Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-08-05
Report of the Committee ON Investigation

FDT an lHFcSllRAtlOn relating 10 the ac-
counts and charges of Messrs. Spraguc Owen
& Nash, for State printing" provides that it
shall be the duty of said Commissioners "To
take all necessary and suitable measures to
ascertain whether or not Messrs. Sprague,
Owen & Nash have always been settled with
and paid by the State for State printing in
accordance with the contract fer such print
ing in force at the time of settlement and
payment, and especially whether or not that
firm have been overpaid if so, in what sum,
when and under what circumstances; also,
whether or not that firm have failed to re-
ceive the fall amount due under any of their
contracts; if so, in what sum and when; also
whether or not the State has honestly and
fairly carried out the provisions of the con
tract with that firm, made by the Legislature
| of 1873, and If not, what damages, if any,
that firm have suffered thereby"
When the amount of printing required for
all the departments of State during a single
year is considered, and that the same firm
have been State printers since May 20, 1868 !;
When il is also considered how many elements
enter into the determination of the question
whether the price charged for a single Job of
printing is in fact in accordance with the
terms of Il written contract, however clear in
law the requirements of the contract may be;
such for instance, as the measurement of
the amount of composition on each page,
with allowances for tabular work and for rule
and figure work. the frequent changes of type
from one size to another, the press-work, the
quality and amount of paper required and
used; the price of paper at the time any par
ticular lot was purchased together with
many still more uncertain elements, such as
changes of copy or of orders partly execut-
ed, and extra work caused thereby, reprint
ing in whole or in part without fault of the
printer;
When these and other matters OF equal
importance and equally difficult to be deter
mined are taken into account. it will be seen
what wide field of inquiry is opened by the
terms of the Resolve. If the data were at
hand for making such an investigation as the
! Resolve contempates, it would require "a
long time to complete it. 1t probably could
not be done in a year by committee of three,
giving all their time to the work.
When it was provided in the Resolve it.
self that the Board should consist of one JUS
tice of the Supreme Judicial Court and two
skilled and practical book printers, it proba-
bly, could not have been the expectation of
! the Legislature that the former would be able
to give his personal attention to the inyesti-
CATION of all the matters of detail included in
it which would require an amount of time
he could not properly give, and about which
he must depend for information very largely
upon the statements of those more familiar
with the subject than himself but that the
service expected of him was to render what
aid he could in such investigation of facts
and to advise in regard to any questions of
law that might arise during its progress.
pom examination, it is found that there
would be no great difficulty in disposing of
the legal questions that are likely to arise in
the course OF the investigation.
The terms of the contracts are not obscure
and the points of difference even of opinion
on matters of law among those who are IA
mlliar with the subject matter of the
tracts are comparatively few.
But there most serious difficulties in
the way of determining at this date the ques-
tons of fact that arise, such to render it
impossible in our opinion to decide from any
accounts on file at the State House, or which
the Commission has been able to obtain
whether Messrs. Sprague, Owen& Nash have
always been settled with and paid by the
State in accordance witt the contract in force
at the time or not.
The data on which to proceed with the in
vestigation are wanting.
All the contracts between the State and the
printers provide in substance that the work is
to be done to the satisfaction and acceptance
OF the Governor and Council. The bills
which have been paid for State printing have
been passed upon by an auditing committee
of the Executive Council, and understand
it has been the practice of such committee to
! have before il in each instance specimen of
/ the work printed and the receipt of the prop
er officer, showing that the required number
of copies had been delivere and other de-
tails in regard to the work. before allowing
the bills. But when the printed matter had
been delivered and the bills allowed, it was
not the practice to preserve these specimen
al, 81,
delivered
The bills which were finally reported rs
correct by the auditing committee of the
council. and went on the files of the State
are, therefore. wanting in many of the details
which were produced befoae the committee,
and which it is necessary to have in order to
determine whether the charges conform to
the contract or not.
Many of the charges for printing blanks,
for instance, of various kinds for the differ
ent departments of State. amounting in the
whole to large sums in each settlement. are
stated in these bills in gross, without deS-
crihing the blanks or giving the number
printed,
The contracts provide that the paper for
the printing should be furnished to the State
at its cost, without bonus or commission.
The cost of the paper must therefore be
known in order to ascertain whether the
amounts charged are according to the
contracts or not. Messrs. Sprague, Owen
4 Nash say they are unable to furnish evil
dpnce on that point, and it is difficult to de-
termne from an examination of the printed
work. the precise weight, quality and price of
| the paper composing it, nor do we know the
date at which the paper was purchased, 1t
has been customary in estimating the cost of
the paper, to allow, in addition to the price
paid, sum not exceeding ten per cent. there
on--in most instances less-to cover such
items as freight, trucking, storage. waste, in
! surance and interest.
Notice in writing was given to Messrs.
Spraguc, Owen 4 Nash, to produce at the
hearing all their books of account in which
appear any items of debt or credit in any
way relating to either of their contracts with
the State, any memoranda or vouchers in
their possession or control in regard to the
number of copies or the cost of paper, and
any other books or papers which they have
relating to the subject matter of the resolve,
but they produce nothing which supplies the
information in regard 10 which the papers on
file with the State are deficient, and say that
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