Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-09-12

| A"lOL1 we w uOI say laps SoAiC 00A
| for Col. Baxter, or some Ole seeking his
own ends, an estimate of the Typography
press work and paper differing from our
| bill, and very properly desired an explain
alton. Whereupon we wrote as follows:
NASHVILLE, Tenn, March 80, 1871.
| e. R. Penne6aker, Esq, Comptroller, etc.,
State of Tennessee:
DEAR SIR-Complying with your re-
quest, the following statement is submit
ted in regard to the printing of Heiskell's
| Reports:
The allowance for the waste in paper, by
| uniform usage throughout the country, is
10 per cent, which covers paper for proofs,
| binders fly leaves, ETC., and for waste in
| printing. In the case of Heskell's Re-
ports, in some instances as many as seven
proofs to the form were furnished the Re-
porter. The ream is, therefore, according
to rule and usage, 432 sheets instead of $50.
| Our charge of II reams, medium is 36sheets
short of the amount actually used, there
being Pa sheets to the book instead of 274
In relation to composition, we have to
say that the pages are interspersed with
BREWER and Nonpareil type, running
| heads,n text captions, ETC., different from
the body, which is Small Plea, and were
averaged at 1000 ems to the page, which
has been the uniform charge for the same
work by our predecessors. In this average
is included alterations from copy, taking
proofs, time charged by printers, etc,
which is the only method the Public
Printer has of being paid for such ex-
ira services. This was done in printing
9th CoIdwell's Reports, the only book of
similar kind which has been done by the
present Public Printers.
For press work the law specifies and pro-
vides that 240 impressions on medium
sheets of eight pages shall make a token.
There were in this book 10 medium forms,
8 tokens to the form, which made the $50
tokens charged for by us. All fractions of
a token are charged as full tokens, which
has always been customary.
Very respectfully,
JONES, PURvIs & Co.,
Public Printers, etc.
We now add that upon our explanatory
letter, above given, the Comptroller issued
his warrants upon the Treasury to the
amount of the bill. Our accounts on file
in the Comptroller's office, which are &C
ce5sible to any and every citizen of the
State, will show that, in all our charges
for public printing of every kind, we have
only followed the law, and the mode of
measurement adopted by preceding Public
Printers, w. F. Bang & Co., Eastman d
Co., and Mr.. Mercer, and that we have
omitted charges that most or all of these
have made.
Further specifying, Col. Baxter says:
For the Appendix to the Legislative
Journal, 1869-70, these gentlemen have
charged for one million one hundred and
seven thousand ems of composition, two
hundred and thirteen tokens and forty
reams or paper; whereas, the same only
contains six hundred and sixteen thous-
and ems, sever ty tokens, and-including
wastage-seventeen and a half reams of
paper A similar overcharge was made
for the appendix of 1901 and for all
work done by them.
1t so happens that part of the compO-
sitiOn of this volume, previous to our cleo
ton, fell into the hands of our immediate
predecessor from whom we purchased the
use of the type, and we now have his re-
ceipt for $50, 775 ems, covering two hum
dred and Uwenty-fOur pages, not half of
the book, and only 1925 ems less than
what Col. Baxter ciphers up the whole
book of four hundred and ninety-seven
pages to contain. What further refutation
of his statement on this point is needed?
His last charge is that the Public Print
ers have "in numerous instances charged
and received payment four times for the
same work. that upon such documents
as usually comprise the Appendix to the |
Index Of the Senate and House
"Iney nave MADE out, presented, ue- |
manded and received four payments, to-
wit: LIST. for composition furnished in |
the House; and, I'd, for composition for |
the copies furnished the Senate during the |
sittings of the Legislature, and Sd, com
position for the Senate Appendix, and |
4th, composition for the House Appen- |
dix, realizing upon their false and fraudu-
lent basis" etc., etc.
We have made out and presented our |
for all the composition " fur |
nished to the House on its orders, for all
the composition" furnished to the Sen
ate on its orders, and for all the "compo-
sition " in the Senate Appendix and in the
House Appendix. We have done so in
accordance with the law, not the law of
our making or our construction, but the
law of the Legislature as construed by |
every public printer who has preceded us,
by every former Comptroller, Treasurer
and Secretary of State, and by every pre-
ceding Legislature. The accounts are on
file and open for inspection, and they show
that instead of charging more, we have
charged less in proportion to the work
done, than any public printers who have
preceded us.