POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL,
Washington, D. C., June 5, 1919.

CHAIRMAN JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING.

MY DEAR SENATOR MOSES: With reference to your circular letter of March 12 and your subsequent letter of April 16 concerning section 11 of Public Act No. 314, Sixty-fifth Congress, approved March 12, 1919, you are informed that the reply of this department has been delayed, first, because of the time necessary to obtain the desired information concerning printing in the various post offices and divisions of the Railway Mail Service, and, second, for the reason that a preliminary conference was requested by the purchasing agent of the department with the Joint Committee on Printing with regard to four-year contracts for printing that do not expire until after July 1, 1919; also with regard to necessary contracts to be made for paper and other supplies to carry out such printing contracts; also the purchase of paper for printing in post offices and contracts for blank books, tags, etc., authority for which has already been granted by Congress in the Post Office appropriation bill for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920.

I am submitting herewith communications from the various bureaus of the department to the purchasing agent covering publications issued elsewhere than in the District of Columbia for the exclusive use of any field service outside of said District, together with reasons for continuing to print them outside of the District. It will be noted that one publication, The Daily Bulletin, is issued within the District for the field service outside the District, but this is purely administrative, covering official orders, changes in post offices, etc.

The following contracts were in existence before section 11 of Public Act No. 314, Sixty-fifth Congress, was passed and will continue in force after July 1, 1919:

Printed facing slips: Contractor, American Surety Co., bondsman of Marvin S. Young Co., Washington, D. C., subcontractor of the Feist Printing Co., White Haven, Pa. Contract ends June 30, 1920.

Official Postal Guide: Contractor, J. B. Lyon & Co., Albany, N. Y. Contract ends June 30, 1920.

Various contracts for money-order forms, blanks, etc., as per schedule herewith. Contracts end November 30, 1919.

To carry out the contract for printed facing slips it has been necessary for the Post Office Department to make an annual contract for paper, which will end June 30, 1920, the date of the ending of the contract for printing. To insure an uninterrupted supply of various other items, such as blank books, tags, etc., awards have been made.

for the coming fiscal year, subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on Printing.

Concerning the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General's reference to official envelopes and registered-package jackets, the contracts have already been let for these for the coming fiscal year; also for departmental envelopes for the coming fiscal year and for stamped envelopes for the coming four-year period, inasmuch as these are manufacturing and not printing jobs within the meaning of the law.

It is requested that all continuing contracts of this department be excepted from the operation of the law during the life of such contracts; also that certain contracts for paper for use in the field during the coming fiscal year be excepted, for the reason that such action is necessary to insure an uninterrupted supply. It is also requested that printed facing slips be excepted from the operation of the law for the following reasons: First, they are now obtained at a very low price, and when the Public Printer has been given an opportunity to bid on this printing he has either failed to do so or has indicated a price very much higher than that at which the slips are being obtained; second, these are exclusively for the field service outside of the District of Columbia.

It is also requested that the printing now being done in the post offices outside of the District of Columbia and in the division offices of the Railway Mail Service be excepted from the operation of the law, for the reason that this printing must necessarily be done outside the District of Columbia, for the field service, as pointed out in the letters of the First and Second Assistant Postmasters General, copies of which are herewith.

Your attention is also called to the request of the Third Assistant Postmaster General that blanks, blank books, engraved and printed matter for the Money Order Service should continue to be printed by contract, for the reason that the Public Printer is now granted an opportunity to bid on all these items and is awarded contracts in all cases where his bid is low; also for the reason that the present plan, it is believed, will insure better deliveries; and for the further reason that these supplies are for the field service outside the District of Columbia.

Sincerely, yours.

A. S. BURLESON,

Postmaster General.
JUNE 5, 1919.

Memorandum for the Postmaster General:

With reference to the accompanying order of award on certain items for paper, tags, blank books, etc., also the two items for printed and plain facing slips, order for which has already been forwarded, action on all these items has been delayed at the request of the Joint Committee on Printing because of possible conflict with section 11 of Public Act No. 314, Sixty-fifth Congress, directing that all public printing be done at the Government Printing Office unless otherwise ordered by the Joint Committee on Printing in cases of printing done for field service outside of the District of Columbia.

It is not thought wise to delay action longer, however, for the reason that it is necessary to give notice in advance to have shipments

ready on July 1. Especially is this true of blank facing slips and paper for printed facing slips, for which it will be necessary to have several carloads shipped on or about that date.

There is already a continuing contract on the printing of facing slips running until June 30, 1920, and the contract for paper in rolls, herewith recommended, is necessary in carrying out such contract for printing and runs for the same period. The low bidder on blank facing slips, the Osburn Paper Co., Philadelphia, Pa., specified that they would accept this order only if also given the order for paper in rolls for printed facing slips. There thus becomes a double reason for making the contract in this way and at this time.

Concerning item 6 for writing paper, only a small amount of this is used for printing in post offices. With regard to tags and other items, it is uncertain whether these will come under the printing act above referred to; and if so, whether the Public Printer is in position to undertake their manufacture. At any rate there would not be time for him to do so before the beginning of the next fiscal year, and it is absolutely necessary to make contracts for these items at this time to insure an uninterrupted supply.

Purchasing Agent:

PURCHASING AGENT.

MARCH 25, 1919.

In reply to your letter of the 18th instant, asking that you be furnished with the information called for in the letter of the Joint Committee on Printing, dated March 12, 1919, so far as it concerns this office, there is transmitted herewith a memorandum covering the inquiries in regard to paragraph 2 of section 11 of Public Act No. 314, approved March 1, 1919, concerning the United States Official Postal Guide. This is the only publication issued under the supervision of this office which is involved.

The inquiry in regard to paragraph 3 of section 11 has no application to this office, and it is not desired at this time to make any comment in connection with the inquiry in regard to paragraph 1.

There are transmitted herewith, for the information of the Joint Committee on Printing a copy of each form of the Guide and a copy of the monthly supplement.

RUSKIN MCARDLE,
Chief Clerk.

UNITED STATES OFFICIAL POSTAL GUIDE.

1. Name of publication: United States Official Postal Guide. Complete Guide, cloth and paper bound: Abridged Guide and State List, paper bound: monthly supplements, pamphlets.

2. How often issued: Cloth, paper, and abridged volumes, also State Lists, annually in July. Supplements monthly the remaining months of the year.

3. By whom issued, specifying the particular branch or officer of the Government service: Chief Clerk, Post Office Department.

4. Authority for publication, stating whether specifically authorized by Congress (cite authority): The legislative appropriation

acts. The act for the current year, approved July 3, 1918, carries the following item:

For publication of copies of the Official Postal Guide, $33,000; and the amounts received during the fiscal year 1919 from sales of the Official Postal Guide to the public may be used as a further appropriation for the publication of copies of such guides.

The act for the year 1920, approved March 1, 1919, which provides in section 11 that certain printing be done at the Government Printing Office, also provides as follows:

For publication of copies of the Official Postal Guide, $33,000 and the amounts received during the fiscal year 1920 from sales of the Official Postal Guide to the public may be used as a further appropriation for the publication of copies of such guides.

5. Date of first issue: 1805 as table of post offices; 1874 as United States Official Postal Guide.

6. Where printed, whether at Government Printing Office, elsewhere in Washington, or outside District of Columbia: J. B. Lyon Co., of Albany, N. Y.

7. Number of copies printed of last issue, to date:

8. How distributed, stating separately number of copies for official, for free public, and for subscription distribution. Special mailing lists from the J. B. Lyon Co., Albany, N. Y.:

9. Annual receipts from subscriptions, if any: Fiscal year, ending June 30, 1918-

July 1, 1918, to Feb. 28, 1919, inclusive__

$13, 521.95

15, 122. 60

10. Annual expense of printing and issuing the publication, stating the actual amount, if ascertainable, otherwise the estimated annual

11. Annual cost of preparing publication for printing, including salaries, wages, materials, and other expenses properly chargeable to editorial and other work in connection with its preparation, other than that reported under preceding item: $1,400, salary of one clerk, and $600, a portion of salary of another clerk, making a total of $2,000.

12. Total annual cost of publication, including the two preceding items: Fiscal year 1919, $67,182.94.

13. If publication is not printed at Government Printing Office, is it" urgent or necessary" to have it done "elsewhere than in the District of Columbia for the exclusive use of any field service outside of said District," as provided for in paragraph 3 of section 11? If so, submit reasons and recommendations therefor: The act of May 28, 1896 (ch. 252, 29 Stat. 176), provides: "The Postmaster General may. in his discretion, cause the contract for furnishing the Official Postal Guide to be let for a term of four years." Under this law a contract was entered into with the J. B. Lyon Co., Albany, N. Y., for a term of four years, beginning July 1, 1916, and ending June 30, 1920. This contract was let to the lowest bidder. Among the bidders was the Government Printing Office, whose bid was slightly higher than that of the Lyon Co.

14. Is publication a duplication, in whole or in part, of any other Government publication, or does it relate to work which some other branch of the Government service has undertaken or is authorized by law to perform? If so, state reasons therefor: The Postal Guidé does not duplicate, in whole or in part, any other Government publication, and it does not relate to work which some other branch of Government service has undertaken or is authorized by law to perform.

15. Submit reasons and recommendations, if any, for continuing publication until close of next regular session of Congress, if not specifically authorized by Congress: The publication is specifically authorized by Congress.

FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL.

PURCHASING AGENT:

MAY 15, 1919.

With reference to your letters of the 12th, 17th, and 18th ultimo, and to the circular letter of March 12, issued by the Joint Committee on Printing, relative to the provisions of section 11 of Public Act No. 314, approved March 1, 1919, concerning public printing, I am transmitting herewith copies of all publications coming under the head of "journals, magazines, periodicals, or other similar publications," which are issued in post offices under authority from this bureau.

In addition to such publications there are printed in different post offices numerous forms, circular letters, reference slips, package and pouch slips or labels, posters and placards, mail-distribution schemes, carriers' route schemes, case labels, notices to the public relative to the closing of mails, both domestic and foreign, notices of losses of money orders and robberies of post offices, etc., specimens of which are also inclosed.