HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 305 
the most of the country get $3, and then he pays thirty days a year 
for work that he does aot get. — siee ais 
Mr. Burveson. The additional expense goes to the labor, does it? 
Mr. Hix. I think the great bulk of it does; yes, sir. Of course I 
do not know, but it is popularly supposed that the Government really 
makes contracts as cheaply and as favorably as with other people. I 
confess they do our work pretty cheap, considering the difference in 
wages. Our farmers’ bulletins, with which you are familiar—some of 
you gentlemen—we print those at an average cost of a cent and a half 
apiece. We could not better that a great deal, I think. 
Mr. Burueson. The reason I ask the question is because you said 
the Yearbook cost $300,000. 
Mr. Hix. That is the amount that Congress sets aside for it, but I 
do not suppose the Public Printer spends all of it for the Yearbook. 
One Yearbook will not cost as much as another, and a great deal will 
depend on the amount of illustrations (colored illustrations), but the 
edition, you remember, is half a million; 60 cents a volume. 
oa CHatrMAN. How much has your work increased this last fiscal 
ear? 
. Mr. Hitz. This present year over last? 
The CuarrMan. Yes. 
Mr. Hitt. It has increased steadily, Mr. Chairman. 
The Cuarrman. How can it, under the orders of last year? 
Mr. Hiux. There is more activity. We are certainly issuing more 
publications even than last year. 
The Cuarrman. Last year your estimate was $29,000, and we gave 
you $29,320. 
Mr. Hix. For statutory salaries, and the presentarrangement asked 
for $1,200 more. 
The Cuarrman. An increase of $2,820? 
Mr. Hit. $2,820. ' 
The CuarrMAn. That is a big increase; that is about a 10 per cent 
increase on your statutory roll. 
I notice you ask for 2 copyists at $840? 
Mr. Hitt. I have dropped them entirely in this present estimate. I 
have 2 copyists at $840, but Lleave them out. Iam trying to strengthen 
it up above a little, and spare what I can below. 
The Cuarrman. You ask for an increase of salary for assistant in 
charge of the document section, and you ask for a second assistant 
in the document section at $1,400? : 
Mr. Hitz. That document section has come to bea tremendous piece 
of work. ; ; 
Mr. Lams. I want you to explain that, please, sir. 
Mr. Hixx. In that document section we have over 120 people engaged, 
and during the past three weeks, for instance, many of those people 
have worked every night to 5 o’clock and 5.30. We were unable to 
get out the mail without it. We have sent out in a single day, of 
farmers’ bulletins alone, 1,000 orders, which means a transcription of 
name and address twice over; and that is apart from the general mis- 
cellaneous mail. : : 
The Carrman. We relieved you from addressing these franks this 
last year. : 
Me. Hix. From addressing these Congressional franks, Mr. Chair- 
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