's work after it goes out? 
 
 Mr. Platt. It is their duty to read all of his bills, and then if they 
 find any mistakes there they would send it back to Mr. McKenney, 
 and he would take out that sheet or sheets, and have them corrected 
 and returned to them. But, if that is the function of the Committee 
 on Enrolled Bills, then I can not conceive wh}" Mr. Mclvenney could 
 be blamed for mistakes; but these mistakes are up to the enrolling 
 clerk. The Committee on Enrolled Bills would get out of it. As I 
 understand, Mr. ^IcKenney did not compare this sundry civil bill — he 
 did not have time — but the Committee on Enrolled Bills compared it. 
 Of course Mr. McKenney had to make up the copy for that sundry 
 civil bill, but when it got back on parchment, as I understand it, he 
 turned it over to them to read, i turn all our bills over to the Com- 
 mittee on Enrolled Bills, but I never give one thing to them until I 
 compare it myself. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is invarialdy your practice? 
 
 Mr. Platt. That is invariably my practice. There is no exception, 
 under any condition or circumstances. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Under your statement of the conditions over there Mr. 
 McKenney would not be responsible for any errors in the sundry civil 
 bill? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I think if they put it up to the Committee on Enrolled 
 Bills to examine bills, if they can consider that is their function, that 
 he ought not to be held responsible for a mistake in a bill. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In any bill? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes, because if thei'e is a higher authority than Mr. 
 McKenney, why should he be held responsil)le for it? 
 
 Mr. Howe. The presumption would be that if he did not do reason- 
 ably accurate work they would have some other enrolling clerk. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, Mr. McKenney is a good man where he is, but he 
 needs more assistants. I think, and especially at the end of the ses- 
 sion of Congress. We have always turned over our enrolled bills — 
 the bills that are on parchment — to the Committee on Enrolled Bills. 
 After it comes back to us to read we compare it with our copy, and 
 then we send that and the parchment copy up to the Committee on 
 Enrolled Bills. They examijie it, and if they find anything the mat- 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 93 
 
 ter with the bill, anythinu' that I liu\e overlooked, thev would return 
 it to me for eorrection. 
 
 Mr. IIowK. Do they do that fre([ueMtly ^ 
 
 Mr. Platt. It is so iufreciueiit that I ean not t(dl you when it has Ikmmi 
 done. I do not believe I ever had l)ut one or two returned to ni(\ 
 
 Mr. Howe. One or two in twent\^ years? 
 
 Mr. Platt. One or two in twenty \ ears; I think so. Something 
 has l)een said about the (Tovernment Printino- Offiee enrolling' the bills. 
 The Government Printing Office does not enroll a bill. They put it 
 in type after we send it to them. They are not responsible for what 
 we put in a l)ill. They do not make up the copy for bills. We make 
 it up. The House enrolling clerk and the Senate enrolling clerk make 
 that copy up, and they are responsible and not the Government 
 Printing Office. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The Government Printing Office, of course, ought to 
 follow copy '{ 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes> 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Unless they discover some palpable and egregious error. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Then it is their duty to query it to the ones who sent 
 the copy to them. 
 
 Captain Brian. Or call up on the telephone. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Or telephone. If they telephone about something to 
 me, and I know it is wrong. I say correct it. That has not happened 
 but once or twice. When it comes back to me, though, 1 look at that 
 and see whether it was right or wrong; and as far as our making up 
 of copy is concerned, we have ver}' strict rules and regulations in 
 regard to the preparation of copy and the work of the printers. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Who drafted those rules and regulations? 
 
 ]Mr. Platt. I think Captain Brian and myself did. 
 
 Captain Brian. I decline: Mr. Platt did it. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Captain Brian testihed the other day that you prepared 
 them. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Well, I might own up to the soft impeachment. I pre- 
 pared them on a train between here and New York once, and I sub- 
 mitted them to him for approval. He made some very valuable 
 suggestions, and between the two of ns we got them up. Senator 
 Manderson was the chairman of the Committee on Printing at the 
 time, and Senator Gorman was there, and the remark was made to me 
 that he might like to go over this himself. He said no, that he didn't 
 know anything about the thing himself, that he got the best experts 
 he could and held them responsible. He said: "I didn't know you 
 were a pi inter; I knew Captain Brian was." So we have those rules. 
 I guess Captain Brian possibly fixed it up in printed shape. I have 
 them at my desk there, and we are very particular about alterations. 
 I never take liberties with a bill after it has passed the Senate. 1 
 never take a liberty with a bill; never. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 would like to have a cop}' of those rules to incor- 
 porate in this record. 
 
 Mr. Platt, I only have one. I have the original manuscript, I 
 guess, but that would be a dead give away, because it is in ni}- hand- 
 writing. 
 
 Mr. Howe. I think that is all, Mr. Platt. Thank you. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask Mr. Platt just one question? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
94 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLITTIONS. 
 
 Captain BiMAN. You tostitiod a few minutes ago that Mr. McKenney 
 was rcadiiij^' eurollod copy on the public buildings 1)111, and that he 
 found an error in nearly every pat>e. or ever}" other page. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Pardon me. 1 think possi))ly the expression might 
 have been about every othei- page. 
 
 Captain Brian. Well, the last page he found an error in was page 
 15. There were 20 pages in the bill. Now, the question I want to 
 ask is, do you think it would have delayed the bill any, or rather, 
 whether we could not have corrected those pages and gotten them 
 back here while he was reading the other 5 pages of that l)ill? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Do you mean from the time it left here to come to 3'ou, 
 and get back here ( 
 
 Cap'ain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Y^ou ought not. 
 
 Captain Brian. Do vou mean that it ought not to have delayed the 
 bill ? 
 
 Mr. Platt. 1 should not think you could have them back while he 
 was reading five pages of the bilH 
 
 Captain Brian. You do not think we could;' 
 
 Mr. Platt. I would not say that vou could not, because a^ou can do 
 wonders. 
 
 Captain Brian. I know, but you must recollect that we had been 
 receiving those pages as he proceeded? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Y"es. 
 
 Captain Brian. As he went along, and the last page he returned was 
 page 15. 
 
 Mr. Platt. The last page he returned to you w^as page 15? 
 
 Captain Brian. Y^es. 
 
 Mr. Platt. That is the highest number? 
 
 Captain Brian. Y^es; that Avas the highest number. 
 
 Ml". Platt. And there were 20 pages in the bill ? 
 
 Captain Brian. There were 20 pages in the bill, and he had 5 
 pages to lead after he returned the last page, and he had been return- 
 ing them b}^ messenger as fast as he read them. 
 
 Mr. Platt. Y'our question is, Do I think it possible for you to have 
 those 15 pages back here while he was reading the other 5 pages? 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I think if you did it was remarkably ciuick work. 
 
 Captain Brian. As a matter of fact we did, Mr. Platt. 
 
 Mr. Howe. It was testified, Mr. Platt, that the last page went from 
 here and was delivered back in eight minutes. 
 
 Captain Brian. No; the last page was in the Office eight minutes. 
 
 Mr. Platt. It would be impossible to get it down there and back 
 in eight minutes. Y^ou could not do it. 
 
 Captain Brian. No; the last page was in the Office eight minutes. 
 Is that right, Mr. Morgan? 
 
 Mr. Morgan. Yes. sir. 
 
 Mr. Platt. I know the Printing Office, and I will say, as Mr. 
 Spottsw'ood said, that they are very expeditious in their work, and I 
 believe they try to do their level best with us, and not only with us, 
 but with all the work the}' have to attend to, and that there is not, as 
 far as 1 know, unless it was in this case — which, it not being my bill, 
 1 can not say — any unreasonable delav in the Government Printing 
 Office. I know of one time, if you will allow me to go back a little, 
 several years ago, Ave had one bill, the code of civil laAv for the dis- 
 
PIMNTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 95 
 
 trict of Alaska. I think that was the ))i*io-est bill I ever handled. It 
 made 150 paoes of ])archinent, and I made over 3,0o0 chano-es in that 
 bill. 
 
 Captain Hrian was foreman of i)rintino- at that time, 1 think, and it 
 was tie last day of Cong-ress when that bill was going through, or the 
 night before; and the next morning, 1 know, we heard of one mistake in 
 that bill. The Attorney -General sent for me and wanted me to point 
 out where the mistake was. I said, "There was a mistake in it. but 
 we have eorreeted it." 1 had heard of it a few minutes before. I 
 took the sheet out and sent it down to Captain Brian, and telephoned 
 about the eorrection, and before that [snapping his fingers] he had the 
 sheet back with the correction made. I showed the Attorney-(Ten- 
 eral where the correction was. and the President signed the bill. 1 
 simply relate that to show that the Printing Otlice is remarkably expe- 
 ditious in their w'ork. That l)ill made 150 pages, and I have never 
 heard of a mistake in that bill yet. We made over 3,000 changes in it. 
 
 Captain Brian. Do you know anything about the District code? 
 
 ]Mr. Piatt. What was it. a Senate bill or a House bilH Do j'ou 
 remember? 
 
 Captain Brian. A House bill. 1 think. 
 
 Mr. Platt. We made a great many amendments to it on Sunday 
 night or Sunday afternoon. 1 know Senatoi' McComas was very 
 anxious about that bill, and he came down to me about it. ^^'e had to 
 adjourn the next day. and I had the amendments ready. The Print- 
 ing Office expedited the work, and we had the amendments over there, 
 and the bill was put through in good shape and signed. 
 
 Captain Brian. A pretty large bill, was it not? 
 
 Mr. Platt. Yes; it was a big piece of work. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. How large was it? 
 
 Mr. Platt. I do not remember. I know the civil code of Alskaa 
 made 150 pages of parchment. That would make about 350 pages of 
 ordinary print, but I have forgotten. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We are much obliged to you, Mr. Platt. I think that 
 is all. We will hear from Mr. Steele, of the Senate Committee on 
 Public Buildings and Grounds, to-morrow morning at 11 o'clock. 
 
 The committee (at 4.30 o'clock, p. m.) adjourned until to-morrow, 
 Friday, July 13, 1906, at 11 o'clock, a. m. 
 
 Committee on Printing. United States Senate, 
 
 Wa-s/ihifjton, I). C. 'hihj IS, 190G—11 o'clocl' a. m. 
 Met pursuant to adjournment. 
 
 Present: ]Mr. Albert H. Howe, representing the Conmiittee on 
 Printing. 
 
 Also, Captain Bi'ian, Mr. Young. Mr. Morgan. ]\Ir. John L. Steele, 
 ]\Ir. W. A. Smith, and others. 
 
 STATEMENT OF JOHN L. STEELE, CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
 PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, UNITED STATES SENATE. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Steele, vou are the clerk of the Senate Committee 
 on Pu})lic Buildings and Grounds? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes, 
 
 Mr. Howe. How long have you been connected with that com- 
 mittee ? 
 
96 PRINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Stkele. Simply since the org-iiiiization of this last Cong-ress. 
 
 iNIr. Howe. You never had an3^thing to do with the formulation of 
 an omnibus puhiic buildings bill before this session^ 
 
 j\Ir. Steele. Never. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do you recall when the pul)lic l)uilding's bill passed the 
 House and came to the Senate' In other words, when it reached the 
 hands of the Senate comujittee^ 
 
 Mr. Steele. Well, it passed the House on a Monda}", the Monday 
 of the last week. It came over to the Senate on Tuesday, and the 
 comiuittee met on its regular day, Wednesday, to take it up. 
 
 ]Mr. Howe. Did they complete the consideration of it on that day ^ 
 
 Mr. Steele. They completed the consideration of it that nigfht. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When did they report it^ 
 
 Mr. Steele. They reported the bill on Thursday to the Senate. 
 
 Mr. Howe. With amendments? 
 
 Mr. Steele. With amendments. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Many? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Roughly, Kit, I should say, or something of that sort. 
 The bill would show it; Init I forget. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is not material. I simply wanted to find out 
 whether there were few or many amendments. 
 
 Mr Steele. There were somewhere over 100. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When was the bill taken up in the Senate, as 3^ou recol- 
 lect it? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was taken up Thursdaj' afternoon. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That was the last Thursday of the session? 
 
 Mr. Steele. That was the last Thursday of the session. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Was it passed that afternoon? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was passed that night, late. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Passed that night, late, and messaged over 
 
 Mr. Steele. And sent over to the House; but I want to say some- 
 thing about that Thursday afternoon. Through no fault of Senator 
 Scott at all it was sidetracked right along. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Steele. In the Senate. It was not a privileged report, and all 
 privileged rei)orts swept it out of the way. Mr. Tillman also made a 
 speech on the Barnes case that afternoon; and when it was suggested 
 to him, as the Record will show, that the public buildings l)ill was 
 before the »Senate, he said he could simply speak to an amendment, 
 and that he was going to make his speech, and he spoke for a couple 
 of houi's, I believe, or something of that sort. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That delayed tiie passage of the bill in the Senate? 
 
 Mr. Steele. That delayed the passage of the bill in the Senate, and 
 then in the evening, at 8 o'clock. Senator Hale called up the confer- 
 ence report on the sundry civil bill, which was a privileged matter, 
 and sidetracked the pulilic buildings l)ill until after he got through 
 with the sundry civil l)ill, so that it made it late Thursday night wdien 
 the public l)uildings bill passed the Senate. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Then it went to the House? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It went to the House either Thursday night or Friday 
 morning — Friday morning sometime. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then it was Friday morning that the House disagreed 
 to the amendments and asked a confei-ence? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was Friday morning that the House disagreed to 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 97 
 
 the amendments and aj>ked a conference, and tliat conference was to he 
 held at '2 o'clock Friday afternoon. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. Was it held at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon t 
 
 ]Mr. Steele. The conference committee were present at "2 o'clock 
 Friday afternoon, and this is the only complaint that I know of to 
 make against the Government Printing Olhce. ^Ve were informed 
 that they had promised to have the bill, witii the Senate amendments 
 niunbered, with the House connnittee at 2 o'clock. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe. Do you happen to know when the Public Printer got 
 the copy from which to print i 
 
 Mr. Steele. No; I do not know a thing about that. All I know is 
 that we were informed that they had promised the bill at 2 o'clock, 
 and so the conference was called for 2 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. We have testimony as to when the copy reached them 
 and when they returned it. 
 
 Mr. Steele. They may have been absolutely within their rights in 
 the matter, and may have done the very best work possible. I do not 
 know about that. I only know that the conference committee could 
 not go ahead with the work at 2 o'clock, and had to wait until 3 o'clock 
 for these bills. The Printing Office sent over to the committee six 
 copies- 
 
 Mr. Wold. I brought four over. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Four or five copies — a small number for the confer- 
 ence. There were not enough copies in this first lot to give the two 
 clerks each a copy of the bill, and we were informed that the others 
 were on the road and would be over as soon as they could get them 
 there. 
 
 Captain Brian. That was between 2 and 3 o'clock? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was nearer 3 than 2. 
 
 ]\lr. HoAVE. That was Friday ? 
 
 Mr. Steele. That was Friday. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then the conferees set to work? 
 
 Mr. Steele. The conferees were in session then up until after 10 
 o'clock that night and made a partial report, which was reported to 
 the Senate and reported to the House. The Senate acted on its report 
 promptly, and the House acted somewhere before 12 o'clock. It was 
 nearly 12 o'clock when the}^ acted on it. They were in some parlia- 
 mentary tangle of some kind, so that this bill could not be presented 
 at once. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then there was still disagreement on some of the items ? 
 
 Mr. Steele. There was disagreement on from 14 to 20 items, I 
 think. 
 
 ISlr. Howe. And a second conference was had? 
 
 Mr. Steele. A second conference was held Saturday morning at lo 
 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How long were the conferees engaged in the consider- 
 ation of those disputed items i 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was over within half an hour. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Then, presumably, the clerks of the conference com- 
 mittee proceeded to prepare the copy for 
 
 [ Mr. Steele. For the final report to the House; and this copy, I 
 [ presume, would go to the enrolling clerk, who would send it to the 
 
 I Public Printer, 
 f- 
 
 7 
 
98 PRINTING OF BILLS A.ND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The enrolling- clerk of the Hou.se? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes; it was u House matter then. 
 
 Mr. Howe. When do 3"0u say the conferees met the second time? 
 
 INIr. Steele. At 10 o'clock Saturday morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And completed their consideration in a half hour? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Within half an hour, 3x8; roughly speaking. 
 
 Mr. Howe. About how long did the conference report rest in the 
 hands of the clerks of the committee? 
 
 Mr. Steele. They were at it two hours and a half. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The reason I ask is that ver}^ shortly after the conven- 
 ing of the session on Saturday Mr. Scott asked the Senate to have 
 patience, and stated "that as soon as the report can be written up by 
 the clerks the conferees on the public buildings bill have agreed on a 
 report, which will be presented." You say it took 3^ou two hours and 
 a half? 
 
 Mr. Step^le. Yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. To make that report? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Y"es. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Now, after you clerks got through with it the enrolling 
 clerk had to prepare the copy for the printer, and the matter had to 
 be returned from the Printing Office before it could be taken up in the 
 House? 
 
 ]Mr. Steele. No, I don't know. ]\ly connection ends there, but my 
 understanding is that the chairman of the Public Buildings Committee 
 of the House would take that report to the House. 
 
 Mr, Howe. As 3"0u prepared it? 
 
 Mr. Steele. As we prepared it and report it to the House. Then 
 it was to be sent over to the Senate, and the Senate would act on that 
 report, and ] believe that after that it comes to the enrolling clerk. I 
 am not sure as to the custom. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Have you any knowledge of an3" delay that occurred in 
 the House after the time that the committee got through with the 
 work ? 
 
 Mr. Steele. No. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And the time 
 
 Mr. Steele. No; I know nothing about it. I do not know what 
 time the bill was reported in the House. 1 only know that it came 
 over to the Senate somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 o'clock — I 
 think somewhere about 2 o'clock. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Well, that would be three hours and a half from the 
 time the committee finished. 
 
 Mr. vSteele. Three hours and a half from the time the committee 
 linished; yes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Out of which we must deduct the two hours and a half 
 that you were engaged in the work? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Y^es. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The ))alance of the time, being an hour, was consumed 
 by the enrolling clerk and the Printing Office? 
 
 Captain Brian. No, sir. 
 
 Mr. Steele. No, the V)alance of the hour being consumed, as I 
 understand it, by the House and Senate in adopting this conference 
 report; and, as I understand it, the enrolling clerk does not appear in 
 this until the linished action of the House and Senate was referred to 
 
PRINTING OF HILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 99 
 
 him. I do not know; I may 1)0 wrono- on that, but that is my under- 
 standing- of it. 
 
 Captain Bkian. That is correct. 
 
 Mr. Steele. The House having asked for conference, and so forth, 
 this hist conference was in the hands of the House connnittee entirely. 
 So far as I am personally concerned, the clerk of the House, having 
 charge of that work, could simply have held that thing up until he was 
 absolutely ready to let it come. I was powerless to do anything more 
 than enter a protest. I do not mean to say, nor to intimate, anything 
 of that sort, but it was in his hands. It was in the hands of the House 
 until the House acted, according to the rules of Congress, and the 
 Senate could not finally act on the report, although Senator Scott had 
 his copy of the conference report at 1 o'clock, or five minutes after 1, 
 and so far as he was concerned could have reported the finding of the 
 conference; but they had to wait for the action to come from the House. 
 
 Mr. Howe. AVas there any confusion, so far as 3"0u know, in the 
 House as to their rights to first submit the second report? 
 
 Mr. Steele. I do not know. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You do not know about that I 
 
 Mr. Steele. No. 
 
 Mr. Howe. So that two hours and a half that you gentlemen con- 
 sumed in preparing the conference report, in your judgment, was a 
 very proper consumption of time? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Very, very. 1 would like to explain, simph^, that in 
 that two hours and a half we were interrupted by Senators and Rep- 
 resentatives coming in. To illustrate: Mr. Tawney, for instance — I 
 presume it is proper to mention names? 
 
 Mr. Howe. Entirely. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Mr. Tawne}' came in about the Duluth item, if I 
 remember correctly, in the puljlic buildings bill. There was an 
 authorization for several hundred thousand dollars. In the bill cariy- 
 ing an appropriation, there is a much smaller amount, and he came in 
 saying that Duluth had been left out; that Duluth was only in the bill 
 for a few thousand dollars, and it should have Ijcen for a larger amount. 
 This required a stoppage of work until we could go over it and hunt 
 it up and show him that the authorization was for a certain amount, 
 and that the appropriation was for another certain amount to begin 
 the work of this authorization. 
 
 Then there was the news that came of the $3,000,000 item being in 
 the public buildings bill, and some person from one of the Senators 
 came in and stopped the work by telling us of the circumstances that 
 had occurred— that this i^S.OOO.obo item had been found in the public 
 buildings bill, and, afterwards, how it had been traced to the sundry 
 civil bill. That all took a little time. Finally, to be sure we were 
 right, we made our third and final checking of the bill, this check 
 being made with Senator Warren, of our connnittee, Mr. Bartholdt, of 
 the House committee, and the two clerks. I presume that half an 
 hour or three-quarters of an hour might possibl}' have been saved in 
 this work of the two clerks had we seen fit to let our first w^ork go 
 through without the checking. To be sure we were right, and with- 
 out these interruptions, over which we have no control, the work 
 would have been completed sooner. 
 
 Mr. How E. In other words, you worked with all possible rapidity 
 
100 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Under the circum.stances, with all possible diligence, 
 bearing in mind absolute correctness. 
 
 j\Ir. IIowp:. Consistent with exactness? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes. 
 
 i\Ir. Howe. And in the face of more or less interruption^ 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes; that explains it. 
 
 Mr. Howe, ^^'hat is your opinion, Mr. Steele, about the accusation 
 of delay in the handling of the public buildings bill? Do you feel 
 that 
 
 Mr, Steele. It is absolutely' unfounded; absolutely unfounded. 
 This bill was held by the House for several months, and was sent oyer 
 to our committee within sixty or seventy-two hours of the closing of 
 the session. Senator Scott had had a personal copy of the bill given 
 to him in confidence, on which I went to work to prepare the data, 
 without which we would simply have been at sea when the committee 
 met. 
 
 Mr. Howe. In other words, 3'ou adopted a polic}' of anticipation ? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes; we went to work and lixed up a tabulated state- 
 ment and had that all ready for the committee when the}' met. It was 
 arranged by States, so that when the}' picked up the bill each State 
 was before them, and we knew the amount of money that had been 
 askecl for in various bills for that State, and the amount of money 
 appropriated by the House, and the action of the Senate, the popula- 
 tion of the town, and the postal receipts. All this information was 
 before the committee, so that when they took up the bill they could 
 act with some degree of celerity. Otherwise we would have been up 
 in the air, and I do not know when we would have gotten through. 
 
 Senator Scott kept the committee in session all that day (Wednes- 
 day) by inviting the members of the committee to lunch with him in 
 his room. They did not even go to dimier downtown, but stopped 
 for half an hour for lunch in his back room, and then went right at it 
 again. The committee completed its work about, 1 should say, half 
 past 10 or 11 o'clock on that Wednesday evening, and with my mes- 
 senger I sat over there and worked on the bill. I think it got over to 
 the Government Printing OfHce sometime after 1 o'clock the next 
 morning. That is the bill that was to be reported to the Senate the 
 next day. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You sent it over, yourself? 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes; about a little after 1 o'clock, with "must" 
 instructions on it, and the "must" instructions were absolutely fol- 
 lowed in this case. The bill was over here next morning promptly 
 on time, so that we could get hold of it and go to work on it in the 
 Senate (Chamber. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is that the only instance in which you individually had 
 any direct dealings with the Printing Office? 
 
 Mr. Steele. No; I had some direct dealings with the Printing 
 Office ou this tabulated work that I was getting up. 
 
 Mr. Howe. How did the Printing Office 
 
 Mr. Steele. Well, I swore at them ou Monday. This was sent 
 over on Saturday and instructions were given to have the proof over 
 Sunday morning. The proof was over Sunday morning, and I sent it 
 back Sunday evening, supposing that the Printing Office was working 
 that Sunday night on this and that we would have it back on Monday. 
 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 101 
 
 j\fr. Turner, the clerk up here, told me afterwards that they were not 
 workino- on Sunday nioht: hut he called over there and they said they 
 would have the bill over at 10 or 11 o'clock, or some early time — not 
 the t)ill. but this tabulated work — and it did not come over until hite 
 in the afternoon — 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Hut that work did 
 not in any way affect the end of the session work. 
 
 [ ]Mr. Howe. I understand. 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was just simply a delay 
 
 i Mr. Howe. It was not bill work i 
 
 Mr. Steele. No; it was not bill work. It was simply preparatory 
 memorandum work — preparatory work. I presume, just as it is in 
 the Senate, a conference report or anything- else would be privileged 
 over that, and would go ahead of it. and it would have to take its 
 turn. But I wanted that matter back here on Monday morning so 
 that if we had it Monday morning and got everything all right, that 
 the committee might perhaps meet on Tuesday. It did not g-et back 
 until Monday afternoon. I do not want to say, now, that the commit- 
 tee would have met on Tuesdav, had this matter come over, because 
 there were other conference reports on. and Senator Warren and 
 other members of the committee were on these conferences and had to 
 be absent on Tuesdav: so that Wednesday was the first day we could 
 meet. 
 
 [ Mr. Howe. When you absolutely submitted the l)ill, however 
 
 f Mr. Steele. That bill came V)ack promptlv the next morning. 
 
 ^Ir. HoAVE. Did your committee have anything- to do with the han- 
 dling of the supplemental deticiency bill? 
 
 [ Mr. Steele. Nothing, except that Mr. Cleaves and Mr. Courts fol- 
 
 ! lowed on their bills the checking that we made of our bill at the same 
 time. They were present and followed on their bill the checking that 
 Senator Warren and Doctor Bartholdt and the two clerks made on the 
 public buildings bill. 
 
 J Mr. Howe. Did the necessity of passing that supplemental bill con- 
 tribute to the delav in the adjournment of Congress, as you under- 
 stand it? 
 
 Mr. Steele. AVell, 1 would not like to say. because I do not know. 
 I would like to srj, too, that while this conference was in session, on 
 Friday afternoon, two members of the conference committee had to 
 
 \ leave to go to the Senate to be present when the report of the meat 
 bill was up. Senator Warren and Senator Culberson, Senator Warren 
 being one of the conferees. That added to the delay of the conference 
 committee. They were absent perhaps an hour, and perhaps longer. 
 Mr. Howe. Well, realh' the prime fact 1 wanted to get out was as 
 to whether there was any undue delay between the moment the con- 
 ferees finally agreed on the public buildings bill and the moment the 
 report was submitted in the House. 
 
 Mr. Steele. There was no delay, in my opinion, after the conferees 
 
 ■ agreed on the bill until the conference report was ready for presenta- 
 tion. 
 
 ^ Mr. Howe. There was delay after that, you think? 
 
 Mr. Steele. I do not know whether there was or not. Whether 
 Doctor Bartholdt should have presented that conference report at ten 
 minutes past 1, or twenty minutes past 1. or half past 1. instead of at 
 the hour he did present it, I do not know. There may have been a 
 
102 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 privileged (juestion l)efore the House so that Doctor Bartholdt could 
 not get the iioor until that (juestion was disposed of. Then this mistake 
 that had occurred in the sundry civil hill was causing more or less 
 
 Mr. Howe. Consternation^ 
 
 ]Mr. Stkele. Confusion and consternation. The Speaker, for 
 instance, sent for Mr. Bartholdt just after we had checked up. How 
 long the Speaker kept Mr. Bartholdt I do not know. There is only 
 one statement, and I do not know whethei* I should make this state- 
 ment or not. If you will let the stenographer wait for a second until 
 I have 
 
 Mr. Howe. Let me say this, that the Committee on Printing has 
 been directed to make incjuiry into the alleged cause of delay, and any 
 information j^ou may have, of course, would be very acceptable and 
 very proper. 
 
 Mr. Steele. This is not exactly information, and 1 can make the 
 statement afterwards, if 3'ou think it would help matters any. I do 
 not think that anything that possibly could have been done on the 
 public buildings bill could have saved more than two hours; and the 
 onl}^ thing that could have saved that would have been for the con- 
 ferees to have met after 12 o'clock on Friday night, to agree to their 
 conference report before they went to bed. 
 
 Mr. Howe. There is a limit to human endurance. 
 
 ]Mr. Steele. The Senators simpl}- said that they were knocked out — 
 tired. They had been up virtually the night before until a very late 
 hour passing the bill, and the night before that they had been in com- 
 mittee until 11 or 12 o'clock, and the}" were all tired and could not get 
 to sleep. If the conference report had been adopted that night it 
 could not have been presented in the House until 11 o'clock, because 
 the House adjourned until 11. There might have been the possil)ility 
 of saving the two hours between 11 and 1 o'clock, and that would 
 have cut off two hours, from 10 to 8 in the evening, ))ut that is the 
 only thing that possibly could have been saved in time on this pub- 
 lic buildings bill. As you remarked, there is a- liiuit to human 
 endurance. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Senators and Members can retire when clerks and 
 printers can not. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Precisely; and they did not care to go on that night, 
 because they were tired out, and they were, too. They had had an 
 awful time of it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. The committee is vevy much obliged to you, Mr. Steele. 
 
 Captain Brian. May I ask Mr. Steele one cjuestion about that Sunday 
 job ? 
 
 JNlr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Yes. 
 
 Captain Brian. VA^as that proof returned to the Office on Sunday"? ; 
 
 Mr. Steele. Sunda}^ evening. Sunday afternoon it was taken over 
 and given by my messenger to the watchman. I called up first and had 
 a good deal of trouble l)efore I could even get anybod3\ At last central 
 gave me the captain of the watch, and the captain of the watch said 
 some of the printers were at work, and I sent it over to the captain of 
 the watch with instructions written on the outside. 
 
 Captain Brian. Had the Office been notitied that it would be 
 returned ^ 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 103 
 
 ]Mr. Steele, I do not know alxnit that, sir. I had seen Mr. Turner 
 the day before. Saturday, and told him this was yoing over, and that I 
 wanted a proof of it so that I couUl <i;o over the proof on Sundjiy, and 
 1 naturally thoujrht the proof would be returned Sunday, and that of 
 course I would oet the matter l)aek to *>o over it Monday morning. 
 Mr. Turner told me afterwards that if the matter had been made up 
 without a readino- of the proof by me it would have been finished 
 Sunday mornino- and sent over completed Monday, but that the read- 
 ing of the proof on Sunday, and the force not working, as I under- 
 stood it, made this delay. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is the point 1 want to get out, that it is under- 
 stood the force of the Office does not work on Sunda\\ 
 
 ^Ir. Steele. I did not understand that on Saturday' when I spoke 
 to Mr. Turner. 
 
 Captain Brian. Unless they have previous notice they do not wofk. 
 
 Mr. Steele. I did not understand that when 1 went to Mr. Turner. 
 If 1 had.. I would have asked that previous notice be given, so that 
 this proof could have been read over and the corrections made so the 
 matter could be over ^londay morning at the committee. 
 
 Captain Brian. In that case you would have received the printed 
 matter back on Monday morning. 
 
 ^Ir. Howe. It occurs to me to suggest that instead of swearing at 
 the Printing Office you should have sworn at Mr. Turner. 
 
 Mr. Steele. Well, I don't know. It was simply provoking to have 
 to wait all that time on Monday. I reallv think that perhaps I was a 
 little to blame myself for not indicating on Saturday evening that I 
 wanted it, but it never entered my head. When printing matter went 
 over, with the proof to be read Sunday morning, it never entered my 
 head that there would be any question but that it would go back at 
 once, as soon as it was read, because otherwise it would have to wait 
 until Monday morning. 
 
 Captain Brian. But there was nothing to show whether you were 
 going to complete the proof on Sunday or Monday. 
 
 Mr. Steele. I understand. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You may remember. Captain Brian, that yesterday Mr. 
 Piatt testified that he received the proof of the general deficiency bill, 
 I think it was, at a time somewhat after 9 o'clock on the morning of 
 Friday. I notice that your Office has testified to having sent that proof 
 to ]Mr. Piatt at half-past 8, and I would like to clear that discrepancy 
 up. if possilile. 
 
 Captain Brian. My recollection is that Mr. Piatt also testified the 
 Office informed him that the proof had been sent. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What do you mean ? I do not quite understand you. 
 
 Captain Brian. That the Office had notified Mr. Piatt over tlie tele- 
 phone that the proof had left our Office. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. At half -past 8 :' 
 
 Captain Brian. At half-past 8, or about that time. When Mr. Piatt 
 asked for it he was told that the proof had been sent. 
 
 Mr. Howe. ]Mr. Piatt remarked, I believe, that he questioned the 
 messenger when he made delivery of the proof as to why it had taken 
 him so long, and the messenger said he- had to go to the House. 
 
 Captain Brian. Yes; ^Ir. Piatt was aware that the messenger had 
 left our Office in time to be there long before, and when the messenger 
 
104 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 did arrive he asked him whei'e he had been and what had delayed him 
 so loiio-; and he said that he luid taken some matter over to the House 
 instead of oomiiio- to ^Ir. Phitt first. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. You have pronounced some h\^\\ encomiums upon the 
 messeno"er force of your Ofiice, and I woukl like to ascertain just why 
 it took the messenger so long to make the deliver}- in this instance. 
 
 Mr, Steele. INIav I say something right here i 
 
 Mr. Howe. Certainly. 
 
 Mr. Steele. 1 want to say that this proof that was sent back on 
 Sunday to us was brought here early Sunday morning, but did not 
 reach us until 11 or 12 o'clock because it had been taken and left over 
 with the House people, the House Public Buildings and Grounds Com- 
 mittee. I could not get the Pi-inting Office in any way. and called up 
 Mr. Turner at his private residence, and 1 w^as just getting ready then 
 to try and hunt up this copy and try to get in touch with it, when Mr. 
 TNliller of the House connnittee sent the stuti' over and said it had been 
 '.eft there in the morning by the messenger. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That is, it was misdelivered? 
 
 Mr. Steele. It was a misdelivery on the part of the messenger on 
 that Sunday morning. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 wonder if it was a misdelivery by the messenger or a 
 misdirection on the part of the Printing Office? 
 
 Mr. Steele. I do not know about that. 
 
 Mr. Howe. You do not recall how the matter vras directed^ 
 
 Mr. Steele. No. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is your messenger here, Captain Brian? 
 
 Captain Brian. We have the messenger, the one we suppose deliv- 
 ered it. He said he never had any such conversation with Mr. Piatt, 
 and that he always goes to Mr. Piatt tii-st. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Is there an}- explanation available as to the cause of the 
 dela}^ in making delivery of this proof? 
 
 Captain Brian. The only reason for the delay is what ]VIr. Piatt 
 gave, that the messenger had several packages, and that he went to 
 other places. • 
 
 ]Mr. How'E. The Capitol is a large building, and it takes some time 
 to-walk from one end of it to the other. 
 
 Captain Brian. That is right. A^^e claim that even at tiie time Mr. 
 Piatt got that, he got his proof back and the cop}- over to the House 
 in plenty of time — about the time the House met. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Yes; this inquiry is just incidental. 
 
 ]VIr. Young. You know the messenger who brought that up is what 
 we call a wagon messenger, and not a bicj-cle messenger. A bicvcle 
 messenger could handle the stuti' and get up here inside of six or seven 
 or eight minutes; but in the case of the wagon, you have got to take 
 the package down to the wagon, put it in the wagon, and get it started, 
 and I guess it would take fifteen minutes before the wagon would get 
 up here. 
 
 Mr. How-E. If this was a wagon delivery, it is presumable that he 
 had a good many deliveries? 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. Yes, four or five of them: which he has eveiy morning. 
 
 Mr. How-E. I think probably that accounts for the delav, if there 
 was any. 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. That is done everv morning. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 105 
 
 Mr. Ho^VK. You make it a i)rai'tico. do you, to make your early 
 morning- deliveries b}" waoon rather than hy I)ic3ele nie.ssenfrer^ 
 
 Mr. Young. They are generally lai-ger bundles that are taken up, 
 and if there is one that is to come here he takes up everything that 
 goes. 
 
 Mr. Howe. That probably accounts for it. 
 
 Captain Huian. I want to call attention to this public buildings bill, 
 about which the gentleman just testified. The conferees met at 10 
 o'clock and occupied about 80 minutes, and the clerks were then 
 engaged in preparing the work for two hours and a half, which would 
 bring the time up to 1 o'clock before it possibly could have been pre- 
 sented in either House. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Y"es; I understand that. 
 
 Captain Brian. But the Senate had been expecting it all the morn- 
 ing, and had been getting impatient al)Out it, as the Record shows; 
 and after that time the}" kept on getting impatient. 
 
 (At this point Mr. William Douglass entered the room.) 
 
 Mr. Y'ouNG. Mr. Howe, this is the bicycle messenger, Mr, Doug- 
 lass, who was transferred, or, rather, resigned, from the Oftice, as I 
 told 3'ou. If you have any questions to ask him, he is perfectly willing 
 to testify. 
 
 Mr. Howe. What connection did he have w'ith these deliveries in 
 question ( 
 
 Mr. Young. He is the one who was up here in the morning and 
 looked up the messenger who drove the wagon. I think you are the 
 one. are you not, who came up to look up the messenger who had the 
 package for Mr. Piatt? 
 
 Mr. Douglass. Y'es, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. ]Mr. Piatt had telephoned over expressing anxiety 
 about it i 
 
 Mr. Y^ouNG. Yes; that is the same thing we were talking about a 
 minute ago. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Y'es; but Mr. Douglass did not have the delivery of the 
 package himself? 
 
 Mr. Douglass. Well, there was one package that 1 took from the 
 messenger and took over to Mr. Piatt, and if that is the one 3"ou are 
 referring to, I met the messenger coming up the steps and took the 
 package from him and gave it to Mr. Piatt. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Did the wagon messenger have quite a number of deliv- 
 eries to make ? 
 
 Mr. Douglass. He had a big bundle of stufi*. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And your coming over was to accomplish an earl}" 
 delivery of this particular package to Mr. Piatt? 
 
 Mr. Douglass. Yes. 
 
 Mr. HoAVE. Do you remember just when you made the delivery to 
 Mr. Piatt, or approximately when you made it^ 
 
 Mr. Douglass. No, I can not say. It was early in the morning, 
 though. 
 
 Mr. Howe. To refresh your memory, Mr. Piatt testifies that deliv- 
 ery was made to him about half past 9 in the morning. Does that 
 accord with your recollection? 
 
 Mr. Douglass. 1 should think it would be somewhere along about 
 that time. 
 
10(i PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But vou say, Captain Brian, that the proof left j'our 
 Office about 8.30^ 
 
 Captain Brian. S.30; yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Mr. Young-, how many l)ieycle messengers have you on 
 your staff there!' 
 
 Mr. Young. Four, with two extras that can be called on at an\' 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Howe. But it does not always follow that you have a messen- 
 ger accessible at a moment's notice? 
 
 Mr. Young. No, sir; and it very often happens that we have no 
 messenger there whatever. Our calls are so swift and furious that 
 we have to scurry aromid to tind someone else to take a package. 
 
 Mr. Howe. And he would have to walk, I suppose, or ride? 
 
 ]Mr. Young. We generally manage to get him away in some way in 
 a hurry. The case has got to be met as it comes. It does not happen 
 very often, but when it does come we have just got to make the best 
 provision we can. 
 
 Captain Brian. Does it occur, Mr. Young, that these messengers 
 are all at the Capitol at the same time, or most of them ? 
 
 Mr. Young. Most of them; yes, sir. It happens that way ver}^ 
 often, and between those who are here waiting for something, and 
 those who are being sent up with something that has been telephoned 
 for, and those who are on the way with something that legitimately 
 comes here through the regular routine of business, it very often hap- 
 pens that there is no one there. I have had it occur that the Public 
 Printer would send down and ask me to let him have a messenger, 
 and it would happen that we w^ould probably have to wait a few min- 
 utes, because our messengers were all employed on hurried work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Has it been your experience that your messengers, who 
 are sent up here on call to serve Congress, are detained here fre- 
 quently? 
 
 Mr. Young. Well, it happens sometimes; yes, sir. I think Mr. 
 Smith €an testify as to that point better than I can. 
 
 Mr. Howe, They report to you, do they not, Mr. Smith ? 
 
 ]Mr. W. A. Smith. Sometimes they do. Mr. Douglass, here, made 
 my desk his headquarters, and Mr. Piatt frequently telephoned and 
 so did Mr. Turner to send a messenger over. He would wait there 
 for orders, and he would go to Mr. McKenney's every few minutes 
 when Mr. McKenney would have something that he wanted to send 
 down. About the Capitol here they always depended on our mes- 
 senger service for getting their work down. It seems to me that they 
 should have messengers of their own. 
 
 Mr. Young. That is a fact. 
 
 Mr. Smith. They not only call on our messengers to carry down 
 hurried bills and reports and things of that kind, luit Mr. Turner calls 
 on our wagon messenger to come there and carry down his landing to 
 the Printing Office. Our people are always busy, and it takes a little 
 time; ))ut that is set aside until we get time to do it. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Does not the House post-office have bicycle messengers, 
 like the Senate post-office? 
 
 Mr. Smith. No, sir; the Doorkeeper of the House has a bicycle 
 messenger, I think. 
 
 Captain Brian. Mr. Young, is it not a fact that our messengers 
 have to do messenger work for both ends? 
 
PRINTING OV BII/LS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 107 
 
 Mr. Young. Al)solutoly. All of the Coiiorejisioiuil work is luiiidlod 
 b}' our messengers. 
 
 Captain Hhiax. When they have a packag'e to send down, instead 
 of sending it l\y their messenger, they send for our messenger to get it 
 and take it down. 
 
 Mr. Young. I can illustrate that by citing one case where Mr. 
 Shuey asked me how long it would take to give him the return proof 
 on IT lines of insert in a certain speech. 1 told him 1 could do it 
 inside of half an hour. Then he said, "Will you please send me a 
 messenger r' 1 said, ''Now, ]\]r. Shuey, I will have to go back on 
 what I have said. If I have to send a messenger to 3'ou and have the 
 messenger come back here, there is too much time consumed, and 1 
 would sooner not make the promise of half an hour, but I will let you 
 have it as soon as I possibly can." That was one of the cases where 1 
 could make a promise on the actual time that would be consumed from 
 the time I I'eceived the cop}', V)ut I caught myself, and I saw that there 
 might be a point raised on "my promise, on account of the time that 
 was consumed by the messenger service, 
 
 Mr. Howe. Are your messengers engaged on department work as 
 well as Congressional work? 
 
 Mr. Young. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. Howe. Do the Departments avail themselves of the services of 
 your messengers!' Do they call upon you occasionally for them? 
 
 jNIr. Young. The}' ask for the service, and if we can accommodate 
 them we do. If not, we tell them there is no messenger available at 
 the time, and they look up someone else; but the Office generally tries 
 to facilitate the work that is in a hurry as nuich as possible, always 
 bearing in mind that Congressional work takes precedence over any 
 department work. 
 
 Mr. Howe. 1 have been given to understand that Mr. Parkinson, 
 the reading clerk of the Senate, could throw some light on the delay, 
 if any, which occurred between the time that the conferees on the 
 public buildings bill completed their labors and the time that the con- 
 ference report was submitted to the House, regarding which I have 
 been trying to elicit testimony. I will write Mr. Parkinson and see 
 if he can clear up the situation. 
 
 I see that we have no other testimony available except such as may 
 be secured by correspondence already had or hereafter to be had. 
 We will therefore adjourn. 
 
 The committee (at 12.16 o'clock p. m.) adjourned. 
 
 Washington, D. C, Julij 7, 1906. 
 Mr, Albert H. Howe, 
 
 Chief Clerk Committee on Printing., 
 
 United States Senate, Washington, D. C. 
 Sir: Mr. Charles A. Stillings, Public Printer, requests of me, his 
 attending physician, permission to appear l)efore your conunittce at 
 the Goverimient Printing Office, on ^londay, for two hours, that he 
 can testify before you. 
 1 regret that the permission can not be safely granted. 
 
108 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 The putiont'.s left foot is yet greatly swollen, the iliac veins are 
 intlaiinHl, and some of the abdoniinal veins are involved. His heart is 
 growing much stronger and the nerve centers are calmer. 
 
 If Mr. Sti Mings had been obedient to his physician's advice and had 
 not latel}' returned to dut}', against orders, he would now be in. better 
 condition. 
 
 If the patient is kept quiet for another ten days, positive assurance 
 can be given of complete restoration to health, and by the tirst of 
 August he will be wholly safe. 
 
 I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 
 
 RuFUS Choate, M. D. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New" York City, 
 
 July 9, 1906. 
 Mr. C. R. McKenney, 
 
 North St. Paul., 31 inn. 
 
 My Dear Sir: As you doubtless are aware, the Senate Committee 
 on Printing, by a resolution of the Senate dated June 3U, 19<)«j, is 
 directed to inquire into the reasons for the delay in the Government 
 Printing Office in sending to the Senate, especially in the last days of 
 the session, printed copies of bills and joint resolutions pending and 
 awaiting action on the part of Congress. Acting under instructions 
 from the Committee on Printing I am in this city conducting an 
 investigation into the alleged delays at the Government Printing Office. 
 
 During the progress of the hearings that have been held statements 
 alleged to have been made by you. tending to exonerate the Printing 
 Office from blame, appear in the testimony of some of the Printing 
 Office officials. I write to ask whether you will favor this committee 
 with a first-hand expression on the subject, in order that the informa- 
 tion available for the use of the connnittee in formulating its report 
 may be as nearly accurate as possible. An expression of your general 
 experience in dealing with the Printing Office in the matter of getting 
 quick returns would be of interest; also some specific information 
 touching upon the following points would be useful: 
 
 First, the public buildings bill; the information before me would 
 appear to show that this bill passed the Senate, with amendments, on 
 the night of Thursday, June 2S; the amendments engrossed and the 
 bill wnth amendments messaged to the House on the morning of Friday, 
 June 29, between 11 and 12 o'clock. It is desired to know just when 
 this bill reached the enrolling room of the House, after the two con- 
 ference reports had been agreed to, the hour cop}^ was prepared and 
 sent to the Printing Office, and the hour of the return of proof to 3'ou. 
 
 Second. The general deficiency bill appears to have passed the 
 Senate, with amendments. a))out 10 o'clock on the night of Thursday, 
 June 28; the amendments engrossed, and the bill with amendments 
 messaged to the House on the afternoon of Friday, June 29. Will 
 you kindly state what, if any, delays this bill met with in the House 
 in line with the suggestions contained in the preceding subject-matter^ 
 
 I should also be pleased if you could afford this connnittee any other 
 information which in your judgment would tend to place the responsi- 
 bility for the alleged delays comprehended in the resolution where it 
 belongs. 
 , Yours, very trul}-, A. H. Howe, 
 
 Clerl\ Committee on Printing. 
 
PRINTING OF HILL8 AND JOINT RP:S0LUTIUNS. lOU 
 
 North St. Paul, Mixx., Jiilu 12, lOOG. 
 Mr. A. H. Howe, 
 
 Clerk' Coininlttee on Priiitiny, U. S. Senate. 
 
 My Dear Sir: Yours of even date received. The piil)li(' buildings 
 bill reached me about 2.80 o'clock p. m., flune 30, I think, but 1 paid 
 no attention to time, and it may have been an hour l)et'ore or an hour 
 later. The bill was given immediate attention, and it was sent to the 
 Printing Office as soon as possible; was returned to me for comparison 
 with the original papers without unnecessary delay. Corrections were 
 made on some sheets, which were sent to the Printing Office and cor- 
 rected sheets returned to me. 
 
 AVhen I had completed reading the bill every sheet sent to the 
 Printing Office for correction had been returned, thus showing the 
 efficiency and promptness of the bill and messenger forces of the Print- 
 ing Office. The bill was then turned over to the Committee on 
 Enrolled Bills for comparison. As ever}' word, punctuation mark, 
 and even capital letters are read aloud in the comparison, much time 
 is of necessity consumed, especially in reading large sheets of parch- 
 ment, each equal to two sheets of an engrossed bill. Then came the 
 bill, for engrossment and enrollment, authorizing the expenditure of 
 money for various public buildings, which went through the same 
 process, as every bill does in engrossment and enrollment. There was 
 no unnecessar}' delay with either of these bills, the deficiency bill, or 
 other bills at any time during the session of the Fifty-ninth Congress 
 to cause censure or even unfavorable counnent as far as the Printing 
 Office is concerned with my work. 
 
 One great trouble with which I have to contend is to convince some 
 Senators and many Congressmen that when a bill passes both Houses 
 it is not ready by any means to be sent to the President. The fact is 
 that actual work in perfecting it only begins, as it must be prepared 
 by the enrolling clerk, and with the amendments, if any, sent to the 
 Printing Office (the distance between the Capitol and Printing Office 
 is great) for proof, returned to the enrolling clerk, read, sent back, to 
 be returned on parchment for another reading by the enrolling clerk. 
 If errors are found on one or more sheets, those sheets are returned 
 for correction and reprinting. 
 
 When the corrections are all made the parchment, with the original 
 papers — the engrossed cop3% the amendments, and the conference 
 report — are all turned over to the Connnittee on Enrolled Bills, which 
 committee repeat the work of the enrolling clerk and his assistant. 
 If found correct, the bill is then taken to the Speaker of the House 
 for his signature — possibly signed within an hour, probably not for 
 several hours. Some time within the next twelve or fourteen hours it 
 is taken to the Senate for the signature of the Vice-President, the 
 Committee on Enrolled Bills of the Senate, where the number and 
 title are entered in a book kept for that purpose, then back to the 
 Committee on Enrolled Bills of the House, and later it is taken to the 
 White House, 
 
 The committee clerks on Appropriations and Naval Affairs are 
 thoroughly posted on conference reports. Few other committees are 
 so well equipped, which entails additional work on the enrolling clerk, 
 anxiety as to the outcome, and oftentimes vexatious delays. Person- 
 ally! was nearly worn-out. The forty-eight hours preceding adjourn- 
 ment I did not have out minute's sleep, did not have one mouthful to 
 
110 PKINTINft OF KILLS AND JOINT KESOLUTIONS. 
 
 eat from one breakfast until another, and I think the Printing Office 
 bill force sutl'ered an equally strenuous time. They are heroes, ever}-- 
 one of them. 
 
 I have been eni'ollino; clerk of the House in every Repuljlican Con- 
 gress since and including the Forty-seventh Congress, and with the 
 great increase in the volume of work, and consequent added responsi- 
 bility from year to year, I often wonder how I have been able to with- 
 stand the strain incident to the last week of each expiring Congress. 
 Very sincerely, yours, 
 
 C. R. McKenxey, 
 EnroUiiKj Clerh House of Repi'e-sentatives. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee ox Feinting, 
 
 At 41) Broadway, New^ York City, 
 
 July 31, 1906. 
 Mr. C. R. McKenney, 
 
 Office of the Sentinel., North St. Paul., Minn. 
 My Dear Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your favor of July 
 12. This committee thanks you for the information 3^ou impart. 
 Very truly, j'ours, 
 
 A. H. Howe. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadw^ay, New York C'ity, 
 
 JiiJil lU 1906. 
 Mr. M. E. Matlack, 
 
 Printing Clerk'., House of Representat! res, 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 Dear Sir: Under instructions of the Senate Committee on Printing 
 and in pursuance of the resolution of the Senate dated June 30, 1906, 
 directing this committee to inquire into the reasons for the delay in 
 the Government Printing Office in sending to the Senate, especially in 
 the last days of the session, printed copies of bills and joint resolutions 
 pending and awaiting action on the part of Congress, I am engaged in 
 an investigation tending to develop all the facts contemplated in the 
 aforesaid resolution. Realizing it will be possible for you to enlighten 
 the committee, I write to ask 3^ou to favor it with such information as 
 you may be able to impart respecting the alleged delays in the Gov- 
 ernment Printing Office in returning work to Congress. Your im- 
 pressions concerning especially the pul)lic buildings bill and the general 
 deficiency bill, which appear to have been the chief causes of irritation, 
 will be useful. 
 
 Will 3^ou kindly write me on the subject at your early convenience. 
 Yours, veiy trul}", 
 
 A. H. Howe, 
 Clei'k of Printing Record. 
 
printing of hills and joint resolutions. ill 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printix(4, 
 
 At -11) Broadway, New York City. 
 
 Jul II .11, lOOG. 
 Mr. M. E. Matlack, 
 
 Printing Clcih^ Ilmii^e of Repre^^-utntivex, 
 
 WasJiiiK/tou, J). ('. 
 Dear Mr. Matlack: This committee would appreciate an earl}' 
 replay to its letter of Jul}' 13, conccrniuo- alleged delays in the han- 
 dling of certain bills during the closing days of Congress. 
 Very truly, yours, 
 
 A. H. Howe, 
 CferJ,- of Printing Recfffds. 
 
 Mount Holly, N. J., July SU 1906. 
 Mr. A. H. Howe, 
 
 Chrk of Printing RtGonh, 
 
 U. S. Senate, Washington, 1). C. 
 Dear Sir: Your letter of the 11th instant received asking for my 
 impressions concerning alleged delays in the Government Printing 
 Office in returning work to Congress. The cause of my delay in 
 replying to your letter is that I have been awa}^ from home camping 
 and have just returned. 
 
 In repl}' to your request 1 have to say that there was a general 
 delay all through the session on the part of the Government Printing 
 Office in returning work to Congress such as bills, resolutions, etc., 
 that came to ine. 
 
 No complaint came to me, however, by any Member of Congress 
 about such delay, but Mr. David Moore, the distributing clerk of the 
 House, who carries the printed l)ills, resolutions, etc., from me to the 
 different House committees, was always complaining to me about such 
 delays, saying that the members of the different committees were con- 
 demning him for such delay. 
 
 I have from time to time asked the Government Printing Office 
 over my phone the cause of such delay, and the answer has been that 
 they Avould get the work to me as soon as it was printed. 
 
 Ihave no particular recollection about the delay in returning the 
 public buildings bill and the general deficiency bill. 
 
 If your committee desires to interrogate me further, I will be glad 
 to appear before them if properly notitied to do so. 
 Respectful!}', yours, 
 
 M. E. Matlack, 
 Printing and Bill Clerl-, Iloune of Representativei<. 
 
 902 Washington Street, Cape May, N. J. 
 Mr. A. H. Howe: 
 
 Yours of July 31 last past just received. On that date I sent to you 
 my reply to your letter of July 13 last past. I address the letter to 
 you at the U. S. Senate, Washington, D. C. Hope it has been for- 
 warded ere this. Please let me know whether or not you receive it. 
 Very truly, yours, 
 
 M. E. jNIatlack, 
 Bill and Printing ClerJi\ House of Reprre-^entatives. 
 
112 rrinting of bills and joint resolutions. 
 
 United States Senate Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 41) Broadway, New York City, 
 
 x\.a<ju><t8, 1906. 
 Mr. M. E. Matlack, 
 
 90^ Was/i,ln(jton Street., 
 
 Cape May, jyeio Jersey. 
 Dear Mr. Matlack: I take pleasure in advising 3'ou, in response 
 to your recent letter, that your previous communication, replying- to 
 the inquiry of this committee, came duly to hand, for which accept 
 thanks. 
 
 Very truly yours, A. H. Howe, ClerJi'. 
 
 United States Senate Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 Angmt 3, 1906. 
 Hon. Charles A. Stillings, 
 
 Pahllc Printer, Washington, D. 0. 
 Dear Mr. Stillings: To the letter of this committee dated July 
 11, addressed to Mr. M. E. Matlack, printing and bill clerk of the 
 House of Representatives, soliciting an expression from him respect- 
 ing the alleged delays in the Government Printing Office in returning 
 work to Congress, the attached reply is received. My policy in the 
 conduct of the investigation provided under Senate resolution No. 175, 
 first session Fifty-ninth Congress, has been to aii'ord opportunity for 
 both sides to be heard, and, in pursuance of this policy, 1 transmit to 
 you Mr. Matlack's letter, with request that the same be returned with 
 your answer, in order that both may appear in the records of the 
 committee's investigation. 
 
 Very truh', yours, A. H. Howe, Clerk. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Public Printer, 
 
 Washington, D. C, August 10, 1906. 
 
 Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your communication of August 3 
 inclosing a communication dated July 31 from M. E. Matlack, print- 
 ing and bill clerk. House of Representatives, which I have read with 
 interest. 
 
 It is not possible for any printing office having the extreme pressure 
 on it which the Government Printing Office has to contend with to 
 alwa3's deliver every order right on the minute and to suit all of its 
 various customers. 
 
 Mr. Matlack's communication seems to be a general complaint which 
 lacks any specific statements whereby I could base sucii future action 
 as appears to be necessary to avoid the conditions complained of. 
 
 In view of the tremendous pressure put upon this Office during the 
 session of Congress just past, and the fact that the output of printed 
 matter relative to Senate and House bills, resolutions, reports, etc., 
 averaged at least 5 per cent more for this one session of Congress than 
 for the three sessions of the Fifty-eighth Congress, it would be sur- 
 prising indeed if here and there the Government Printing Office was 
 not somewhat delayed in completing all of its orders. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 113 
 
 It must not be foro-otten that this Office had no knowledo-e of the 
 extra heavy pressure likely to he put upon it, and therefore was not 
 in the position of a private contractor with a specific amount of work 
 to be produced, thus enablino- him to make amj)h^ provision for the 
 same. 
 
 Therefore, this Office has had to accommodate itself to tiie needs of 
 Cono-ress, but without a reasonable knowledge of just how long the 
 extreme pressure was to continue^: hence some allowance should be 
 made along these lines, not to excuse delays (if there were an}-), ])nt to 
 recognize the difficulty of always foreseeing just what demands would 
 be made upon it. 
 
 I inclose herewith statements relative to this matter, as follows: 
 
 First. Communication dated August 6, signed ))}' Adam Brandt, 
 assistjint foreman folding division. 
 
 Second. Communication dated August 6, signed b}' Charles lE. 
 Young, foreman of printing. 
 
 Third. Communication dated August 8, signed V)v H. T. Brian, 
 chief clerk. 
 
 Very respectfully, yours, Chas. A. Stillixgs, 
 
 Albert H. Howe, Esq., 
 
 Clerl', Coininittee on Print'mg^ 
 United States Senate^ 
 
 Ifd Broadiray, New York City. 
 
 PiihJir Printer. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 
 V^ashimjton, B. C., Axgxst 6\ 1906. 
 
 Dear Sik: The only time I remember a delay in delivering ])ills and 
 resolutions to Congress is when Congress convened. From December 
 •i to December 21 the House introduced 10,061 bills and ISi'i resolu- 
 tions. The Senate introduced 2,4o2 bills and 53 resolutions, making 
 12,81:2 bills and resolutions for both Houses in sixteen working daA's, 
 averaging 803 bills per day, but will say that the l>ills. resolutions, and 
 reports, etc., were delivered from the folding room to the Capitol as 
 fast as received. Will also sa}- that there has been a delay in deliver- 
 ing bills and resolutions to Congress at the beginning of ever}' Con- 
 gress, on account of the large number of bills and resolutions introduced 
 in the first few days. 
 
 I do not remember any delay after the first rush was over. 
 RespectfuU}', 
 
 Adam Brandt. 
 
 Mr. Chas. E. Young, Foreman of Printing. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Foreman of Printing. 
 
 Wanhington, D. <?., Augmt 6, 1906. 
 Dear Sir: I have read the letter written by Mr. M. E. Matlack, 
 House printing and bill clerk, and nuist say that I can not see where 
 any reasonable complaint can be made as to the prompt delivery of 
 bills, resolutions, etc., but inasmuch as such complaint has been made 
 I will try to show when and how some of the minor bills may not have 
 been received as early as desired. 
 
114 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 While this office is admirably equipped for almost every emergency, 
 it must be borne in mind that there are times when it is impossible to 
 get all of the work to the Capitol in the early morning hours. For 
 instance, there may be two or three large appropriation bills with 
 accompanying hearings and reports, which are ready to report and 
 which must be gotten out of the way before the smaller and minor 
 bills are taken up. 
 
 If this were not done the action to be taken on these most important 
 supply bills would be delayed, and Congress would receive bills v^hich 
 probably would not be taken up for months. 
 
 Then again there are nights when 7(»() or 800 bills and probably 200 
 or 300 reports, besides live or six connnittee hearings, are received. 
 The hearings as a general thing are wanted the next morning at 9 or 
 10 o'clock so as to be used in committee meetings, and so the last bills 
 on such daj's may probabl}" not be delivered before 11 or 12 o^clock. 
 There has absolutely been no more dela}" at this session than any other, 
 and there never is a dela}' unless the volume of work is so great that 
 with all of our equipment it is an impossibility to handle it in so short 
 a time. 
 
 The volume of work handled during the last session of Congress 
 was gotten out as expeditiously as during any previous session, and 
 the excellent judgment displayed on particularly heavy nights in 
 selecting those bills, reports, hearings, etc., which were most likely 
 to be called up in either House or in committee rooms and were con- 
 sequently the most important, is highly commendable. 
 
 However, I can assure you that during the next and following ses- 
 sions everything possible will be done to tr}^ to perfect a system of 
 delivery to such an extent that no fault may be found in any quarter. 
 
 I inclose herewith a letter from Mr. Adam Brandt, who has charge 
 of the delivery of bills and documents. 
 
 Hoping that I ma}' not have trespassed too much on your valuable 
 time, 1 remain. 
 
 Yours, very respectfully, Chas. E. Young, 
 
 Foreman of Printing. 
 
 Hon. Chas. A. Stillings, 
 
 Puhlic Printer., Wai^hington., D. C. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 
 Office of the Public Printer, 
 Washington., D. 61, August 8, 1906. 
 Sir: Referring to the attached letter from M. E. Matlack, printing 
 and bill clerk, House of Representatives, regarding the question of 
 dela3^s in printing bills, etc., in the Government Printing Office, I 
 wish to state that 1 was in very close touch with the printing of Con- 
 gress during the last session, and have looked into the matter since the 
 receipt of Mr. Matlack's letter and can not see where there was any 
 cause for complaint. 
 
 The first few days of the session of Congress there were introduced 
 nearly 13,000 bills and resolutions, making an average of over 800 bills 
 per day. Of course it would tax even the capacity of this office to 
 deliver all of those bills the first thing each and every morning. 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 115 
 
 It is understood that there were more bills, resolutions, docuinonts. 
 and reports printed th(> first session of the Fifty-ninth Congress than 
 there were during the three sessions of the Fifty-eighth Congress com- 
 bined, as the aceompan^^ing statement will show. 
 
 The arrangement which you have made for insuring prompt delivery 
 of the work of the next session of Congress is such that there need not 
 be any delay, even with such a great amount of work as there was 
 during the last session. 
 
 Verv trulv, vours, H. T. Biuan, 
 
 Chief Clet'Jc. 
 Hon. Chas. a. Stillings, 
 
 PuhJic Printer^ Was/iingto)), D. C. 
 
 Comparative statement — Bills, resolutions, laws, reports, and daily Record, Fifty-eighth and 
 
 Fifty -nintli Congresses. 
 
 ' Fifty- 
 I Fifty-ninth'eighth Con- 
 Congress, I gress. tirst, 
 
 first ses- 
 sion. 
 
 second, and 
 third ses- 
 sions. 
 
 Senate concurrent resolntion.* . 
 
 Senate resolutions 
 
 Senate joint resolutions 
 
 Senate bills 
 
 House concurrent resolutions . 
 
 House resolutions 
 
 House joint resolutions 
 
 House bills 
 
 3.5 1 
 
 112 
 
 177 
 
 308 
 
 87 
 
 115 
 
 6,5ri6 
 
 7,295 
 
 43 
 
 83 
 
 631 
 
 550 
 
 189 
 
 231 
 
 20, 518 
 
 19, 209 
 
 Reported, referred, and engra«sed bills. 
 Enrolled bills 
 
 Total bills 
 
 Laws 
 
 Reports (Senate and House) 
 
 Daily Record, including indexes, pages. 
 
 2,'<,236 [ 
 
 21, -482 
 
 4,258 
 
 27,903 
 
 17,666 
 
 4,139 
 
 .53, 976 
 
 49, 708 
 
 4,C43 
 
 4,039 
 
 9,522 ; 
 
 9,306 
 
 15, 930 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 JuJt/ 10, 1906. 
 Mr. B. S. Platt, The Boanoke, Washington, D. C. 
 
 Dear Mr. Platt: I am in this city conducting an investigation for 
 the Committee on Printing in pursuance of the resolution of the Senate 
 directing this committee to inquire into the delay's at the Printing 
 Office during the last da3's of the recently expired session. I tind it 
 necessary, in order to complete some of the links in the evidence, to 
 question 3'ou. I have delayed m}- departure from Washington solely 
 because of \o\xy absence and my inalulit}' to get into communication 
 with you. I understand you are expected back to-morrow night. 
 Please hold 3'ourself in readiness to see me without fail on Thursday 
 morning. 
 
 Yours, very trulj^, A. H. Howe, 
 
 Cferl' of Printing Beeords. 
 
 Cop3' mailed to the Secretary's office, Senate. 
 
116 printing of bills and joint resolutions. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 July IS, 1906. 
 Mr. Alfred C. Parkinson, 
 
 Office of the Sccretari/, United States Senate. 
 
 Dear ]\Ir. Parkinson: I have been in Washinoton for over a week, 
 bv direction of the Committee on Printing-, conducting- an investiga- 
 tion as provided in Senator Hale's resohition directing the Committee 
 on Printing to inquire into the delays in the Printing- Oflice, etc. I 
 have sought to trace, in so far as possible, all the steps in the handling 
 of the general deficiency i)ill and the ])ublic buildings bill, those being 
 the measures around which criticism centered. I discovered that in 
 the handling of the pul)lic Iniildings bill considerable time elapsed 
 between the moment that the conferees finally agreed on the second 
 conference report and the moment it was actually submitted in the 
 House. 
 
 There is a well-defined rumor that confusion existed in the minds 
 of those having- charge of the House proceedings as to the right of 
 the House to tirst submit the report, and that what occurred was that 
 the House waited quite a while for the Senate to act on the report, 
 while the Senate was waiting, as it rightfully should, for the House 
 to act, and that this confusion would account for at least a brief 
 element of delay. 
 
 Your duties carried j^ou over to the House frequently that day, and 
 it is conceivable you may have some cognizance of the situation. Will 
 you oblige me b}^ giving me your recollection of what happened, espe- 
 cialh^ as to the matter of confusion, if any, which will enable this 
 committee to arrive at some reasonably accurate conclusion as to 
 whether an improper amount of time was consumed in the handling 
 of the public buildings bill? 
 
 Very trul}^, yours, A. H. Howe, 
 
 Clerli\ Committee on Printing. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 July 31, 1906. 
 Hon. Alfred C. Parkinson, 
 
 Office of the Secretary, United States Senate, 
 
 Washington, D. C: 
 
 Dear General Parkinson: This committee would appreciate an 
 early repl,y to its letter of Juh' 13, concerning- alleged delays in the 
 handling of certain bills during the closing daj^s of Congress. 
 Veiy truW, yours, 
 
 A. H. Howe, 
 Clerh of Printing Records. 
 
 Columbus, Wis., Aur/nst J, 1906. 
 
 (Received August 8, 1906.) 
 A. H. Howe, Esq., 
 
 Cierli', Committee on Printing, 
 
 United States Senate. 
 My Dear Mr. Howe: 1 am in receipt of your favor of Jul}' 31, 
 ultimo, asking for a reply to 3'our former letter under date of July 13, 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT KKSOLUTIONS. 117 
 
 in which you ask for any int'onnation I am able to <«ive touchino- the mat- 
 ter of confusion and delay in handlino- certain hills, notably the omni- 
 bus public buildinos hill juid the o(Mieral deliciencv bill, durino- the 
 closing- hours of the late session. 
 
 Your letter of July 13 did not reach mo till after the lapse of a week 
 or ten days, owing- to my absence from home, and I, thoughtlessly 
 perhaps, concluded that it was too late for a reply. However, I am 
 afraid, even now, I am unable to give you any definite inforn)ation 
 that will aid your investigation. 
 
 I recall distinctly the delay on the part of the House to frst submit 
 its second ri^port of the committee of conference on the public V)uild- 
 ing- bill. The House authorities labored under erroneous impression 
 that the kSenate conferees should submit their report A'/'-s/. 
 
 At the suggestion of Mr. McDonald and Mr. Piatt, made in the 
 presence and with the acquiescence of, I think, Senator Hale or some 
 other excellent authority on the matter of conference reports, I told 
 the House people at least twice that the Senate was waiting- for the 
 House conferees to make their report /?'r.s'?^, which they finally did, but 
 after a wait and delay of an hour or more. I was at the time cogni- 
 zant of other delays and the causes at the House end, but was too ])usy 
 with my own cares and duties to note them and tix them in my mind. 
 In a matter of this kind one ought to speak definitely and specifically, 
 or not at all. 
 
 As to dela3's in printing, generally, I have only this to say: Mr. 
 Gilfry and mj'self Avere often greatly annoyed and inconvenienced by 
 our inability to get what seemed to us a proper and speedy response 
 to our vKslt orders for the printing of bills and amendments in emer- 
 gency cases. I never could understand (and I have had some expe- 
 rience with printing offices) why it should take the greatest printing- 
 establishment in the world from three hours to a half -day to print and 
 send up to the Senate a ))ill or amendment of less than a page of mat- 
 ter. A weekly countr}' printing outfit would do this work more 
 expeditiously. 
 
 Without the records before me I am unable to specify particular 
 instances of these shortcomings, but I am sure my desk mates, Messrs. 
 Gilfry, Rose, and McDonald, will confirm what 1 say. Such annoy- 
 ances are generally not serious, but under imaginable conditions might 
 readily and grievously become so. A word from the proper authority 
 to the Public Printer would doubtless bring the needed remedy. 
 
 Regretting my inability to give you more definite information 
 pertaining to the subject of 3'our inquiry, 1 am. 
 
 Yours, truly, , 
 
 A. C. Parkinson. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 41> Bhoadavay, New York City, 
 
 Avguxt 7, 1906. 
 Gen. A. C. Parkinson, 
 
 Co/ (in thus Wis. 
 Dear General Parkinson: 1 \\'rite to acknowledge the receipt of 
 3^our favor of August 3, 190<), in reply to connnunications of this com- 
 mittee regarding matters of delays in completing- the work of the last 
 session of Congress. The same will be made a part of the official 
 record of this con)mittee, and the Public Printer will be given an 
 
118 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 opportunity, under its policy of hearing' l)oth sides, to reply to j^our 
 strictures upon that Otfice. Since you refer to Mr. McDonald as being- 
 one of those who would contirm your criticisms of the Government 
 Printing- Othce, I, ma}^ as well say that Mr. McDonald's statements to 
 me did not partake of serious criticism of the (xovernment Printing 
 Office. 
 
 Very truly, yours, A. H. Howe. 
 
 United States Senate, CoxMmittee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 Au(/ud 7, 1906. 
 The Public Printer, 
 
 WasJdiKjton^ J). C. 
 Sir: You will, if 3'ou please, take note of the inclosed letter from 
 Gen. A. C. Parkinson, containing- .severe criticism of the work of the 
 Government Printing Office, and return the same to me with any 
 statements you may see fit to make in contradiction or affirmation of 
 his assertions, in order that both may appear in the record of the 
 investigation conducted under the provisions of Senate resolution 
 No. 175, first session, Fifty-ninth Congress. 
 
 Respectfully, A. H. Howe, CIerl\ 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Public Printer, 
 
 Wa><Jungtou, D. C, Awju^t 10, 1906. 
 
 Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your communication of August 7, 
 inclosing a letter dated August 3 from Gen. A. C. Parkinson, contain- 
 ing severe criticism of the work of the Government Printing Office. 
 
 h\ reply thereto it appears to me that General Parkinson is not 
 specilic enough in his assertions regarding delays at the Government 
 Printing Office. 
 
 I inclose herewith statements relative to this matter, as follows: 
 
 First, communication dated August 8, signed by Joseph Dierken 
 and T. Frank Morgan. 
 
 Second, comnuinication dated August 9, signed b}^ Charles E. Young, 
 foreman of printing. 
 
 Third, communication dated August 10, signed by H. T. Brian, chief 
 clerk. 
 
 Briefly, it appears to me that unless General Parkinson can cite 
 specific instances which have come to his personal knowledge, wherein 
 the Government Printing Office has failed to meet the requirements 
 of Congress, that there is no point at which I can take up his criticism 
 with a view to remedying the conditions he complains of. 
 
 I have already taken steps to safeguard Congressional work during 
 the next session of Congress, which I think will, if possible, be more 
 effective than methods prevailing heretofore; although I freely admit 
 that this office gives the promptest and most intelligent service of any 
 printing office of which I have any knowledge: 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 Chas. a. Stillings, 
 
 Puhltc Printer. 
 
 Albert H. Howe, Esq., 
 
 Clerk., Committee on Printing., ZJ. S. Senate., 
 
 Jt9 Broadway y Neui York. 
 
printing of bills and joint resolutions. 11*.) 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Foreman of Printing, 
 
 1 1 \(xh In (/ton , D. C. , .4 >i(jiiM S, IDIJG. 
 Dear Sir: In reference to letter of Gen. A. C. Parkinson, will 
 state that at no time has there been any delay in handling- rush bills 
 passing- throuoh our hands. On the contrary, ev^ery eti'ort is always 
 made to facilitate bill printing*. We have time without number deliv- 
 ered page bills within one-half an hour. We can recall no instanccof 
 a rush bill coming from the Senate when any delay occurred at this 
 end of the line. Of course where cop}' is furnished, interlined, with 
 marginal notes, and with streamers pasted thereon, it n<H'('ssaril3' 
 consumes time and delay. 
 
 Very respectfullj^ Joseph Dikkkkn. 
 
 T. Frank Morcjan. 
 
 Mr. Charles E. Young, 
 
 Foreman of Print rng. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Foreman of Printing, 
 
 Washington, D. C August 9, 1006. 
 Dear Sir: I inclose herewith a letter in reference to the coimnuni- 
 cation from Gen. A. C. Parkinson, which is signed by Messrs. Joseph 
 Dierken and T. Frank Morgan, the two parties who are in immediate 
 charge of the bills which are received in the daytime and which are 
 evidently meant by Mr. Parkinson in his letter. h\ the ar)sence of 
 any particular bill or occasion being cited it is, of course, impossil)le 
 to defend this Office, only in a general way, against such criticism as 
 is made in the al)ove-mentioned letter. 
 
 If a bill is received at the Government Printing-office plainly marked 
 "Rush," it is immediately put in hand and returned to the Capitol at 
 the earliest possible moment. 
 
 Every eti'ort is made to comply with the wants and wishes of all of 
 the officials at the Capitol, and I know of no instance where all hands 
 did not give their best efforts in order to expedite the work of 
 Congress. 
 
 Yours, very truly, Chas. E. Y^oung, 
 
 Forehian of Printing. 
 Hon. Chas. A. Stillings, 
 
 Puhlic Printer. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Pcm.ic Phinter, 
 
 Washington, D. C, Auguxt 10, 1906. 
 Sir: Referring to the attached letter, I desire to state I have no 
 idea to what General Parkinson refers when he says that it takes 
 from three hours to one-half a day to print a bill, l^nless there is 
 some specitic case mentioned I would not know how to answer his 
 assertion, but I do know that day in and day out bills come down from 
 the Senate and House that are returned inside of an hour. 
 
120 PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 You have already directed that exact time be kept of all bills and 
 docunuMits fi'oin C'onoress next session, and there can be no case where 
 if a delay does occur it can not be accounted for immediately. 
 Very truly, vours, 
 
 H. T. Brian, Chief Clerl: 
 Hon. Chas. a. Stillings, 
 
 Fuhlic Priritej\ Washhu/fon D. C. 
 
 United States Senate, Committee on Printing, 
 
 At 49 Broadway, New York City, 
 
 July SO, 1906. 
 Hon. Charles A. Stillings, 
 
 Public Prlrdet\ WasJilngton, D. C. 
 My Dear Mr. Stillings: Captain Brian, in his testimony before 
 the Senate Committee on Printing, on page 3 GLT a, of the galley 
 proof, asked permission to submit the rules goyerniiig the enrolling 
 force of the Senate in their handling of copy and proof. I shall be 
 glad to haye a copy of the aforesaid rules to be made a part of the 
 record of the 'investigation. The rules in question were drafted hj 
 Mr. B. S. Piatt and revised l)y C^iptain Brian. 
 VeiT truly yours, 
 
 A. H. How^E. 
 
 Government Printing Office, 
 Office of the Public Printer, 
 
 WasJdvgton, D. (7., July 31, 1906. 
 My Dear Mr. Howe: In compliance with the request contained 
 in your favor of July 30, I inclose herewith copy of authority for 
 engrossing and enrolling bills, together with the rules promulgated b}^ 
 the Joint Committee on Printing. 
 
 Very truly, yours, Chas. A. Stillings, 
 
 Puhlic Printei\ 
 Mr. A. H. Howe, 
 
 Clerl\ Coyiiiiiittee on Prhtthg, United States Senate. 
 
 This is the authority under whieh the Government Printing Ofiice 
 prints engrossed and enrolled bills: 
 
 That beginning ^vith the tirst day of the regular session of the Fifty- 
 third Congress, to wit: the tirst Monday in December, eighteen hun- 
 dred and ninety-three, in lieu of l)eing engrossed, every bill and joint 
 resolution in each House of Congress at the stage of the consideration 
 at which a bill or joint resolution is at present engro.ssed, shall be 
 printed, and such printed copy shall take the place of what is now 
 known as, and shall be called the engrossed bill or resolution as the 
 case may be, and it shall he dealt with in the same manner as engrossed 
 bills and joint resolutions are dealt with at present, and shall be sent 
 in printed form, after passing, to the other House, and in that form 
 shall be dealt with ])y that House, and its othcers in the same manner 
 in which engrossed ))ills, and joint resolutions are now dealt with. 
 
PRINTING OB^ BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 121 
 
 Reml'ved^ That when such bill, or joint resolution shall have passed 
 both Houses, it shall be printed on parchment, which pi-int sliall be in 
 lieu of wliat is now known as, and shall be caUed. the enroUed bill, or 
 joint resolution, as the case may ))e, and shall be dealt with in the same 
 manner in which enrolled bills, and joint resolutions are now (h^alt with. 
 
 Beifolred^ That the Joint Committee on Printino- is her(>by charged 
 with the duty of having- the fon^going resolutions propei'ly executed, 
 and is empowered to take such steps as ma}' be necessary to carry 
 them into etl'ect, and provide for the speedy execution of the printing 
 herein contemplated. — House of Representatives^Oct. 26^1893^ Senate^ 
 ]\^oi\ 1, 1S9S. 
 
 [The matter in small tvpe is not a part of the rules and was inserted 
 at this Office.] 
 
 In carrying out the foregoing concurrent resolution, passed hy both 
 Houses of Congress, it is necessary that some instructions l)o i)romul- 
 gated for the guidance of the Pu])lic Printer and the enrolling clerks 
 of the Senate and House of Representatives. 
 
 After a bill or joint resolution is passed by either House, the enroll- 
 ing clerks of the respective Houses will see to it that the copy of such 
 bill or joint resolution and amendments thereto, and messages accom- 
 panying the same, is properly prepared, using or writing on one side 
 of the paper only, with riders and amendments so attached as to per- 
 mit the copv to be divided into suitable "takes'' for the printer, and 
 without unnecessary delay transmitted to the Public Printer, who 
 will immediately hav^e the same put in tvpe (see Sample A) [sampie a 
 
 shows the type of a regular bill page set in Bruce"s English Ko. 19, 26^ ems wide, 25 lines long, with 
 
 a pica slug between each line] and, as soou as proof-read and corrected, send a 
 clean copy for revision to the enrolling clerk of the House to which 
 the same belongs. He, in turn, will compare the proof with the passed 
 bill or joint resolution (desk copy), strictlv conforming it thereto, and 
 return the same to the Public Printer without delay, who will, as soon 
 as possible, return a completed copy of the same to the enrolling clerk 
 of the House to which it belongs, and the clerk will again compare it 
 with the passed bill or joint rejsolution. This will be the engr<ix><ed 
 bill, and will be the one transmitted by the Secretaiy of the Senate 
 and Clerk of the House of Representatives to the respective Houses 
 as the official cop}' . 
 
 All attestations to the passage of ))ills, joint resolutions, amendments 
 to the same, and messages, must be in writing, a blank ])eing left at 
 the end of each, for that purpose, thus: 
 
 Attest: 
 
 Secretary. 
 or 
 
 Clerk. 
 
 When the Senate passes a bill or joint resolution it shall be engrossed 
 
 on inll'de paper (see Sample B). [mample B shows the paper and size of a completed 
 engrossed bill, Tfe inches wide by 11 inches long, printed on firsit-class white ledger paper, 21 x 32 
 
 inches, so pounds to the ream.] AVhcu the Housc })asses a bill or joint resolu- 
 tion it shall be engrossed on paper of a hhilxJt color (see Sample C). 
 
 [Sample C same as Sample B, except that the paper is blue insteail of white] Si/C of page 
 
 and paper to be like samples B and C. 
 
122 TEINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 When a House bill or joint resolution passes the Senate, and when 
 a Senate bill or joint resolution passes the House, that fact shall be 
 indorsed on the back of the bill or joint resolution by the enrolling 
 clerk. 
 
 When a l)ill or joint resolution has passed both Houses of Cono-ress, 
 the enrolling- clerk of the House in which it originated will see to it 
 that the copy of such bill or joint resolution and amendments thereto, 
 is properly prepared, using or writing on one side of the paper only, 
 with ridei's and amendments so attached as to permit the copy to be 
 divided into suitable ^' takes" for the printer, and without unnecessary 
 delay transmitted to the Public Printer, who will immediatel};' have 
 
 the same put in t3'pe (see Sample D), [SampleDshowsthe type of an enrolled bm 
 set in Bruce's English No. 19, 32^ ems wide, 43 lines long, with a 3-to-pica lead between each line] 
 
 and, as soon as proof-read and corrected, send a clean copy for revi- 
 sion to the enrolling clerk of the House to which the same belongs. 
 He, in turn, will compare the proof (which will be on paper) with the 
 passed bill or joint resolution (desk copy), strictly conforming it 
 thereto, and return the same to the Public Printer without delay. 
 This will be the e)i rolled bill. 
 
 The final print will be on parchnent^ the size of page and parchment 
 
 to be like Sample E, [Sample E is a sheet of parchment 10f% x 14^ inches, with a border of 
 parallel rule printed in red, 1 inch margin top and bottom and 11 inch margin on sides] and 
 
 returned bj' the Public Printer to the enrolling clerk of the House in 
 which it originated. The clerk will again compare it with the one 
 passed by both Houses and ascertain that it is an exact copy of the 
 one passed by both Houses before sending it to the Committee on 
 Enrolled Bills. 
 
 Before the final printing on parchment, the greatest care must be 
 exercised by the enrolling clerks of the respective Houses in ascertain- 
 ing its accuracv, and when so ascertained, the enrolling clerk will 
 notify the Public Printer thereof. 
 
 As is at present the case, the signature of the officer on the back of 
 the last sheet of an enrolled bill or joint resolution as to where it 
 originated, and the signature of the Speaker of the House of Repre- 
 sentatives and Vice-President of the United States (or those w^ho sign 
 in lieu of them), shall l)e in writing, blanks being left for them, thus: 
 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
 
 Vice-President of the United States and 
 
 President of the Senate. 
 
 It will be the duty of the Public Printer to strictly follow the copy 
 of passed bills and joint resolutions sent to him; also of amendments 
 accompanying the same. He will consult freely and at all times vvith 
 the enrolling clerks in case of doubt, not taking anything for granted, 
 as printing the bills and joint resolutions and amendments thereto does 
 not relieve the enrolling clerks of responsibility if the copy they fur- 
 nish the Public Printer is strictly followed. 
 
 It will be the duty of the enrolling clerks to furnish the Public 
 Printer the copy for the engrossed bills and joint resolutions and 
 amendments thereto, also for enrolled bills, and to return the proof to 
 the Public Printer, as expeditiously as possible, so that the same may 
 be printed and returned to the enrolling clerks and by the proper 
 
 1 
 
PRINTING OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS. 123 
 
 officers transmitted to either House with as little delay as pos.sible. 
 They shall furnish with each hill, joint resolution, and amendment the 
 proper headings, captions, indorsements, or other matter that is to be 
 printed. 
 
 The utmost vig-ilance and promptness are necessary at all times, and 
 more especially in the closino- hours of a Congress. 
 
 Of the engrossed bills and joint resolutions lU copies only shall' be 
 printed, of which 5 shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Senate 
 and 5 to the Clerk of the House. 
 
 Of the enrolled bills 1 copy only shall be printed of each bill. 
 
 O 
 

 
U C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
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 RETURN Government Documents Department 
 
 TO— »► 350 Main Library 642-2569 
 
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 JAN 2-^ 198" 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY 
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