Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1842-02-11

PRINTING OF THE JOURNALS-MT. morgan,
from the select committee of the House Of Rcpresen-
tatives, to whom was referred the joint resolution
from the Council, authorizing the payment to Rus
sell & Hughes and to VIM. w. Coriell for printing
the Journals ofthe last session, has made able
port in support of the legality Of their claims deduct
ing the amount charged for press-work, paper and
binding, which reduces the amount OF the Drner
Sl5l, rs, and the latter s3ls,75. The committee
assumes the ground that printers had no right to
make charge for these items but that all should be
included under the head of composition. Az we
are there charged with making overcharge, it is
but justice to ourselves to make expanatioDof the
manner in which the prices charged were firs ader-
ted by our Legislature, which should fully excupatc
us from every suspicion of wish to extort or entrap
At the first session Of the Wisconsin Legislature,
Clarke & Russell were chosen printers OF the Bills,
Daily Slips, Journals, &C.. without specifying the
amount they should be paid for their services AT
ter consulting with A. G. Ellis, late Surveyor Of
Iowa and Wisconsin, and at present member Of
the Legislature of the latter Territory, and q prin-
ter besides, he stated that $50 per 1000 ems was
the price charged at the session held at Green Bay
and which he thought ought then to be Charged
The bill was made out accordingly and allowed, and
has ever since been charged and allowed by our
Legislature for bills reports &c., on which there
was but little press-work, and of course, but little
paper required. Well, if $3.50 per 1000 ems is
paid for composition bills reports &c., on which
there is but little press-work and paper required
should the printer of the Laws, Journals, &C., on
which they comprise large proportion, be paid no
more. and be compelled to pay the binders bills be.
sides? For press-work aad paper, Congress pays
81 l2 cents for every 600 pages and IS with prin-
tiers everywhere half or blank page is charged for
at the rate full one, the rule when carried
out would call for the same amount as if the work
contained the full 600 pages.
Again, if it was the understanding of the Legisla-
ture that additional charge was to. be made for
press-work and paper, why do we find members de.
batting upon the propriety of ordering larger or
smaller number of documents to be printed? some
times asking small number, to save expense. In
one instance, after contract ha! been made, and
bonds given by the contractors, an act was passed
requiring work of 600 pages and 1900 sop,es. to
be put in half binding, which al the ST y It's.
amounted to S625OO. Can it be expeeted fhat ]
work Of this size could be printed, bound md eliv
cred at the same rate that is paid the pubic hter
at the seat of Government for the sane amolsnt Il
composition on bills or daily slips!
We have made these hasty remarks q Eslifv
ourself for the charge made, and to show 6e ieris
laure the justice and necessity Of establishing bill
ofprices by which every charge can be put to the
test If that shall be done, and the price such as to
afford reasonable compensation for the labor bestow
ed, we shall be satisfied, and if it is fixed TOO low Of
course it will be forced upon no one so we shall
have no complaints to make. Should the prices he
equalized and suffer considerable reduction. and
provision be made for payment on delivery, it would
be much better for printers than as it S 1t present
Although the committee have recommended re-
duction Of the bills, they recommend an allowance
OF nearly three times as much as Mr. Biges report
was willing to allow