A TRAVELLER’S NOTE BOOK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19197, 13 June 1924, Page 8

A TRAVELLER’S NOTE BOOK.

No. X CHICAGO, PHILADELPHIA. AND WASHINGTON. By Sir George Fenwick. SOME GREAT NEWSPAPER AND PRINTING OFFICES. In a previous article i made passing reference to the new premises that are to house the Chicago Tribune, the design having been secured through, a competition among the architects of the world lor prizes totalling £20,000. The winners were a firm of New York architects. While in Chicago I was afforded an opportunity of going through all the departments of the Tribune’s office, and a most interesting and instructive visit it proved to be. There were no fewer than 5b rotary presses in the machine room, expeditious production of the numerous editions being a vital point in a newspaper with an Immense circulation such as this paper has. But the completeness of the mechanical equipment of this office is to be similarly found in all the largo newspaper offices I have visited in America. And so it is with many of the great job printing establishments I visited in Chicago, Philadelphia. Washington, and New York. The master printers in all these cities threw their .establishments open to me, as also did a great firm of type-founders and printers’ material manufacturers in Chicago. In every department of the printing and •dlied trades I found labour-saving machinery of the most recent kind, and I am profoundly indebted to the members oi United Typothet® of America for their profuse hospitality and their extreme readiness to make my visits to their progressive towns pleasurable and informative. It was in Washington, however, where 1 saw the largest printing office in the world—the Government printing office of the United States. It employs WO hands, and is indeed a veritable hive of buzzing industry, as may bo realised when I state that for the fiscal year 1923 work to the value of one and a-half millions sterling was supplied to the various departments and establishments of the Government. Further impressive figures for the year mentioned show that the Superintendent of Documents, an important member of the staff, distributed no fewer than •56,000,000 copies of the various publications during the year. The postal service is the biggest patron of the Government Printing Office, its requirements m 19/3 Itaving cost £369,300. Machinery to the value of £577,314 is used in carrying on the work of the ofiice. But It is not neceasaiy to use further figures to show the magnitude of this important concern beyond saying thait its pay roll for the year amounted to approximately £1,400,000. Under the courteous guidance of the Government Printer (Mr George H. Carter), 1 went ,over almost the whole of this great establishment, and was deeply interested from start to finish with all I saw. The" building is seven storeys high, and covers an immense area of ground. All ' its departments were in splendid condition, and the whole vast .organisation was running like' clockwork. Quite outside of the mechanical and manage-ni-nt departments there were manysplendid features affecting the health and welfare of the employees; that are of immense value to them, such, for example, as a large lunch room, and rest rooms, a well-equipped kitchen, a. hospital with two qualified men in charge, two trained nurses, a dental surgery in charge of qualified men, an assembly or meeting hall, provided with a good piano and capable of seating 1200 persons, a billiard room, and a skittle alley. Each Friday during the entire lunch period, from 11.30 a.m. to 1.15 p.m., the office orchestra gives a popular concert, and the office employees have the opportunity of dancing if they wish. The members of the orchestra are all office employees. A complete physical examination, including testa of vision and hearing, is given both men and women upon entering into the Government Printing Office sendee. Every employee is required to have his teeth regularly examined by the dental surgeons in attendance. Tire number of cases of accident or illness reported to the physicians of the establishment and treated during the year ranges from 4000 to 4500, including almost every ailment from indigestion to the amputation of a finger. Mr Carter is an exceptionally able man, and has effected many beneficial changes in the establishment since his appointment two or three yeats ago—changes that have not only resulted in enormous savings to the Government, but in promoting the welfare of the employees. He has been paid a warn tribute by the members of United Typothet® of America, which in conference assembled passed a special resolution commending his admirable work. When we had finished our tour of inspection of the establishment on the day of my visit, it me exeat pleasure at s request to address a large gathering of the principal employees who are at the head of departments or otherwise in positions of trust. They were a capable lot of men, and I appreciated the privilege given me of telling them something about the printing trade in New Zealand and of expressing my -delight with all I had seen in “the biggest printing office in the world.” previous articles appeared in our issues of April 19, May L May 7, May 12, May May 17, May 24, June 7„ d June 11. •