new officials were created — an assistant superintendent and a purchasing agent. When appointed by your Honor again to take charge of the department in January, 1902, the services of the new officials were dispensed with, without impairing in the slightest degree the efficiency of the real working force of the plant. Respecting the effect of the eight-hour work-day contributing to advance the cost of operation to the city, as compared with the nine-hour work-day, it is quite obvious that it does so, and it has a like effect in every department of the city; but I am of the opinion that it affects this department with greater force than the others in which a large amount of ordinary labor is employed. In my annual report for the year ending January 31, 1900, after observing carefully the first seven weeks' operation of the plant under the eight-hour work-day, I said: “None of the private printing establishments have less than a nine-hour work-day. The difference in working time will undoubtedly make a material difference in the product of an establishment such as the printing plant — more of a difference, in my judgment, than it would make in the field of what is generally termed unskilled labor. Roughly estimated, the difference in production will be about 11 per cent.” Now, after watching closely for over a year the effect of the short work-day in this department, I regard the estimate then made as practically correct. o Yet, notwithstanding the eight-hour day, and the fact that only the same rates have been charged for printing, etc., as would have been charged by private concerns working on a nine-hour basis, this department shows a net gain to the city during the past year of $4,616.83. In estimating, private printing establishments invariably figure to make a profit of at least 15 per cent. If any public department is carrying superfluous help, as sometimes happens, such as I have noted in relation to this department during 1900–01, it will fail to render services equivalent to its cost. The following is a statement of the appropriations and revenues received from printing, postage, etc., also expenditures paid to January 31, 1903: CREDITS OF PRINTING DEPARTMENT COLLECTED FROM Balance January 31, 1902 $11,888 30 Brought forward . e . $101,880 19 $51,556 80 Soldiers’ Relief Department . o 217 22 Sealer of Weights and Measures Department e e e g 259 27 Statistics Department . o o 2,983 97 Treasury Department . o e 350 06 Water Department: Commissioner’s Office . o o 312 12 Income Division . o e © 2,248 91 Distribution Division . e e 801 38 Wire Department . o o o 1,026 06 County of Suffolk: Superior Civil Court . o & 7,027 68 Superior Criminal Court . e 1,554 57 Superior Court . o o g 3 64 Probate Court . o & o 19 56 Auditor and Treasurer o o 43 22 Medical Examiner & o g 56 56 Municipal Court, West Roxbury, 88 33 Municipal Court, South Boston . 232 20 Municipal Court, Charlestown . 178 39 Municipal Court, Roxbury . o 4 14 Municipal Court, East Boston . 9 72 $119,297 19 Total . . . . . . . $170,853 99 ExPENDITURES OF PRINTING DEPARTMENT PAID FROM FEB— RUARY 1, 1902, To JANUARY 31, 1903, As Follows: Accounts unpaid January 31, 1902 © o . $15,793 67 Pay-roll payable January 31, 1902 o e o 1,714 21 Pay-roll: February e o $6,347 92 March . * e 6,105 80 April . o do 6,614 19 May o o o 7,711 31 June o e & 8,134 78 July o o * 7,854 27 August . e to 10,972 05 September . o 6,880 15 October . & e 7,316 59 November . e 7,857 11 December e e 6,572 57 January o © 9,029 03 Extra overtime . 562 01 —— $91,957 78 Carried forward . e . $91,957 78 $17,507 88 |