The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-04
More None, Cost OF Public I'rin-
ting.

The last session of the Legislature ap-
propriaied $1,000. 10 pay idr public
printing during the current A.cal year.
The amount reported by the Finance
Committees Of the two branches Of the
Legislature, n We learn from Senator
Bishop, vas 1880; but thi. sum wa
cut down to ten thousand, rs above stated.
This amount j. considerably less than
that appropriated and paid for public
printing for previous years, a. We shall
show further along, but it was thought
that this amount ought 10 lie sufficient,
owing TO the fact that the legislature had
passed but some ioriy.ihrec bills which
we're to h. printed. and that, during the
session. for the want Of paper, but only
a few Of the bills introduced we're printed.
A few DAYS since circulars we're sent
out To the members Of the Legislature,
by the printing Commissioners. convey
ing the sad intelligence that the $1,000
we're exhausted. and that there were i'm
poriani matters yet to be printed. Tie
object Of this circular was to get the con-
sent ui majority Of the members to al.
low the Commissioners TO authorize the
Public Printer to go ahead. and also, 10
promise that they would provide for the
deficiency when they convened next
winter. and thus legalize any action that
the Commissioners might take in the
meantime.
The amount Of money that this State
has paid for public printing, since the
Democrats came into power, is simply
enormous.
From the 4ih Of March. 1871, until
August 18th, 1878, the date Of his removal
from Office, a period Of two years and a
half, Henry 5. Walker received Ssj,.
COL y for printing done Tor the State or
at the rate Of S34,2il per year, These
figures are from Gov Jacobs special mes.
sage Of November Is, 1873, in which he
reciled his reasons for removing Walker
from Office, and for his refusal 10 approve
Walkers bid.
During the last fiscal year. ended Sep. |
TENDER 3Oth, 1874, the people Of the State
paid nearly forty thousand dollars for
public printing On page % Of the
Auditors Report for that year. we are
told that the amount paid for "public
printing was S26.Il3 Gi. But there il n
bill of the Public Printers Of Sg,333 and
some cents, iof printing Slahl. school
registers, that the State will eventually
have to pay. Add this to the S2G,Il3 Is.
and We have a total Of S36,OiG %. And
this sum does not include thecOst Of print.
ing the last Auditors Report aud what
ever that amount IL. 1t must be added to
the above total. And when this, and
some other bills that may have not vet
have seen light, are all added together,
we will find that the State OF West Wiz.
rina paid over $4,000, and possibly
SiO,WJO, for printing done during the
fiscal year ended September Goth, 1874.
And ne for the current iiscal yeaf, Sl0,-
900 have already becn absorbed; and, il
the Public Printer keeps ON at this pace,
We shall have 4 thirty or iUriy.tholsaBd
dollar bill to pay again Tot public print.
ing for = single year.
The item Of S9a}3, which the Public
Printer charged ius printing Siahl's
school registers, 1t IL proper tn remark,
has not been paid. That the Law justi.
iies the charge there Il really no ques-
tion. Such il the opinion Of the Auditor,
who says he has consulted with other
members Of the printing craft in refer.
ence to the construction OF the law. And
such il the opinion OF Senator Bishop.
The Legislature would better pay the
bill, and save costs. The charge. ii. il
true, il ircnly tins too much-we say
twenty times, for Lewis llaker, OF the
Wheeling Register, said HE firm would
have done the job for 500.
The law which makes the charge justi.
fable was dtawnup With the superstition
that Henry $. Walker would still mutt.
late the public printing; and, perhaps, the
bill itself was drawn up by him, or At his
dictAtion. In this respect the Bourbons
were az badly fooled 4. they were when
they got up the new Constitution with the
understanding that johnson y. Camden
was to be the first Governor who, by yir.
tue Of the extraordinary appointing
power conferred upon him by that mnd.
died instrument, was to appoint an innn-
merable company Of the faithful TO oFFirr.
But ]. n. didn't succeed; and when Gov.
Jacob vas rolled into the ieathered nest,
~ a last resort, an either stupid or patti.
ran court stultihed itself by promulga.
ting decision that isan insult 10 COM
mon sense, and which deprived ;hc Gov.
ernof u the authority that the Constitu.
tion plainly gives him, in the matter Of
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