The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-09-11

II lLllug- ~ lIOlllu8 10 40. vi the
merit. of the matter which the Board directs
to be printed it is no part of my duty here
in to express an opinion it seems to me ia
be of the same character as that which the
FARMER AND MECHANIC has printed and
praised for the Board for two wears past.
With its probably only apparent intent to
in jure the present Public Printers. | shall
not quarrel. 1t IS not my habit to trouble
myself about matters of that sort. They
right themselves, and more quickly by be-
ing permitted to do SO without interference.
But YOU have made it necessary for me to be
heard in vindication of others bv illusions
to the Public Printers as the source whence
by rumor you had information contradicting
Col. Folks and DR.. Ledoux's corrections of
your errors in the matter of their expendi-
lures for printing. You would have saved
me this trouble and yourself this space. and
may do so hereafter in similar cases. by
seeking information as to the cost of print
ing executed for it, not from rumor but,
from whatever Department of the State
Government you may deem it your duty to
assail. The bills are always on file. and
will be shown to you; and besides showing
the bills. any State officer will cheerfully
give YOU an order to inspect the charges on
the Public Printers books. which [ will as
CuCeIluIlN NOu W Az. lllS Will = ave
you much trouble, and perhaps some Ic-
editor, and none more keenfy feels than
that editor who is also a true man. that no
correction, no retraction however explicit.
will ever entirely repair the injury lone to
a public mans character by printed charges
of improper conduct in the management of
the public moneys. Many see the charges
who never see the refutation. MANY. IN
deed most men in this busy world. read
only to remember that at some time, and 10
some paper. they have read that some pub
lie man has done something wrong: what
wrong. the reader does not recollect only
that it was something very bad.
That which makes this communication
necessary is contained in the following ex-
tract from one of your articles in the issue Of
the 4th INST. =
Respecting the Monthly Reports. we We're
told, as coming direetiy rom me publishers, that
Any printer can estimate the cost Of l6 columns
OF small type at the 40 cent rate for pain work
and near y double that rate for rule and-f1gure
work
Each copy Of the Report mailed singly requires
an one-cent wrapper. We know that a large
number have been mailed in one-cert wrappers.
to reach the farmers, scattered as they are. he
must MAIL at least half of his circulars, or say
4, UU. NhlCI o'Jo eIuilO !tO oHtdSc.o NluCluuiHS
paper typc-Setting, and wrappers) Sli0 a month,
or 1920 a year. as we stated,
IF Col. Polk were not to Serd a single copy
singly, but, a: he says, "apportinn th-m to the
several counties according to their WHITE popula-
agents in each OF the "a conl-.i : thus making
near 500 packages. Now tn postage on the
tiss 1sRd 1s M nnh li s;'ar,s d ra4es5 w runs m si ahnac ~ %
per month, or Sll0 a year, for only about 1880
copies How, then; can his postage on 100 1all
under $50 per month"
Va, Gov trp1r fbot ttonr rpipfor oCti.
mate the cost" of the job referred to. There
is not the slightest difficulty about it. The
work is before him the prices fixed by law.
1t is only necessary to measure the matter,
ascertain the number of thousands of ems,
and multiply by 40 cents to obtain the cost
of type-setting; calculate the number Of to-
Eens in 1000 sheets and multiply by 20
cents to ascertain the cost OF press work;
see how many pounds of paper were neces-
sary and multiply by S cents to fix the cost
0 fpaper, and also to find the cost Of post
age, which on matter of this grade is the
same price per pound, or for every eighth
of a pound, as paper is in Raleigh. 1t is
plain that you are not printers, or you would
never nave made so grievous an error.
Probably few Of your readers are printers.
For your joint benefit, therefore,, | annex
the bill for printing the Monthly Re
port :
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
SUB. DEPT. OF COMMISSIONER.
To Hale and Edwards, Broughton 4 Co., STATE Print
ers, ~.
Aug. 26-To printing monthly report for
August, as follows: 4S,911 ems a. - cts, ~ ~
Z reams paper, % II to ream as cts, 10 Is
56 token tressworl IN % 400
priptinp 900 wrannarS 50
$50. II
You will see therefore that "the cost OF
printing" was $3.50, and not $50 as you
estimate; of paper and wrappers S17.lo; OF
postage Q96 pounds at S cents per poundl
$15.6S of all 500. As, instead of $l1O as you
have ciphered it out by bringing to the aud
of baseless rumor a lack of knowledge OF
printing and of the United States postal
laws. The postage in fact was rather more
than SIC, because a single copy was mailed
to each newspaper in North Carolina ana
to sundry Agricultural Departments ana 80
c%ieties, each single copy mailed costing as
much as a package weighing 3 ounces.
DR.. LedOuX has also printed a DOCK, aid
because a book which was printed Tor the
Department while the FARMER AND Me