The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 20, 1901, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, "SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1901. & e .. THE SAN FEANOISON 0T, SATURDAY, AFREL 80, 3900 - s Che 2ok Call. APRIL 20, 1901 SATURDAY. JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor. Address All Communicstions to W. 8. LEAKE, Manager. MANAGER’S OFFICE........Telephone Press 204 PUBLICATION OFFICE...Market and Third, S. F. Telephone Press 201. EDITORIAL ROOMS.....217 to 221 Stevenson St. Telephone Press 202. Delivered by Carriers. 15 Cents Per Weelk. Single Copies, 5 Cents. Terms by Mail, Including Postage: JAILY CALL (including Sunday), one year. DAILY CALL (including Sunday), 6 months. DAILY CALL (Including Sunday), 3 months. DAILY CALL—By Single Month. WEEKLY CALL, One Year.. All postmasters are authorize s=ubscriptions. Sample coples will be forwarded when requested. Mail subscribers in ordering change of address should be particular to give both NEW AND OLD ADDRESS in order %o insure & prompt and correct compliance with thelr request. OAKLAND OFFICE «+.1118 Broadway C. GEORGE KROGNESS. Menager Foreign Advertising, Marquette Building, Ohicago. (Leong Distance Telephone “Central 2618.”") NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: €. C. CARLTON...c.c0uvczeesess.Herald Square NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE: STEPHEN B. SMITH. .30 Tribune Building NEW YORK NEWS STANDS: Waldorf-Astoria Hotel; A. Brentano, 3L Union Square; Murrey Hill Hotel CHICAGO NEWS STANDS: Eherman House; P. O. News Co.; Great Northern Hotel: Fremont House; Auditorfum Hotel. WASHINGTON (D. C.) OFFICE. . MORTON E. CRANE, Cor: BRANCH OFFICES—;2] Montgomery, corner of Clay, open until 9:30 o'clock. 300 Hayes, open untfl 9:30 o'clock. 633 MeAllister, open until 9:30 o'clock. 615 Larkin, open until 30 o'clock. 1541 Misston, open until 10 o'clock. 2261 Market, ixteenth, open until 8 o'clock. 109 Valencia. open 9 o'clock. 106 Eleventh, open until 9 o'clock. NW. cor- Twen econd and Kentucky, opén until 9 o'clock. 1406 G St., N. W. pondent. AMUSEMENTS. Columbia—*More Than Queen. California—""The County Fair."” Central—*Julius Caesar.”” Tivoli—"“The Idol's Eye.” Orpheum—Vaudeville. Alcazar—*""Ob Susannah. Grand Opera-house—""East Lynn ympia, corner Mason and Eddy streets—Speclalties. tes, Zoo and Theater—Vaudeville every afternoon and Fischer's—Vaudeville. Mechanies' Pavilion—Art Exhibition. Recreation Park—Baseball M wlitan Temple—Lectures Monday, April 22, afternoon ran Park—Races. AUCTION SALES. April 22, at 2:30 % ‘Market st By John Flder & Co.—Monday, Dry Goods and Gents' Furnishings. at 1722 e 10 SUBSCRIBERS LEAYIRG TOWK FOR THE SUMMER. o'clock, reet. Call subscribers comtemplating s change of resideace during the summer months can have | y mail to their mnew | their paper forwarded sddresses by notifying The Call Business Office. This paper will also be on sale at all summer resorts a is represented by a local agent im all towss on the coast. — rmcnls for decorating the city upon the occasion of the coming visit of the President there has been issued an earnest appeal to the citizens gener- v to co-operate in the work. To that appeal prompt on and willing response should be given. The time when the President is to arrive is not so. far off that it is any too early to begin now to make prepara- tions for the suitable adornment of the city. In their appeal the committee says: “This is the first time in the history of our city that we will have had the pleasure of enioying the presence of the Presi- dent with his Cabinet and so many Government' offi- THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT. ROM the commitiee having in charge arrange- cials illumination by electric lights of some of the principal the city, but we rely upon the patriotism of the residents of San Francisco to tastefully decorate h 1 n premisss and give our visitors Califor- streets ¢ ¢ is « nia’s proverbially warm welcome. Let ‘Old Glory, the emblem of one of the greatest and most progres- sive nations on eartlf, wave from every housetop dur- ing Presidential week.” Upon a matter of this kind the citizens of San Fran- cisco should not need nivch in the way of urging to induce them to heartily co-operate with one another. They should gladly unite in making the streets bril- lis and beautiful during the whole period of the | President’s vi The magnificent displuy in the way of night decora- tion that was provided fca the return of the California Volunteers from the Philippines shows that in the way of electrical illumination our streets can be made glorious enough for any triumphal night. Such deco- ons, however, are of no value in the daytime, and consequently they should be supplemented by exten- sive and artistic adornments of buildings, with the bright colors of the national banner displayed every point of vantage at It will be remembered that for the celebration of the return of the volunteers she | principal thoroughfares were decorated with "ever- greens, and the effect was notably beautiful and at- tractive. Now let us see if we cannot surpass that ac- complishment. Each new achievement in San Fran- cisco should be better than anything of the kindin the past, and the welcome given to the President should set a new mark ir. the way of street decoration that will be higher and better than any we have yet krown. i ——— Ever since the death ct Victoria the Londoners have deen trying to raise about $1,000,000 to erect a memorial to her Majesty, but have not yet succeeded; while in Baltimore a sum in excess of that amount raised in about two weeks for the purpose of encowing Johns Hopkins University. That is the dif- ference between Americans and the British in the way carrying out a movement when they get started. Buffalo is promising to break all exposition records oy having the Pan-American fully prepared for vis- iters on the day it opens; but it is said at the same time that visitors will be admitted before the “formai” opening, so there appears to be some uncertainty about the meaning of the promise. Dayid Bennett Hill says: “The party of Jefferson, Jackson and Tilden lives.” The news is “im- pertant if true,” and Hi'l should tell us in what sec- tion of the country the party is living and by what name it is known to the neighbors. 1i the report be true that Kaiser William is writing a book it is safe to say all the critics in Germany are laying in a supply of rosewater ink and are practicing tafly writing. The decorating committee will attend to the | @PPLIED CHRISTIANITY. T has rarely proved possible to separate a doctrine l from the personality of its teacher. If he fail to make what he teaches his own rule in' daily life his teaching is looked upon with suspicion and his doctrine is discredited. Some years ago a rich woman endowed sumptuously the chair of applied Christian- ity in Iowa College, at Grinnell, and Rev. Mr. Her- ron, a Congregational minister, was appointed pro- fessor of that science. We believe that his appoint- | ment was a condition of the endowment. Professor Herron called himself a Christian socialist, and held that pure Christianity is socialism of an advanced | type. We are not aware that his views were in exact harmony with what is generally understood to be the platform of the socialist organization.. They were rather more radical, and originated in giving a literal sense to the utterances and historical records of the fcur Evangelists. Those who teach and those who accept entire the four gospels have taken in a spiritual sense, or as alle- gorical, much that Professor He-ron held to be literal and made the foundation of his cult. He made a great stir in the country and was in the | habit of roasting the other clergy in a way that de- tracted from their peace of mind. He strove to make them appear as false lights, blind guides and hypo- crites, like the Scribes and Pharisees. For some reason his connection with the Congre- gational College at Grinnell was terminated, and he enlarged his field of effort by appearing as a lecturer, inculcating everywhere a severe morality and teaching a quality of Christian duty which was supposed to imply the appearance of millennial conditions when- ever accepted and made the rule of life. All the world is interested in a better life and never | neglects or coldly rejects counsel leading thereto. But not all the world will ever be unmindful of the | personality of the counselor. For this reason it is uu- fortunate for Professor Herron's brand of applied Christianity that he seems to have failed to apply it in his personal conduct and within his own household. It is reported that he made the tour of Europe with his wealthy patroness and her daughter, and his wife asked for a divorce oa the ground of desertion and non-support. In her petition she alleged that she and their four children were practically left to shift for themselves, while the professor took in Europe, with expenses paid. It is also said that his affections were transferred to the daughter of his patroness. Those who remember his addresses delivered in this State will recall the aus- terity of his judgment against those who sought a soit life and refused to harden it by bearing the burdens | of others. It was to be expected that he would apply | his principles at home and instead of deserting his | family would have becn found doing housework, washing windows and ccoking, to help his wife and keep the pot boiling. | There is in California a venerable preacher who in | his early days of struggle and privation helped his ‘wife by doing the washing and ironing, scrubbing, sweeping and other household drudgery. He did not make florid talks about applied Christianity, but pro- ceeded to apply it in his daily life and within his own door, helping and blessing those nearest to him. No rich woman endowed him, nor took him to Europe. He was not known to the great world outside the | parishes he served in bis itinerant career, but he has everywhere left an example of gentleness and service that has probably formed more lives to goodness of purpose than were influenced by the endowed clerical professor. After all it is example that counts. Professor Her- ron has pointed a way to others that he seems not to have followed himself. The other has simply taken 1(: the path himself in which he would have others | walk, and his example has been worth more than all ‘ the professor’s exhortations. | It has been discovered in Pennsylvania that the | roads of a whole township have been macadamized iv\'ith rock streaked with gold, and the people are in doubt whether to tear up the macadam or to adver- tisc the settlement as New Jerusalem. ENEW ENGLAND VITAL STATISTICS. i ARLY reports from the census recently taken in | E Great Britain show that the complete enumera- | tion will probably reveal that the country is no longer making any considerable increase in popula- tion. In fact, in the rural districts, from which the first reports have been given out, there has been a | decline in population since the previous census, and | urless the big cities show large gains the population as a whole will be found to be stationary. Such reports from Great Britain will not be sur- | prising, nor will they justify a ‘conclusion that ‘the | population is dying out, Tike that of France, for it is weli known that the Britich Islands furnish every year | a large number of emigrants to the ‘colonies of flie empire and to the United States. A more remark- able fact is disclosed in reports from New England thzt the native population of that section, mainly, de- scended from British stock, is dying out, while the | foreign population is increasing. The diminution of ; the native stock is not due wholly to emigration ro | the West. It appears irom statistics recently collected | that in many localities of those States the birth rate of the old New England stock is actually less than the death rate. | Vital statistics collected in Connecticut for last | vear show that in forty-one country towns and vil- | lages peopled almost wholly by natives the deaths for | the ycar exceeded the births by 240. For the whols | State the native births numbered 8299 and the deaths | 10,388, and the foreign births 8219 and deaths only 3678. In commenting upon the Connecticut figures the Springfield Republican says: “The Massachusetts ]wta! statistics of tourse reveal the same population | tendencies. Those for the year 1900 are not at hand, | but the statistics of 1899 will do as well, and in order | to show that the country distriets do not differ ma- | terially from the urbaa in this particular the figures are given for several eounties as'well as for the State: D ke 1 Y 1098 Foreign. i : Births. Death!.l Births, | Deaghs. The State .| 22409 | 34310 || 34, ; Berkshire | Toa | “ross | Franklin . | Tes 511 236 105 | Hampshire 1000|505 705 a7 18 - Suffolk ... Joas68 | 7892 9,624 | 333 In all cases the native ceaths outnumber the births, and the births among the foreign born far exceed the deaths; and this is as true of the three rural counties 2s it is of the county comprising the city of Boston.” In explanation of this difference between the birth and death rates of natives and foreigners there are of- fered many reasons, the most plausible of which is that the strong and robust young natives emigrate to the West in large numbers, leaving behind them old people and children, among whom the death rate is naturally high, while the foreign element is made up of comparatively young men and women in the {full wigor of life. Whatever value may be possessed vy that explanation, the fact remains that in New Eng- | land the old Puritan clement is giving way rapidly before a new population. - It is a case of conquest by immigration, and one cf the most interesting features of it is that the prolifiz immigrants are composed very largely of French Canadians. So that we have the queer probability before us of a capture of New Ingland by the descendants of the people whom the New Englanders helped to conquer and annex to the British empire. THE BRITISH BUDGET. UBLIC expectation concerning what the Brit- ish Ministry would do in the way of providing revenues to meet the increased expenditures of the Government was not far wrong in its forecast. The prediction that there would be an increase of cus- toms duties has been realized to some extent, and the issue between free trade and protection as a national policy is fairly on for pattisan discussion. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Michael :Hicks-Beach, in presenting the estimates for the com- ing year made an earnest effort to avoid the issue, and _enlered into elaborate explanations of the proposed increase of customs duties. In the course of his speech ?le said: “The country has reached a point where it is necessary to widen the scope of taxation. * * * I am not disposed to oppose a customs duty on manu- factured goods, as suggested by Sir Howard Vincent. The average consumption of sugar is fifty-six pounds per head. Sugar is taxed in every other country in Europe and is taxed in the United States. In this country taxes remained upon sugar long after the in- stitution of free trade. What I propose is not a pro- tective duty, but a public necessity has arisen for some duty, of ‘which the laboring classes should pay a fair share. * * * T do not believe the duty will injure manufacturers using sugar to anything like the amount feared. Of course provision will be made for ixflposing a duty on manufactured articles from for- eign countries coming into competition with the home article, and for allowing manufacturers a drawback on articles which they export.” It will be perceived that the first declaration that the duty is not to be protective is followed by another declaration that duties are to be imposed on foreign manufactured articles coming into competition with the home article, and, moreover, the manufacturers are to- be allowed drawbacks on goods exported. Such statements show that the Ministry has laid out for itself a crooked policy. A tax is to be imposed upon sugar, says the Chancellor, but it is not to be a protective duty; it is designed solely that the labor- ing classes may contribute a share of the public rev- enues; the manufacturer is to find compensation in drawbacks upon exporied goods, and is, moreover, to have his interests safeguarded against foreign competi- tion. Ii that be what is meant by “tatiff for revenue only” the workingmen of this country had better take no- tice of it. Such a tariff, according to the explanation of the British Chanceller of the Exchequer, means a tax imposed upon workingmen so adjusted that manu- facturers are to escape its burdens. We once had an administration in this country that designed a tariff for revenue only, and the results were disastrous. There may now be another example of it presented in Great Britain. Shovld Parliament approve the budget and the tax be imposed the laboring classes of the British public will have a chance to see how the system works, and it would not be surprising if at the next general elections they pronounce upon it a ver- dict not dissimilar to that of American workingmen upon the Wilson tariff. In justice to the British Ministry it must be ad- mitted they have a difficult problem to deal with. The returns of the past year, as the Chancellor pointed out in his speech, render it certain that the tax upon tea, tobacco, beer and liquors has reached the limit of profitable taxation, and consequently no additional burden can be imposed upon those articles. The only means by which an increase of revenues can be at- tained is by augmenting the income tax and imposing import duties upon certzin articles and export duties vpon coal. The Government has adopted those means, but has at the same time tried to make a show of con- tinuing the policy of free trade. It remains to be seen how the plan wiil suit the British taxpayer. ‘The Great Britain has taken the first step toward a return to protection, and free trade has been virtually aban- domned in practice while defended theoretically in the home of its friends. i & U the nuisances of the age. It has been carried to > such an extent that in every part of the world protests have been made against it, and in all pro- gressive communities where the people have any artistic sense ordinances have been enacted either to suppress it altogether or at least to so restrict it as to climinate some of its worst features. Of all lands on earth the United States has suffered most from that kind of nuisance. There is hardly a single city whose streets are not defaced by unsightly billboards =znd flaring posters, and even the country has not escaped. The most beautiful landscapes have been marred by them, and the scenery of historic localities has been desecrated by their hideous presence. The American people have borne the evil with pa- tience for a long time, but there is now a prospect that they will have at the Buffalo exposition an object lesson that will rouse them to take some adequate ac- tion toward suppressing it. ‘We learn from our Eastern exchanges that a cer- tain firm has sent out a circular soliciting advertising and announcing in great headlines: “The Biggest Signboard on Earth. It Will Dominate Niagara Falls and Be the Observed of All Observers at the Pan- American Exposition.” Descending to details, it an- nounces that the monstrosity will be thirty-seven feet high and two hundred and eighty feet long, and a net- work of two miles of tisted steel cables will be neces- sary to keep it in position. It confidently makes the further assertion that it “will be so artistic a piece of work as to thoroughly delight the millions of per- sons whose attention will be called to it.” A signboard “dominating Niagara Falls” is exactly the kind of billboard nuisance needed to convince the American people of the disgrace that attends a com- munity that tolerates such abominations. The for- eign visitor who turns aside from the exposition to Icok at the ‘greatest of the natural wonders of the Fastern States and sess it dominated by an advertising signboard will be ‘apt io conclude that we are bar- barians, ignorant of every beauty of nature and of art, and capable of nothing but the excessive laudation of quack medicines and such other stuff as needs adver- tising of that kind. g It would be a regrettable thing if the scheme an- nounced be permitted to be carried out, but the re- sult might be beneficial. Sooner or later the people of all parts of the United States must deal with the billboard and advertisiag poster nuisance, and the desecration of Niagara Falls during the Buffalo ex- | position would doubtless help to bring about right action on the subject. 55 > UNSIGHTLY @DVERTISING. NSIGHTLY advertising has long been one ui only thing about it that is sure at this time is that ! PAPERS ON CURRENT TOPICS. PREPARED BY EXPERTS AND SPECIALISTS FOR - THE SAN FRraNCISCO CALL Uncle Sam’s Printing Office at Washington Is the Largest and Most Complete , in the Civilized World. By Frank W. Palmer. A R T (COPYRIGHT, 180L) X.—THE LARGEST PRINTING OFFICE IN THE WORLD. Several systems for reporting and pub- lishing the proceedings of Congress and for printing the documents and blanks for Congress and the several executive de- partments were adopted, and upon trial, found unsatisfactory before the present System was established. The first Con- gress, which met in the city of New York, had no official report of debates during its sessigns. During its second session a proposition to supply the members with three copies each of a register of debates,’ made by the editor of a New York paper, was voted down. In February, 179, how- ever, a resolution offered by the Hou. William Loughton Smith was passed, di- recting the Secretary of Sate to receive proposals from stenographers for furpish ing accurate reports of debates. In Jat- uary, 179, David Robertson of Peters- burg, Va., was appointed official reporter to Congress. His annual salary was fixed at $4000, which sum was in full for his services, clerk hire, stationery and all incidental expenses. It was provided, however, that if he should furnish a manuseript copy of his report to Andrew Brown, printer of the Philadelphia Ga- zette, the last-named gentleman was r quired to pay therefor 1100 of the Rober: son salary, leaving only to be d frayed from the Federal Treasury. On October 31, 1800, Hamilton Smith commenced the publication of the Na- tional Intelligencer, the seat of Govern- ment having been previously removed Trom Philadelphia to Washington. Im- perfect reports of the debates in Con- gress were published in that journal. Mr. Smith did his own reporting of debates, and when his reports were written it wes his habit to send them to the several gentlemen in either House who had taken part in the discussions, and these gentle- men would revise their notes at their leisure. Reporters were not at that time rermitted to occupy seats on the floor of ihe Senate, and in 1802 Mr. Smith request- ed permission to occupy a position whera he could better listen to debates. Oppo- sition was made to this request, and when those who objected found they weve in a minority they tried to provide that reporters or ‘“note-takers” should give bond for their good behavior. This propo- sition was voted down, 16 to 12, and by a similar vote the presiding officer of the Senate was authorized to allot a place within the area of the chamber to any stenographer or note-taker in his (the presiding officer’s) discretion. Joseph Gales was employed as a stenographer in the service o? the Intelligencer in 1807, and in 1810 he purchased the interest of Mr. Smith m that journal. Earliest Verbatim Reports. Verbatim reports of proceedings in the two branches of Congress were com- menced for the first time in December, 1833, in the Congressional Globe, published by Messrs. Blair & Rives. The Globe was at that time a weekly sheet, and con- tained simply a_journal of the proceedings and reports of such speeches as were written by the members of the Senate or House themselves. In 1847 a contract was made with a Mr. Houston, a stenographic reporter, to fur- nish daily verbatim reports of debates and proceedings of the Senate for the press. In August, 1846, Congress adopted a plan for daily verbatim reports of debates in each of the two houses of Congress and for their publication the succeeding morning In two newspapers in the city of Washington and subsequently in book form. The contracts were subsequently abandoned by the proprietors of both journals and the work allotted to Mr. John C. Rives, the debates to appear in the Daily Globe, and subsequently in book form. In accordance with the provisions of modified contracts, reports of Congres- sional debates were published in the Globe until 1873. In March of that year an act was passed by Congress providing | that the debates of Congress should be printed by the Corgressional printer, un- der the direction of the joint Committee on Printing on the part of the Senate. D. F. Murphy was made official reporter of the Senate, and the debates of Con- ress were published at the Government nting Office in the Congressional Rec- ord. The House of Representatives ap- proved of these arrangements, and, com- mercing with the Forty-third Congress. the reports of debates have been published in the Congressional Record from that time to this. Remarkable Speed of the Work. * While the late Philetus Sawyer of Wis- consin was a member of the United States Senate he was one morning escorting a member of the English House of Com- mens through the Capitol, when the lat- ter picked up a copy of the Congressional Record, and, noticing the date of publi- cation, asked of what sessions of the two houses of Congress the reports in the Record were. The Senator answered that they covered all debates and other pro- ceedings of each house up to the time of adjournment the preceding day. The Englishman expressed his astonishment at this information, saying reports of Porliamentary debates ~were generally thiee or four days behindhand in publi- cation. When_ the fact is considered that each page of the Record contains about 6000 ems of brevier type, or 10,000 ems of non- pareil type, the later embodying some- times many pages of rule and figure work, and that each issue of this publication often reaches as many as 100 pages of solid matter, an accurate idea may be formed of the amount of labor involved in the reporting and printing of daily verbatim reports of Congressional debates and other proceedings. On June 5, 1900, {ha firat edition of the Record confained pages, and a second edition contained 64 additional pages, making a total of 192 pages of that edition. How Verbatim Reports Are Made. The verbatim reports of debates and other proceedings in Congress are made by five reporters in each house. Bach report- ef occuples about fifteen minutes in tak- ing stenographic notes of a debate or | other proceedings, then retires from the hall to a room near by, where he trans- lates his notes into a phonograph, and from the phonograph they are transferred by tvoewriting into copy, rcady for the reportorial reviser, and by him transmit- ted by a bicycle-mounted messenger to the Congressional Record division of the Goverument Printing Office. The printing of documents and blanks for Congress and the exccutive depart- ments has passed through several stages of evolution, Kkeeping pace with the growth of the population of the country and the grogrcs' of mechanical invention. During the sessions of the first Congress the document printing and all other print- ing for the body was done under the authority of the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Represen- tatives. who made vearly contracts there- for. The estimate for this work during the first session of the first Congress was, for the Senate, %2300, and covered the cost of stationery as well as printing, book- binding and other contingent or incidental expenses. The estimate for the same class of expenses of the house was $3637. ‘When the seat of Government was re- | moved to Philadelphia the fl;flndng for Congress was awarded by tl Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate. The work was executed by the proprieiors of newspa- er offices. When the capital was estab- filhd in Washington types, presses, paper, rinters and even fuel had to be obtained grom other localities. Transportation fa- cilities were scarce and poor. Printing supplies were poor. The plan recommend- ed and adopted provided that the Secre- tary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, within thirty days after the close of each session of Congress, should advertise for fuel,. sta- tionery and printing for the next Con- gress. ’ * President Jefferson’s Messages. vdmt Jnl'!hm. liutud o'f geuonal- ly addregsing the two houses of Congress, L George Washi and John Adams sent hi m; writing with accompanyi document "{{ printed these ooq;fiumx- made | the lm‘ of the lawmaking power a small quarto volume of only about 100 pages. In the House of Representatives there was considerable discussion over the_question waether there should be 150 or 500 copies of this volume printed for the use of Congress. A resolution in favor of the larger number flnall{ prevailed, ?S%i}he cost of printing and binding was The secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives continued to award the contracts for printing for Congress under the system of competitive bids until 1819. The work was done by different master printers in Washington. One of them testified before a Congressional committee that the entire force employed at any time by these mas- ter printers did not exceed thirty to thirty-five and another testified that the price paid to journeyman printers in 1819 during the session of Congress was $10 & week and $9 a week during the recess. Troubles Over Public Printing. In 1819 the manner in which the public printing had been executed by the several master printers was such that a joint committee of Congress was appointéd to devise some plan for doing the work In a more satisfactory manner. The committee considered the establishment of a national printing office, with bindery and station- ery divisions attached, and were convinced that this plan would be practicable, but they deemed it not advisable to submit a proposition on which there would prob- ag}y be a considerable diversity of opin- The committee submitted an alternative recommendation for a tariff of prices for all kinds of Government printing, and for the choice by each house of Congress of a printer to execute its own work during the succeeding Congressional term. This rec- ommendation was adopted by Congress and the Congressional printers thus se- lected employed master printers to exe- cute the work. With some modifications this system was continued until the pres- ent Government Printing Office was es- tablished. In 1840 the Committee on Print- ing of the House of Representatives, as the result of an investigation on the sub- ject, made a unanimous report in favor of a public printing office, under proper regulations, believing that “an immense saving Lo the bublic treasury and - the Shalement of an extensive political evil The Government Printing Office. The cost of skilled labor h: - creased since’ the establishment of the Government printing office in 1%1. For several years previously the wages of compositors. and pressmen were fixed by the printers’ union at $l4 a week. In Feb- ruary, 1863, they were raised to 3i6 a week; in December, 1363, to $1$ a week: in June, 1864, to $21 a week: in November, 1854, o $24 a week. The last named rate is the one now received in the Government print- ing office by nearly all classes of skilled workmen. On May 31, 1860, a joint resolution was passed by Congress ‘authorizing the es- tablishment of a Government printing of- fice and the abpointment by the Presi- dent of a superintendent of printing. John D. Defrees of Indiana was appointed by President Lincoln the first incumbent of that office, and held i. until August, 185, when he was removed by President John- son, Cornelius Wendell succeeded Mr. De- frees by appointment by President Joha- son, but was legislated out by the aboli- tion of the office. The title of ““Congres- sional Printer” was substituted for that of “Superintendent of Printing,” and Mr. Defrees was restored .o_his old position by vote of the Senate. In April, 1869, A. M. Clapp of New York was elected by the Senate to succeed Mr. Defrees as Con- gressional Printer, and held the office un- til July, 1876, when an act of Congress was passed creating the office of Public Printer, to be filled by appointment by the President and confirmation by the Senate. Mr. Clapp succeeded to that of- fice and administered its duties until June, 1877, when Mr. Defrees was appointed to that position by President Hayes. Sterl- ing P. Rounds of Illinois was appointed by President Arthur in April, 1882; Thomas E. Benedict by President Cleveland in Sep- tember, 1586, and in May, 1804; Frank W. Palmer by President Harrison in May, %. and by President McKinley in April, For the uses of a Government printing office the building erected by Cornelius Wendell on the corner of H and North Capitol streets was purchased by the Gov- ernment at a cost of $146,545.° This price included materials, fixtures and machin- ery. Publicity for Government Affairs. I have been asked to explain precisely what relation the Government Printing Office plant sustains to the Federal Gov- ernment. The answer to this request may be practically found in the brief historical sketch of the plant already given. From 1789 until 1861 nearly every possible phase of the contract system for obtaining necessary rrlmm( for Con- gress and the several executive depart- ments had been tried, every experimeat had proved unsatisfactory and had been abandoned. Invitations to master print- ers, whether of newspaper, book or job plants, for ¢competitive bids led almost in- evitably to lower rates for doing the wo-k than contractors could afford, and In- ferior workmanship or appeals to Con- gress for supplementary payments to cover the losses were the usual alterna- tives. The worst results of the system were the delays in the execution of the | work. No bond could furnish full in- demnity for such delays. Allusion to these delays has been already made in this article. No individual or corporate contractor could afford to establish . plant on a acale large enough to do the printing for the Government and take the chances of losing the work at the expir- ation of his contract. The establishment of the Governmen* Priuting Office in 1861 was an experiment. At first the work was confined to the printing of official blanxs and documents, but this was deemed so satisfactory, bot as to cost and rmmpmen of execution, that. the official publication of debates and other proceedings in Congress was authorized to be done at the Governmen: Printing Office, and for a period of near- ly three decades this record of Congres- -{onu proceedings has been executed with such accuraoy and promptness as to elicit universal commendation. Under no Government in the world are official documents circulated among the peorle on a scale so liberal as in the United States. Some Notable Publications. All the executive departments and all the bureaus of the Government of the United States make annual reports, which are printed by authority of Congress for free distribution among the people. Some of the documents are voluminous Ny those on subjects of general interest to the public are printed in large editions, Reports of special committees authorized | by Congress are also printed in large | numbers for free distribution. The foliow- | ing are some of the documents thus pub- | lished: The President’s annual message, 15,000 copies; abridgment of the message and documents, 12,000: report of the Com- | missioner of Education, 40,000; report of | the Comptroller of the Currency, 12,000; report of the Interstate Commerce Com- mission, 35,000: report of the Bureau of Animal Ind'-lll.rg'. 32,000; report of the Commissioner of Labor, fl%&? year book .(,:x ',::e ng::lmem of Ag?gnlzure. 500,000; ‘ongress! directory (t] 54,000; horse book, Isstied by the Doprse: ment of iculture (six fons), 410,000 diseases of cattle (two editlons), 120.000: sheep industry, 80,000 consular reports on cattle breeding and dairy f; » reports on the census, I;’nln.m‘x})'sé% ch; records of the War of i ?l‘i) volumes), 13.000: r po nolmek:mh& _enlglneeru of the War rtment (seven volul . L o e et groare of e maf for the XorK, or have been proved t essential Service of the Governme - facilities n - 't execution of such w;; Boston any individual | the is manifest from the fact that a f the fireproof exéecr:lon of ok 2 several When xtension now hall be completed e ST s il b 11 t now, the I t_ and Dbest-eq mbined printing and bookbinding estab- lishment in the world. PERSONAL MENTION. Grove P. Ayers of Redwood City is at the Grand. Colonel E. E. Hardin, U. S. A., is at the Occidental. Douglass Dallam of Kansas City, Mo., is at the Palace. William H. Devlin, the Sacramento at- torney, is at the Lick. Dr. A. F. Wentworth, a surgeon in the navy, is at the Occidental. Frank Golden, a jewelry merchant of Carson, Nev., is at the Lick. 2 A. B. Cox of Santa Cruz is at the Cali- fornia. He is accompanied by his wife. George E. Carter, Assemblyman from Los Angeles, is registered at the Grand. Henry W. Lynch, a prominent cattle man of San Luis Obispo County, is at the Grand. He is accompanied by his wife. Hervey Lindiey, formely prominent in the politics of this State, is registered at the Palace from Klamathon, where he has lumber interests. $6,000,000. ———————— R CALIFORNIANS IN NEW YORK. NEW YORK, April 19—The following Californians are in New York: From San Francisco—W. H. Jones, at Arlington; M. Siminoff, at Broadway Cen- tral; F. J. Upton and wife, at Everett; J. F. Valentine, at Broadway Central; J. Deming, at Imperial; L. Hutchinson, at Hoffman; J. Reudiger, at Astor; Mrs. C. H. Schultz, at Netherland; F. C. S. Wells and wife, at Cosmopolftan. From San Diego—C. R. Woodward, at Broadway Central. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. MICE—A. S.. City. The most effective way to rid a house of mice Is to use traps, freshly baited every night. STREETCARS—F. G. B., City. Ths number of streetcars operated in San Francisco in the early part of April was 647 daily. A HALF-DOLLAK-T., City. A silver half-dollar of 1§10 Goes not command a premium. Dealers offer to sell such for 85 cents. TANNING—C. W. O., Hilton, Cal. The answer to your query about the tanning of skins appeared in this department April 16. THE MAGNETIC NEEDLE—J. A. L. Crockett, Cal. The magnetic needle In the mariners’ compass points only to the south when it is placed north of the mag- netic north pole. WITHOUT FUNDS—J. A. L. Crockett, City. A man who is in debt and without funds can only legally relieve himself of those debts by going through insolvency. He will have to engage the services of a lawyer, who will advise him and tell him what the cost will be. MATRIMONIAL PAPER-J. E. M, Wilderville, Or. The newspaper direct- ries do not contain the name of any matrimonial paper published in the United States. COPYRIGHT—C. M., City. If you will write to the Librartan of Congress, Wash- ington, D. C., you will have sent te you a blank form of application for copyright. That will give you all the information you may desire on the subject. A WEDDING—G. A. K., City. To search for “the account of a wedding that ap- peared in The Cail some years back" without knowing the names of the parties would be an impossible task. In order to search the files there must be given the names and the approximate date. WEIGHT OF GOLD AND SILVER-—S. S., Giant, Cal. A friend of this depart- ment connected with the office of the assistant United States Treasury of this city states that the answer given some time since as to the weight of a million dollars of gold and of silver was practi- cally correct, but that the following is the exact weight of each: Ome gold dollar weighs 25.8 grains; one troy (5760 grains) would be worth $223. i one pound avoirduvols (7000 grains) would be Worth $271.3178+; $1000 goid would weigh, avoir- dupois, 3.6%714 pounds; $1,000,000 gold would welgh, savolrdupols, 3853.714 pounds. A simpler method of ascertaining the weight of $1,000,000 in gold coin In avoirdupois weight js: If $1_weighs 2.5 grains, then $1,000,000 weighs 2,300,000 grains, which at 7000 grains to the pound avoirdupois equals 36%5.714 pounds. Ore silver dollar weighs 4125 grains; one pound troy (3760 grains) would be worth $13.9636+-; one pound avoirdupois (7000 grains) would be worth $16.9696+; $1000 would weigh avoirdupols 53.9255+ pounds; $1,000,000 would weigh avoirdpois 58,928.57+ nds. Stmpler method: If §1 silver weighs 412.5 grains, then $1,000,000 would weigh 412,500,000 grains, which af 7000 grains to the pound avoirdpois equals 88, + pounds. ————————————— A CHANCE TO SMILE. “Phew! Did you hear old Krusty snasl waen I wished him the compliments of the season?” “Yes. He seems to think pepper aid Pep] vinegar the proper holiday season.”—Phil- adelphia Press. That_ Eloquent New Title—“1 see that five indignant wives have united to prose- cute a gay Lothario out in Nebraska. “Another community of interest. Cleveland Leader. Church—I see Wall Street has a frank- furter trust. Gotham—Well, you know Bryan sald business would go to the dogs ,g!.—Yon- kers Statesman. Customer—Don't you know that some high authorities advised us to show Chi- namen no quarter? - Song Slee—All’ samee, no show qualter no get laundly.—Chicago News. und Mr. Miserly—Now, let's see, little wife have you saved anything this month? Mrs. Miserly—Oh, yes, indeed. You will find the expenses considerably less. 1 have just been to see the grocer and persuaded him to delay sending ‘his bill until next month. “You know what a coincldence is, I sup- pose?’ queried the man with the new.- per to his fell passenger. “You bet I do,” was the hearty reply “Thirty xuu ago I was in Buffalo and wead broke, and a man lent me 50 cents The other day I went back there to pay it and thirty-five different men claimed to be the right one and run the interest on the loan up to $3 50!"—Washington Post. “These rooms are so small,” said the unter, looking around disapprov- “You couldn’t sling a cat in any of adam,” majestically lied the Jamir. e ou couldn't Spank & baby in any of them. We don’t allow either cats or bables in the building, madam.”—Chi- cago Tribune. Choice candies, Townsend’s, Palace Hotel.* Cal glace fruit 50c per Ib at Townsend's.® —_———————— Ex. strong hoarhound candy. Townsend’s.® ———————————— Ice cream chocolates, Boston mints, ala. cuma. Townsend’s, 639 Market street. * —————— lasses, 10c ¢ Look :&?‘hont of barber mdon‘:egr,, . Best out 81 e ol gt e T Townsend's California glace fruits, 50c a jund, in fire-etched boxes or Jap bas- {:«s. 639 Market, Palace Hotel hm&u, - ———————— “Special datly to business houses and public men l‘-m.‘. gomery street. Telephone Id.l?"“-. i —_————— Mrs. Mann—That young Mrs. Childers is dead. It was a sudden. Isn't it too bad?