A further increase in pressroom efficiency in 1912 as compared with the previous year is shown by the fact that while the number of forms sent to press increased by 3.2 per cent the number of chargeable impressions increased by 12.5 per cent. With few exceptions the larger items of production in 1912 show a substantial increase over previous years, due to closer supervision, improved methods, and cooperation on the part of the employees. For two successive years the office has been operated within the appropriations, and deficiency appropriations have not been necessary. I take pleasure in calling attention to the yearly summary of expense and production (facing this page), the product of our efficient costaccounting system. This summary is the first complete and itemized statement ever presented to Congress showing in detail the cost of maintenance, operation, and expense of the Government Printing Office, and the cost and amount of work produced therein. PURCHASES OF NEW MACHINERY. The important purchases of new machinery are given in the following table: That portion of the monotype keyboard equipment first installed is now obsolete. It should be discarded and there should be installed in its place a lesser number of keyboards of the improved type. Decreased cost in production will result from this purchase and further economies can be effected by the purchase of a small number of linotype machines. IMPROVEMENTS IN BUILDINGS AND PLANT. The important improvements in the plant equipment and in the buildings undertaken and consummated during the fiscal year and the cost thereof were as follows: A garage was built on the vacant lot adjoining the H Street Annex building at a cost of $17,870.69. This building has a total volume of 227,500 cubic feet, and the cost per cubic foot was, therefore, 8 cents, which was very reasonable. In order to protect the H Street Annex building from possible fire in the new garage, wire glass was installed on all windows of the first and second floors of the Annex building at a cost of $927.22. Fireproof shutters were installed on all windows of the old building, Jackson Alley side, at a cost of $1,488.29. A contract was made with the Henry Vogt Machine Co. for a 20-ton refrigerating plant and a 1-ton ice-making plant at a total cost of $6,600. This machine was installed during the year, but the piping was not connected up until after the first of the new fiscal year. A new pumping engine, contracted for in the previous fiscal year, was connected up and new water lines run where necessary, at a cost of $797.45. The work of painting the windows throughout the new building, that was started in the previous fiscal year, was completed at a cost of $787.63. A ventilating tube was installed from the toilet room in the press room, first floor, G Street side, at a cost of $80.67. Safety hooks were installed on the windows of the H Street Annex building for the use of window cleaners at a cost of $39.36. The necessary work in repairing the windows, etc., due to the gas explosion in North Capitol Street, which occurred on January 19, and for which this office was reimbursed by the Washington Gas Light Co., cost $115.51. The North Capitol and H Streets sides of the old building were painted by employees in this office at a cost of $1,058.38. A grill-work partition was installed in the bindery shipping room at a cost of $105.83. A new coal storage vault in the basement of the new building, including all necessary moving, protection of pipes, etc., was constructed at a cost of $731.84. An annunciator push-button system for the purpose of locating instantly the point at which a fire alarm may be rung was started during the previous fiscal year and completed during this fiscal year at a cost of $584.41. The Jackson Alley side of the old building was painted under contract at a cost of $688. During this year considerable work had to be performed in replastering walls and girders in the new building where the old plaster had fallen, at a total cost of $674.89. A one-story hydraulic elevator was installed from the basement to the press room, new building, at a cost of $863.75. Two new doorways were cut in the wall to make additional passageways to the monotype section, new building, at a cost of $199.89. A spiral stairway was installed in the old building, between the first and second floors, near the postal-card section, at a cost of $266.22. A section of a gallery floor was installed in the garage at a total cost of $497.05. |