The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-06-16
THE PRINTING BILL.


for his outlay of capital and labor, We
can truly affirm that this bill would be little
short of barefaced robbery of the State
treasure. 1t may not have been so de-
signed by its author, of whom we are
ignorant. 1t may be due to his failure
to make proper investigation. Never
theless, its practical working would be as
we have stated, to impose enormous ex-
actions upon the treasury without an
equivalent Of service. This charge we
will sustain by facts and figures which
cannot be controverted.
PAMPHLET ACTS.
Section provides that for two thous-
and "copies of the pamphlet acts there
'shall be allowed as compensation FIVE
''DOLLARs AND THIRTY CENTS per page,
''and for each additional thousand copies
zone dollar and eighty cents per page
for as many printed pages as may De
contained in one copy"
Promising that the cost of paper and
materials is about the same now as in
1857 and that labor is about twenty per
cent. higher-let us compare this rate
with the rates established by the law of
that year after a full examination of
practical printers of both parties. ''For
1.-TWO thousand copies of the pamphleI
''act trco dollars and eighty ceats per
"page and one dollar and forty cents per
''page for the number of pages in one copy
"of one additional thousand copies.
Making the rates NEARLY DOUBLE the
prices then established, with the differ
ence in favor of the present bill that in
stead of restricting the number of addi-
tional copies to one thousand, it leaves it
discretionary with the Legislature to
order one thousand, or five or ten thous-
and copies as that body may direct
The law of 1857, was superseded by
the act of 1865. This law became neces-
sary by the additional cost Of labor, ma
terial, &c, in consequence of the depre-
citation of the currency and the unsettled
state Of affairs Immediately after the
close of the war. II limited the entire
edition to too thousand copies and aIlOeced
only three dollars and fifty cents per page
nearly two dollars page on the first two
thousand copies, less than is proposed by
by the pending bill; and no allowance
for additional copies.
Since the passage Of the la,0 Of 1865,
there has been large reduction in the cost
of labor and oil the materials required for
the execution of the ,cork.
Should an edition of 5000 copies be
ordered under this bill, at the rate pre-
scribed, the cost per page would be
s12 20. The laws of the present session
will make at least 800 pages. The cost
of an edition of 5000 copies would be
ten thousand one hundred and sixty dollars
JOURNALS.
The law of 1857, allowed for one thous-
and copies the sum of one dollar and
thirty-fve cents per page.
The law of 1865, allowed two dollars
and seventy-fve cents per page.
The pending bill notwithstanding the
reduction of cost, allows THREE DOLLARS
AND FORTY CENTS per page for the num-
Der of pages contained in one thousand
copies.
BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, &c.
The law of 1857, allowed two dollars
and ten cents per page for bills, &c, for
the number of pages in one copy thereof
The law of 1865 allowed four dollars
and forty cents.
The pending bill allows fue dollars and
ten cents per page. And whereas it has
been customary to print not exceeding a
dozen bills heretofore in a long session,
the pending bill will enormously increase
the expenditure under this head by its
provision that SIN all eases except when
especially directed by either House of
''the Legislature, the Printer shall print
''eaeh biz, report or other document, en-
''eepting orders Of the day."