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POJTmSTR-GEfi&ifiL HITCHCOCK
OSTMASTER GENERAL HITCHCOCK
recently signed a contract for the supply
of postal cards that will e used by the
American people during the next four
years. The mere magnitude of the man
ufacturing project involved is calculated
to make this of general interest, for, be
it known, the head of the postofflce de
partment has ordered approximately
three and one-half billion postal cards for
use during the four years beginning January 1, 1910.
This means that the American people who adopt the
very convenient scheme of allowing uncle bam to
furnish the stationery for their correspondence will
nuphaaa ttiyA annrl thrmifi'h tha mntln npnrlv a billion
aau ....... " .
nonla nunrif twolunminth Tn nthAP wnriTfl ntl An n V.
erage, every man, woman and child in the United
States will use 10 or 11 postal cards every year. In
actual practice there are, of course, hundreds of
thousands of persons. Including young children, - who
never buy a postal card from one end of the year to
the other, but, on the other hand, the above-mentioned
average Is attained through the firms and
business bouses which. In many instances, use hun
dreds or thousands of postal cards a day.
It will be understood that the tralnloads of postal
cards for which Postmaster General Hitchcock has
Just given the order are the regulation official cards
yMv X-Jm
woat to lind particles clinging to and clogging the pen while
writing with Ink ' on the present style card. While the new
grade of postal card will be of finer quality than the old. It
will also be lighter in weight and this latter consideration
will mean hundreds and mayhap thousands of dollars saved
to the government every year, for Uncle Sam has to pay for
the transportation of all postofflce supplies by weight and
the new postal cards will have reduced "traveling expenses"
on all the Journeys they maVe. from the time they leave
the printing office until they reach the "ultimate consumer."
It is also the ambition of Postmaster General Hitchcock to
make our postal cards more artistic to put them, in fact, on
a plane with the very handsome postal cards Issued by some
foreign countries, and to that end he plans to change the
tint of the card and to change the color of the ink in which
it Is printed. Just what tints and colors will be selected for
the new color scheme cannot be determined until experi
ments have been made
The new postal cards will be made in three different sizes
although most people will never use or see anything except
the one standard
size that is in almost
universal use. Prac
tically all of the cards
manufactured will be
of the regulation size
that has long been
familiar to everybody,
namely 3x5V& Inch
es, but there will be
provided some of the
double or -reply post
al cards which have
come Into . use. In re
cent, years and which
enable a correspond
ent to send with his
postal card a means
of reply ready to
band. There will also
TH GOVERNMENT PRHTNC! OrrCf
lO 11U UUUUl UUl
that the institu
tion can keep the
country supplied
with postal cards
no matter to what
proportions V the
- correspondence , of
the American
people may grow.
Just as Uncle
Sam guards very
carefully the man
facture of postage
stamps and paper
money, so will he
take every pre
caution against
the possible dishonesty of employes In the manufacture,
packing and distribution of postal cards. For one thing,
the presses used for printing the cards will be controlled
by an intricate system of locks, which will render It im
possible to release or operate a Dress
.until several different officials are in
attendance, each with a key that
plays a part in unlocking the press.
The dies or plates used In printing
the cards and which are furnished by
the postofflce department, are like-
wise carefully guarded. When such
a plate is given to a printer for use
in makiing impressions he must give
a receipt for it to the official in
charge of the vault where these
precious plates are stored and the
printer cannot leave the building at
"discloses the fact that mass meetings of printers for
the purpose of considering trade questions were held in
New York as early as 1776 and in Philadelphia in 1786.
Continuous organizations were formed in New York.
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston before the close of
the eighteenth century or shortly thereafter and the Ty
pographical Society of New York was In existence from
1795 to 1797. In 1799 the Franklin Typographical society
was organized in the same city.'. In 1809 the New York
Typographical society was organized and is still in exist
ence. The Philadelphia Typographical society was organ
ized in 1802 and is also still active.
However, Dr. Barnett asserts that there is some evi
dence that there had been a printers' society - in the
Quaker city previous to this, known as the 'Asylum Com
pany.' The date of the first Baltimore organization is
equally uncertain, but probably as early as 1803. There
was also a society in existence in Boston in that year. -The
author says that .no societies appear to have been
formed, outside of the. four cities named before 1810,. in
which year the Philadelphia society received a communi
cation 'from the New Orleans Typographical society, in-
which'are sold in postomees alt over the land. This
' takes no account of the souvenir or picture postcards
Which are sold in the United States by the millions ev-
vrj jrew. ui course, mere is nothing official about these
Illustrated postcards. They do not bear on their face,
aa do federal postcards, a stamp entitling them to trans
mission through the mails, and such souvenir card is car
ried In the mails only when a one-cent stamp is affixed
to It. Consequently it is the enormous swelllBg of the
ales of one-cent stamps and not the expansion of the
governmental postcard trade that Indicates the enormous
and widespread popularity of the souvenir postcard fad
In recent van.
The postmaster general is going to pay upward of a
million dollars for the postal cards which will be Issued
to the patrons of our postal system between now and
New Tear day, 1915. However, this new contract is char
acterized by several features of great Interest aside from
the large amount of money represented. Foremost among
these is the fact that Uncle Sam Is. In effect, contract
ing to supply himself with postal cards of bis own manu
facture. Heretofore all the postal cards required in this
country have been turned out by private manufacturers
and. Indeed, for years past, the manufacture of postal
cards has been the principal Industry of the little city
of Rumford Falls. Me. Henceforth, however, the gov
. eminent will print its postal cards at the great govern
ment printing office in Washington, the largest printing
plant In the world.
The postofflce department will continue to pay for
the postal cards. Just as It did when they were obtained
from private manufacturers, but the process will amount
to Uncle Sara taking money out of one pocket and put
ting Into another. At the same time the government
will save money by the new plan of obtaining its post
card supplies. It has been realized for some time past
by the postofflce officials that it would be a great con
venience if the government could print its own postal
cards at Washington (the point from which they are
distributed to all parts of the country) Instead of hav
ing them manufactured in Maine, with the consequent
loss of time in sending them to Washington for distri
bution. The government had proven by years of practice
that it could produce its postage stamps and Its paper
money more cheaply than if the work were given to out
siders, and accordingly Postmaster General Hitchcock,
who la a live business man, determined to see if a simi
lar saving, combined with more efficient service, could
, not he effected in the case of the postcards. The gov
ernment printing office submitted competitive bids on
the tame basis as its outside rivals and it underbid
them all.
A second important feature In connection with the
new contract for postal cards Is found In the fact that
this-new deal contemplates cards of better quality than
have heretofore been in use. Especially -will there be a
marked Improvement In the surface of the card and this
will enable it to take Ink more readily. In future, prob
ably, there will be few complaints from people who are
THE PftVATE HOSPITAL Jff THE GOVERNMENT ffffHTMG OFflCE
be introduced a
new style postal
card, designed es
pecially for the
convenience of
bus! n.e s s men.
This new card
will be exactly the
size of the stand
ard "card index"
card, or sowewhat
smaller than the
regulation postal
card and its ad
vantage - Is found
in the fact that It
can be filed with
out trimming or trouble anv card index file or cabi.
net. This will make the new style card the handiest
Imaginable vehicle for announcement of price quota
tions, bulletins of all kinds, reports as for instance the
daily reports of traveling salesmen, etc.
Under the new system of postal card manufacture
the work will not be so concentrated as at present. Un
der the plan now in vogue all the operations of manu
facture, from the process of cutting down the forest trees
and reducing them to paper to boxing up the completed
postal cards for shipment, is carried on in the little
Maine city, where about 900 men are employed. In one
way or another, in postcard manufacture. Under the
new scheme the government will buy the raw material,
notably the paper or cardboard and the -ink, but all the
operations of postcard manufacture will be carried on In
the great printing office under the shadow of the United
States capitol. where 5,000 men and women are regu
larly employed. , A contract that calls for the delivery
of between two million and three million complete post
al cards every working day In the year would swamp
the biggest private printing plant In the country, but
this new responsibility has been treated as merely an
incidental at the model printery of the world. The force
will have to be increased somewhat and perhaps some
new printing presses will be Installed although the offi
cials say the work can be handled with the equipment
now In place.
The government has drawn with great care the speci
fications for the paper to be used for the new postal
cards with a view to obtaining a grade of material with
longer fiber than that heretofore in use and presenting a
better surface for writing in Ink. The paper will be
delivered to the government printing office In 600-pound
rolls, each containing the material for 90,000 cards, and
the printing will be done on presses each of which will
reel off 3,000 sheets of postal cards per hour, .each sheet
being made up of 100 separate cards. It can thus be
figured that each press can print upward of one-third
of a million postal cards per hour, and since several such
presses can be employed If necessary and the govern
ment printing office is in operation night and day, there
ffM S4
mill 2)
A VIEW OF THE MAIN RREJ3 ROOM
the conclusion ' of
the day's work un
til he has returned
to this depository
the printing plates
which have been
in his custody.
Finally the postal
cards will be
counted repeatedly
during the process
of manufacture
perhaps a score of
times - In all and
thus tab will be
kept on the cards until they depart in sealed packages
for the various postoffices throughout the country, where
they will be issued to the public.
As delivered by the machines the postal cards are
mechanically counted and automatically assembled In
packs of 25 each pack being secured by a band of white
paper. These packs are placed in pasteboard bons.
each of which will accommodate 20 packs or 500 cards.
The pasteboard boxes, in turn, are packed in wooden
cases, varying in size and ranging In capacity frpm 5,000
to 100,000 cards. It is in this form that they are shipped
upon requisition to the postmasters' throughout the
land. In order that all orders for postal cards may be
filled promptly the government printing office, once the
new activity is under way, will constantly keep on hand
In Its fireproof, burglar-proof vaults a surplus stock of
about 30,000.000 postal cards. The precautions that will
surround the manufacture and dispatch of postal cards
at the government printery will extend to the destruction
of the misprinted or otherwise spoiled cards. Officials
of the postofflce department will be on duty at the
printery at all times to supervise the manufacture of
the cards and more especially to Inspect the raw mate
rial used and to see to It that It at all times and in all
respects meets the requirements of the government.
closing a copy of their constitution.' .In 1815 societies
were organized at Washington and Albany. As far as
the information of Dr. Barnett extends, these societies
were formed primarily to 'raise and establish prices.
' - The article then refers to various local organizations
that were formed in 1830 and directly following that
date and continues by saying that about 1848 the organi
zation of new unions began to go on more rapidly, and
since 1850 have been in existence in practically all the
larger American cities. . , .
"The first suggestion that the local associations should
form an organization was made, in 1834, and two years
later delegates from associations' at Baltimore. New
York, Harrisburg, Philadelphia. Washington and New
Orleans assembled in Washington and framed a constitu
tion for the National Typographical society. The first
session was held in New York in 1837. when the name
was changed to the National Typographical association.
"In 1850 a call was issued for a convention which was
to be held In New York, at which time delegates assem
bled from Albany. New " York. Philadelphia, Baltimore.
Trenton and Louisville. The second convention was held
in Baltimore in 1851, and the third in Cincinnati la 1852,
which resolved itself Into 'the first session of the Na,
tional Typographical union.- V 1
"Old Pete" Is Dead
Trade Organization of Printers i
Some interesting information In regard to trade or
ganization among printers appears in the Typographical
Journal, the official publication of the International Typo
graphical union. It is in the form of a review of a book
by George E. Barnett, associate professor of political
economy tn the Johns Hopkins university. The book,
which is Just from the press, is entitled, "The Printers:
a Study In American Trade Unionism." Mr. Barnett was
In Indianapolis for a considerable length of time, several
years ago, gathering .Information at the headquarters of
the International Typographical union to be used in his
book. '
"A perusal of Dr. Barnett's book," says the review.
' Peter Morton, or "Old Pete," a colored man and a
quaint character of antebellum days, died at his home
in Geneva court recently, the Cincinnati Enquirer says.
He did not know his exact age, which was about 80
years, and there is probably no one living who does.
"Old Pete," since the close of the civil war. has at
different times been a family servant and man of all
work In many prominent families on the hills, and in
Avondale and varied his employment . occasionally by
doing porter work in downtown stores. It is related of
him, and the story was confirmed by himself, that before
the civil war he was the property of a Kentucky gam- s
bier, who went broke, and "Pete," with all other chattels
possessed by the gambler, had to be sold to satisfy his
creditors.
The officers of a bank in Maysvllie, Ky., who had!
taken a liking to the colored man on account of his gen
ial good nature and strict honesty, offered . to buy hie
freedom for him if he would execute his personal note
in their favor and make his payments upon it, accord
ing as he was able, until they were ; repaid.-- This he
agreed to do, but with the close of the civil war and the
scattering of his, friends far and wide, Pete-fell into- hard
lines from- the lack of a permanent ' home and steady
employment, but he never forgot his financial obligations
to his banker benefactors and he continued making his
payments to them for 20 years after the close of the
war, until the debt was finally paid. ,
