The Portland daily press., 1876-01-17
The Second Week-General and Personal
Economy-The State Printing-SpeciaI
Liquidation.
AUGUSTA, Jan. Is, 1876.
cEn0NyO uyrEuSo nnnrnnco


ECONOMY ILLUSTRATED.
The first resolve-that of Mr.. Talbot Of East
Machias declaring in a general way for econo-
my-has finally passed both branches and has
been engrossed and filed away to be published
with the next public acts. Since that time
nearly every member has taken the 1925 knife
which ex-Secretary Stacey contracted for when
he had no money to purchase, and over which
some gentleman may even dare to growl when
the deficiency bill to pay for the same comes
before the House, with the cutlery aforesaid in
we are-so grand in declaration, SO generally
patriotic, so eonspcuously economical for the
state, but so weak to Establishments of import
ed cutleryland the usefulness Of three boxes of
stationery, one for our official seat, one for use
in your room, where one thinks over great
questions by himself, and one to take home!
Respecting all these matters great many of
US can make first class general talk, but when
the matter of economy comes between our indi-
vidual pocket-book and the state one can't help
thinking that the most of US are like the col
ored church which was enjoying great out
pouring and in general terms of shouting and
singing were very excellent people, but when
it was suggested to the preacher that a little
practical talk clearing up some confused no.
tons respecting the rights of property in loose
chickens, he declined in decided terms, saying
that such an allusion to so remote matter
would 'frow drefful coldn'ss eber de spirit of
de hole congregashun!'
A REAL MOVE.
But better than the glittering generalities of
Mr.. Talbot, is Gen. Shepherds order which
goes to the very root Of the matter by directing
an intelligent Committee to confer with heads
of departments relative to economical matters
and particularly to devise some measure to con-
tract the rather inflated reports of some of the
heads of departments. A great hue and cry is
made about the cost of state printing, and a
great many people imagine that Messrs.
Sprague, Owen & Nash are getting rich
through excessive charges. On the contrary,
the contractors for printing have for ten years
performed the work at rate less than the
market price and less than any other firm can
afford to do it, for the reason that they have
certain variety of material on hand necessary
to do the work and are able to save something
by that means. In other words, by years Of
experience they are able to make a fair remu-
neration from job that would starve other
parties. Mr.. Badger, one of the experienced
publishers of the Maine Farmer and about as
regular Democrat as can be found, has told
us that he would not .ook at the job at the
price the Kennebec Journal people are doing
it. Take out the cost of printing three great
reports, Agriculture, Insurance and Education,
and the printing expense is reduced one-half.
Condense those reports and leave out what
everybody declares to be useless matter and
half the cost of them can be saved to the state.
When, therefore, our readers complain az the
large expenditure for printing, let it be put
against the three reports named and not
against the printers who have a contract that
would starve concern that would be compelled
to purchase new material.
AN IMPORTANT MATTER.
The special committee to consider what leg
islation is required under the recent constitu-
tional amendments and particularly what gen.
eral laws relating to the formation of corpora
tions and what legislation is needed to prevent
that special legislation which is prohibited by
one amendment, has very difficult task on its
hands. The matter can be pretty we'll deter
mined in all matters relating to the formation
corporations. but the conditions are so diff
ferent in cases where parties desire to build fish
weirs, extend wharves, construct dams, etc.,
that it will be impossible to frame a general
law that will apply to all. Where such privi-
leges are granted by special acts, injustice is
frequently done and mischief generally. The
Legislature, for instance, cannot know what
effect it may have upon the currents of a river
or harbor to extend wharf, or who may be
injured by the location of a fish weir, or what
public or private interests may suffer injury by
the location of dam. The only way to deter
mine such matters intelligently is to have it
done by commission of experienced men-a
river and harbor commission-having fall
power to grant such privileges or withhold
them after full hearing, to be paid, not by
the state, but by the parties peti tioning for
such special grants. Perhaps the county COM
missioners might be empowered to dispose of
such special matters after full hearing on the
spot. The work would be more intelligently
performed by special commission whose duty
| it shall be In the first instance TO prevent the
destruction or injury of the navigation of oul
L iNCio obu hai oolo utSiGCG duu Sel-
| fshness OF any. Two years ago the Press
| advocated such a commission which should at.
| tend to these matters and cooperate with fed.
eral officials in preventing the filling up of ouI
rivers and harbors with the refuse of mills
Some one, however, made the cry of expense
to the state and the whole thing went over L
need not be expensive to the state, and under
the present constitutional amendment such a
commission seems imperative.
MILEAGE.
There seems to be difference of opinion
about the mileage of members. The constitu
ton declares that members shall be paid sun
to be fixed by law from their places of resi-
dence to the capital and back. The law say
that members shall be paid for mileage tw,
dollars for each ten miles travel from places O.
residence to the capital. Until four year
since, when Mr.. Carleton of Whitefeld figured
in the House, mileage was taken according t
the letter of the law. Mr.. Carleton and other
| applied the constitutional provision to the Law
and made the mileage two dollars for every te
miles travel both ways. That practice has pre-
| vailed since. Last year Mr.. Lyman of Machia
undertook to get back to the old method, bu
Mr.. Talbot of East Macnas said that his cor
sttuents were willing that he should have fai
| compensation and he deemed his service
worth much more than the pay with the mile
age both ways, and a large majority of tn
House saw it in the same light. This yea
Senator Haskell introduced bill to make th
mileage one dollar for every ten miles of trav'
both ways. and Mr.. Swasey, not to be heater
moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill
be engrossed. Saturday the House took til
measure in hand, and after brief discussio
voted unanimously to indefinitely postpone th