The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-01-05
pTRLIC PRINTING.

lar. in which by proper legislation very
large sums may be saved
PUBLIC PRINTING.
The nubJic printing, by the grossness
ofits ercesses, amounts to public rob
bery We submit that such is the
,,ract;csI result, whatever may be the mo-
t;vo on which the extraordinary system
ia tolerated Let examples be cited in
evidence.
For the FIVE years next preceding the
FIRST of January, 1861, the average cost
Of priDting for the State did not exceed
Sc, 900 per anuum.
For the FIVE years commencing with
the fiscal year 1870, the average cost Of
the printing for the State has exceeded
s73. 900 each year, being an average ex-
cess each year on the former OF 500, OOO.
This enormous increase in the cost of
public printing cannot be attributed to
increased expense Of performing the
nubIic work, nor to the large increase in
the number OF our citizens, for the like
conditions exist in Mississippi and Geor-
gia and yet the recent report OF the
mptrolIer-General Of Georgia shows
that the average cost OF the public print
ing in that State for the years 1872 and
1873 did not exceed $40, 900. Mark the
contrast according to the above average.
The cost of the public printing for i'm
poverished Mississippi for those two years
was over eight times greater than the cost
of the same work done in the same year
for the State of Georgia
The journals Of the two houses Of our
Legislature contain vast amount OF
matter utterly worthless to the public,
and their enormous bulk, with supple
ments added, might we'll cause the in
quiry, why We're they gotten up in that
bulky form if not to swell The profits of
the public printer We cite for the con
trast two examples and any one may verify
the figures in our State Library. In the
year 1896 the journals of the two houses
contained together l, 1853 pages. In the
year 1873 the journals contain together
6,393 pages-that IS more than five times
the number Of pages contained in those
two journals for the year 1856. Those
journals contain in full every little report
that certain bill do pass, and thus they
are swelled with mass Of useless matter.
Doubtless the enormous difference in the
cost for public printing in Mississippi
and Georgia arises from the fact that our
journals are thus bloated with useless
matter, and also that official reports are
printed and charged for more than once,
and in part because Of exhorbitant rates
allowed IN p,,,, Gtotn
The remedy for these gross abuses and
waste of expenditure is plain. Let the
journals be greatly reduced in bulk so as
to contain no matter not useful to the
public in legislative journal, Require
the official reports to be so reduced in
bulk rs to contain only essential matters,
and those to bestatcd in brieiest intelli-
gible terms. Diminish both numbers
and quantities. Let no documents be
printed and paid for more than once, and
reduce to moderate rates the prices for
public printing. Apply like rules of
economy and justice to the people to the
public printing of counties, cities and
towns.
DISTRICT PRINTING BILL.
- ti''' N'I!itCliOH II Is proper TO eau
special attention to the District Printing
Bill, which was publicly advocated upon
the plea, most extraordinary in a free
government, that it is both lust and
proper to tax the general public to sus-
tam party newspapers. In case of public
sales, and IN many others, the chief value
OF newspaper publication consists in
the fact that 1t gives notice to the people
OF the particular county in which the
sale etc, Is TO he made 1t seems a
mere mockery, under pretense of
FAIRNESS, to advertise the property of
the citizen tor sale under execution or for
taxes IN a distant part of the judicial
olS'rlct, ard at point remote from the
county IN which the sale is to be made.
Inc same Is true of many other notices
required to be published. In very many
cases OF publication required to be made
unuer the law, the seeming notice can be
u DO possible use, and yet the poor citi-
zen Is taxed with the costs Of such useless
publication. ''>'' ''''-eS'
''N>' EASES ON ACCOUNT OF THE JU-
DiCIARY.
me ne number OF circuit judges and
oeancelioT@ Is Tar greater than the needs
oi 1he pubic service require.
before The present constitution went
ihto eHect, there were but ten circuit
Judges IN the State, who not only dis.
charged all the duties imposed on the
t hmt zen circuit judges now provided for,
',un. %,So performed nearly all the duties
now imposed on twenty chanceliors; and
mere was no complaint that their number
was was insufficient. BY the present system
lanG We believe In that respect # j. =
Soou one : most of the business formerly
uone oy the probate judges is now trans.
acted acted 3y the chancery clerks The
c: :i are almost exclusively occn-
P Pie9 IN what Is strictly chancerv or eonitv
business which, as before stated 4 WY .
.o o4rmerly within the jurisdiction Of t tbe
circuit circuit Judges. The litigation in the
circuit and chancery courts is now t far
YES, us In amount and value than il waI
~, w,ien we haI only FOR, o;ro,,:4