The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-12-16
REPORT
or the Committee sOn the Accounts
Of the Public Printers.

lowing reeOlutl0n:
Resolved That the Governor and four
members OF this House, to be appointed
by the Speaker, are hereby directed and
empowered to investigate the vouchers
and accounts Of the Public Printers oil
this State, aud the Governor is request.
ed to take such steps as the facts may
require and the law authorize, and they
shall report to the next Legislature
whether any overcbarges for public
printing have been made, and if 80. by
whom, in what particulars, and 10 what
amounts; and, for the purpose OF car
rying this resolution into effect, the per.
sons herein named, shall have power to
send for persons and papers and to pro-
coed with said investigation during
vacation, and to sit a. such times and
places az they may, in their judgment,
deem best
The persons whom the Speaker shall
appoint under this resolution shall re
ceive the came mileage and per diem
as members of this House. to be paid
out of the appropriation for legislative
expenses, upon the certificate of the
Governor. All the expenses incident to
the investigation herein provided for,
including paw and mileage OF witnesses,
shall be paid in the same manner.
In obedience to the foregoing rpsolu-
ton, the Speaker appointed John w.
Grantham. Thomas j. West, John D.
Lewis and William C. Barclay, Com
mittee. The committee thus constituted,
together with the Governor, met May
9, at the State House, in Charleston,
tor the purpose of executing the duties
imposed upon them-all Of the mem
bers present except Mr. West, who sub
sequently came aud entered on the dis
charge Of his duties.
They proceeded at once to summon
impartial practical printers for the pur-
pose of having all the printed work
done by the Public Printers measured,
as far as it WAS practical to do so, and
also for the purpose OF ascertslning the
usual prices charged for JOB work.
rhev commenced to examine the large
number of vouchers furnished them by
the Auditor, in order to famlliarlze
themselves with the mode Of making
charges. and also to comprehend the
scope of the investigation.
This examination was much more Ia
borlous than they anticipated, owing
largely to the fact that charges tor dlf-
ferent classes Of work are to be found In
the same account, and also to the fact
that the different items OF charge for q
given piece of work are often found
scattered through several vouchers.
For instance, if the printing OF the
Acts OF a given year was under examl-
nation, q charge for a portion OF the
com position aud press work would be
found in one voucher; then another
voucher would contain another charge
of a similar character, and third. and
perhaps fourth, would have q similar
charge, while the charge for binding
would be found in still another voucher
This mode of rendering accounts
tends to produce confusion IN the &C
counts themselves. with danger OF du-
plica,ing items, and is at the same time
a source OF trouble to the officers whose
duty it is to certify the accounts, Ger,
tainly it has been the cause OF delay and
labor to your committee in making
their examinations, and it ia credltable
to the accuracy OF the Public Printers
that out of the vast number OF items
examined, but few were found dupl ca
ted. and .hese are to he attributed 10
inadyertence rather than design:
The witnesses residing in different
parts Of the State, after testifying IN re
gard to the job work and some OF the
hook or pamphlet work, asked time TO
measure and estimate the priuc'pai poI'
ton of the book or pamphlet work sue
mitted to them, and for the privilege
of returning to their homes where they
alleged they could make more satisfac-
tory and accurate measurements
This privilege was granted them:
The testimony being too incomplete
to draw any conclusion from, they sd-
iourped to- meet again July IT, at
Berkeley Springs. :. ,r,;.
They selected this point partly 70 sun
the convenience OF some OF the melnt
hers but principally with the view OF
securing additional te'tmony' espec'a.ss
with reference to book binding anu
rul ng. .. o. .,
Accordingly the committee met a,
Berkeley Springs, Messrs. Lewis ano
West being absent, and secured add
t;onal testimony, but they did not OBJ
tain all the testimony touching DOCK
binding that they anticipated Inc
statements returned by two OF the VII
nesses at this meeting being unsat'sfac-
torv and incomplete, and two mem oers
~ The committee being absent, they
adjourned to meet at Charleston upon
the call Of the Governor, to conc'uoe
'" A. the session in Nav, Mr.. Walker
.,d M Frew were notified that when
tho committee met again at the Cap'tal
thew could lave access to the evidence
and have the privilege Of introducing
sucb testimony as they should deem
necessary. A.,
They met again upon the cali o, 1ne
Governor at Charleston, October IL
Messrs Grantham and West being 40
sent Mr.. Granthsm. however came
in a day or so, and took his place on
the committee. =,
Tbev thereupon proceeded to exam
inc and compare the testimony miro,
duced, (all of which had been reduce ice i,
n writiug,) with the vouchers. nt
evidence not being az full on some points
a. was desirable, they called in an al,
4 d;tionsl witness. After as careful snc
tboroneh an examination OF the matters
submitted to them as was prscllcaie
the undersigned respectfully submit tnt
following report of the results reache 9
bv them, with the single remark Una