Legislative Establishment Appropriation Bill

1969 is $31,200,000, an increase of $4,500,000 over the current year appropriation.

For the Office of Superintendent of Documents, the request for fiscal year 1969 is $8,112,200, an increase over the appropriation already enacted for 1968 of $608,000. In connection with that item, as I understand, you are going to seek a fiscal 1968 supplemental in the amount of $145,200 for the pay act increase of last October.

The third item is a request for fiscal year 1969 for $2.5 million for plans and designs for a new Government Printing Office building. I believe we have had that item before us in some earlier year.

Mr. Harrison, we will be glad to have you present your general statement at this time.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER

Mr. HARRISON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee.

The demand for printing and binding services by the Congress and our nearly 100 customer agencies has continued to grow. Last year Office income reached $200 million-largest in our history-and our business projections suggest this trend will continue. Every indication points to a continuation of a rising need for more printing.

I am pleased to report to you that this 14 percent increase in our 1967 business volume was handled with the same dispatch and economy Government Printing Office customer agencies have learned to respect in years past.

Perhaps the Congressional Record-at the same time our largest, and most important assignment-is the best example of the direction and magnitude of the growth trend. The 2d session of the 89th Congress required 34,812 pages to cover its proceedings while the 1st session of the 90th Congress needed 44,183 pages-an increase of 27 percent. This same pattern has been reflected in varying degrees throughout the Government and, understandably, has severely taxed our facilities, our personnel, and our financing.

LACK OF SPACE FOR MOVING BUSINESS VOLUME

I am sure I need not remind you again of the serious problems we face in attempting to meet the growing demands for printing and binding in a plant which was not designed, and cannot be remodeled, to serve these needs effectively. I am pleased to report to you, however, that some progress is being made in this area, and we are hopeful that a satisfactory solution can be reached in the near future.

INADEQUATE NUMBER OF APPRENTICES

Likewise, I have often made known to you the problems we face in attracting and keeping competent journeymen. We continue to provide comprehensive apprentice training in all phases of printing and binding. This program aims at producing competent and skilled craftsmen but, as you know, is handicapped by what we believe is an unrealistic statutory limitation on our efforts in this area. I can only hope that the law will be modified to permit the training of an adequate number of

budget submission suggests. Will you please submit for the record an explanation of the changes?

(The information follows:)

First, we wish to replace the automobile which we use in Washington for transportation between our office and other agencies or the Congress. In fiscal year 1969 this vehicle will be over 61⁄2 years old and, according to GSA schedules and the increasing cost of maintenance, should be replaced.

Next, we are asking for language permitting advance payments overseas. This provision was in our appropriation language several years ago when we had offices in Paris and Tokyo. When we moved these offices to Frankfurt, where we use Government-owned offices and quarters, and Hawaii, we felt the language was superfluous and we asked for deletion of the provision. Currently, however, we have new suboffices in Saigon, Manila, and New Delhi and we again find it necessary because of foreign business practices in these areas to ask for reinstatement of this provision.

Finally, we are asking for specific language permitting the furnishing of quarters to our employees overseas instead of paying their quarters allowances and moving their household goods. The current practice of Federal agencies is to provide furnished quarters to employees stationed in Saigon, Manila, and New Delhi. Individuals find it very difficult to secure adequate housing on the market at these locations because the facilities offered, such as the electrical wiring, kitchen facilities, and hot water, are generally not adequate for the needs of the employee and his family. Also, the usual furniture an employee has is not adaptable to the humid climate found at these locations. We believe that, in the long term, it will be more economical for us to provide furnished quarters for employees at these locations rather than pay their quarters allowances and moving their household goods to and from these locations.

Mr. YATES. Thank you very much, Mr. Staats, Mr. Weitzel, and your colleagues, for coming here and giving us the benefit of a very good hearing. We enjoyed it very much.

Mr. STAATS. Thank you.
Mr. WEITZEL. So did we.

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1968.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WITNESSES

JAMES L. HARRISON, PUBLIC PRINTER

HARRY D. MEROLD, DEPUTY PUBLIC PRINTER

HARRY J. HUMPHREY, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLIC PRINTER

WALTER C. DeVAUGHN, ACTING COMPTROLLER

HERBERT J. THAYER, ACTING DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

CARPER W. BUCKLEY, SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS

ROWLAND E. DARLING, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS MERRILL C. GLEASON, FINANCIAL MANAGER, OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS

CLAYTON F. ZIEGLER, ASSISTANT FINANCIAL MANAGER, OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS

Mr. ANDREWs. The committee will come to order.

We will take up this morning the request of the Government Printing Office. We are glad to have with us Mr. James L. Harrison, the Public Printer, and members of his staff.

The request of the Government Printing Office consists of three items:

For congressional printing and binding, the request for fiscal year

1969 is $31,200,000, an increase of $4,500,000 over the current year appropriation.

For the Office of Superintendent of Documents, the request for fiscal year 1969 is $8,112.200, an increase over the appropriation already enacted for 1968 of $608,000. In connection with that item, as I understand, you are going to seek a fiscal 1968 supplemental in the amount of $145,200 for the pay act increase of last October.

The third item is a request for fiscal year 1969 for $2.5 million for plans and designs for a new Government Printing Office building. I believe we have had that item before us in some earlier year.

Mr. Harrison, we will be glad to have you present your general statement at this time.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER

Mr. HARRISON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee.

Perhaps the Congressional Record--at the same time our largest, and most important assignment-is the best example of the direction and magnitude of the growth trend. The 2d session of the 89th Congress required 34,812 pages to cover its proceedings while the 1st session of the 90th Congress needed 44,183 pages-an increase of 27 percent. This same pattern has been reflected in varying degrees throughout the Government and, understandably, has severely taxed our facilities, our personnel, and our financing.

LACK OF SPACE FOR MOVING BUSINESS VOLUME

INADEQUATE NUMBER OF APPRENTICES

apprentices, who, with those journeymen we recruit through civil service, will be sufficient to keep our working force at needed strength.

ADEQUATE WORKING CAPITAL

With regard to our financing, I am pleased to report that the $15 million increase in our working capital funds which you authorized in fiscal year 1967, has so far proved to be adequate in providing the increased financing requirements of our expanding work volume. We do not anticipate any problems in this area during the coming year but we must face the reality that a continuation of the present trend of increasing printing and binding demands may require additional working capital in the future.

MODERNIZATION STEPS

In order to deal effectively with the problems of increasing volume in the face of an inadequate plant and a shortage of qualified journeymen, we have been vigorously exploring every avenue which offers promise of increased efficiency through improved technology. Our new Linotron photocomposing system is now installed and operating. Many publications, now reproduced from printouts on data processing equipment, will be produced more economically, and with graphic-arts quality through use of the Linotron.

For example, the first job placed on this system consisted of 32,701 pages which made a total of 81 volumes averaging 404 pages per volume. This job was produced in record time at an estimated savings of $320,000 over the next most economical method of production.

Also, through the efforts of our Committee on Modernization of Machinery and Equipment, we keep a constant check on the efficiency of our production facilities. Inefficient or obsolescent machinery is replaced with more modern and efficient equipment, which must be fully justified, first on the basis of need and then on the ability of the new systems to recover purchase and installation costs from improved efficiency.

We have prepared justifications for the various classifications of congressional printing and binding for fiscal year 1969. I will be pleased to submit them for the record or, if you prefer, I will read item by item.

Mr. ANDREWs. We will insert that later.

LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF APPRENTICES

Mr. Harrison, referring to page 2 of your statement where you mention the apprentice training, what do you mean when you say "an unrealistic statutory limitation on our efforts in this area"? In other words, what is the statutory limitation, how long have you had it, what efforts are being made to increase it, and have you submitted a bill or has the Joint Committee on Printing made a request in this matter?

Mr. HARRISON. Section 40 of title 44, United States Code, places a limitation of 200 apprentices that we can employ at any one time. This

limitation was placed in 1924, at which time it was fairly realistic if you are going to limit apprentices in a production operation. In one breath it says the Public Printer may employ as many as he needs but not more than he needs provided not more than 200 apprentices shall be employed at one time. We have been endeavoring since 1961 to have this limitation increased or removed altogether. Bills were dropped in both the House and the Senate to increase the limit to 600 back in 1961. Mr. ANDREWS. From 200?

Mr. HARRISON. From 200. The Senate had hearings on it and agreed to increase it to 400. When the bill came to the House it was felt 400 was not sufficient, that it should be 600, and in the process nothing was done. We have been unable to get a House bill introduced since 1963. The Columbia Typographical Union opposed this. They were the only union that appeared against it. It is my understanding they have been promised a hearing.

Mr. ANDREWS. What is their opposition?

Mr. HARRISON. They would rather, when I need employees, that I come to them. But they can't supply them.

Mr. ANDREWS. You cannot get 200 of them?

Mr. HARRISON. No. I could hire journeymen from them if they could supply them. We have had a short supply of proofreaders for some time and they can't supply them. The industry is working very diligently to get Congress to increase this limitation or remove it and let me train as many apprentices as needed.

Mr. ANDREWS. How many would you consider to be the proper number?

Mr. HARRISON. I doubt we would ever get more than 400 even if we had the limitation removed, because if you get too many apprentices you will have a training school rather than a production operation.

Mr. ANDREWS. What is your turnover in the Government Printing Office? You have how many employees overall?

Mr. HARRISON. We have about 7,800 overall.

Mr. ANDREWS. What about the turnover?

Mr. HARRISON. The turnover is very low. It is probably the lowest average in the Government. But each year I lose between 250 and 275 journeymen, through retirement and other causes.

Mr. ANDREWS. What do you consider a journeyman?

Mr. HARRISON. That is a person who has gone through an apprenticeship and is a craftsman, such as a compositor, a pressman, a bookbinder, a photographer, a photoengraver; there are about 14 crafts that qualify as journeymen. We employed 2,126 of these journeymen as of the end of last year. With the 200 limitation in the apprentice program the most I can hope to train is 40 a year. That leaves the difference between 40 and the 265 we lose each year to be filled from outside plants, and these people are really up in arms. I had a letter come in just last week about a man we appointed. He had worked for a printing plant in Virginia and in sending out our inquiry as to his ability and character the man wrote back what a wonderful man he was and at the bottom he said: "Another man stolen from us by the Government Printing Office. We hope you like him as much as we did."

92-655-68-9

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