New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-29
SOMETHING ABOUT PUBLIC PRINTING

If the Bee can not find fault IN many
things it is safe to be counted on as
grumbler whenever the public printing is
mentioned. 1t is unusually industrious
in this particular, and if our objections
to its antagonism in this speciality were
not capable Of being reasonably sustained,
we might initiate the Bee and use some
ill-natured arguments which would look
very ugly in print Since charity abounds,
however. the REPUBLICAN will discard
wickedness and proceed to generous ex-
position of its dealings with the public
treasury And for the first exhibit, the
Bee will please take notice that the REPUB-
11cAN did not receive the proportion of
two-thirds of the appropriation for pub
lie printing, which it asserts to have been
the case, but confined itself to the ac-
ceptance of about one-third. In making
this admission the Bee will please bear
with US while we explain that the money
which was paid to us was paid for
actual work on which a very small
profit was made, as any printer can
determine who will take cognizance
of the labor. First, we printed
five thousand pages Of heavy book work,
embracing expensive coupon books for
the Auditor, the Revised Statutes, the
Civil Code, Code of Practice, Rays Digest,
in two volumes, Supreme Court Reports,
and large number of books for the pub
lie school department. This work was
done in manner creditable to the pro-
fession, and it was done in New Orleans.
Blanks of a uniform pattern for all the
State assessors were printed at this office.
Every school district in the State had to
be supplied with proper blanks, running
up to two hundred thousand sheets. Some
of the blanks for the assessors were as
and delicate printing. When it is con-
sidered that every taxpayer in the State
had to receive at least one blank from this
printing, the vastness of the job may be
measurably estimated. The registration
officers throughout the State had to be
supplied with different blanks and books
of registry, making another job computed
at three or four hundred thousand blanks.
The paper alone for the coupon book fur
nished to the Auditor sells for thirty-one
dollars per ream in the market, as the
cotton samplers can explain, for it
paper. Seven thousand volumes of law
books were turned out during the year.
The legislative work must next be esti-
mated, and the public can bear testimony
to the faithfulness, neatness and prompt
ness with which this labor was performed,
keeping the people posted daily of every
movement as it took place. We can say
unhesitatingly in conclusion, that the
Bee could not have executed this work ex-
cept at a loss, for it would have had to
buy material that would have consumed
its profits. Our good fortune was that
we had the Office ready at hand to do the
work, and we made allowance for this
fact in entering upon the contract If we
have drawn a considerable amount from
the treasury, we have returned con-
sideration in labor for the same; and what
we mostly pride ourselves upon is this,
that every page of the work was executed
in New Orleans, and done in manner
that reflects credit upon the workmen who
turned it out This is an item that the
printers will appreciate, for they have
usually been deprived of the privilege CT
doing in New Orleans what could be con-
tracted for more cheaply in the North.
The justification for all this printing is
to be found in the revolution which has
taken place in the laws and regulations of
the State Old books were worse than
useless, for they conficted with the new
of affairs. The people were
of right entitled to be informed about the
changes that had been and were being
made in their laws. A great revolution
can not be effected without expense, and
education and enlightenment are items in
the account. These things are done now,
and will not have to be done again. The
people forced the necessity upon them
selves, and they are presumed to be will
ing to pay for their mistakes. If we err
not the Bee may charge itself with much
Of the responsibility for these expendi-
lures, and therefore it has less reason to
than the peaceful people who
we're hurled into trouble without their con-
sent, and against the protest of common
sense. Let the evil cure itself The sting, |
f any it has, will be valuable lesson.