The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-09-18
SEPTEMBER IS, 1921
Agricultural.
RALEIGH, Sept. IL, 1879.

Cn,roRS FARMER n MECHANIC:-l am
h;and 70 YOU for the publication of my
denomination 1t has enabled your read
~ - see the exact facts in the case, and
CTS furnished with the facts the people al
unHs Get to a right Judgment.
"f aid not think to trouble you again, but
- the queer explanatory article with which
Innn accompany my letter are one or two new
aottors needing notice from me. You say
" are rebuked for publishing mere 'ru-
os 70 the cost of the Public Printing
;no : Of going to the Public Printer for in
formation.
you mistake: YOU were rebuked for no
III thing. 1t would nave been as improper
fr me to nave given such advice as it would
Iorn been in you to have acted upon it if
oiyen. You add:
srWben we heard a few weeks ago that
cJ Polk had succeeded in getting the
Roard to try his pet scheme of issuing a big
nd;Tion 10, 900 copies) Of a small paper, os-
tonsiblv a monthly report, we requested our
;unior to call upon the Public Printer to in
Jgnire the cost. He did so, and was told by
Htba head of the firm of Edwards, Broughton
e. Co. who do the work. and lave half in
tarpst therein) that the contract made with
IA Polk was for $40 for printing 10000
copies.
Now do not care to make a new or an
unnecessary issue with you, and therefore |
do not stop to show (as [ easily could) lst,
that no such contract was ever made with
Col. Polk" End, that no one connected
with the Public Printing ever gave such in
formation to you, or to your Junior, or to
onv other person; Sd, that, on the contrary,
nreciselv the same information was given as
! contained in the bills on file in the Agri-
cultural Department, recorded on the Public
Printers books, and copies of which formed
mart OF nv letter to you. You or your in
formant have made a mistake. Blu be that
as it may. | accept your statement as an en-
tirelv accurate report of what you were told,
and rs also actually true. And now l ask
YOU why, being informed by the Public
Printers that 10000 copies OF Col. Polk's
paper were printed for so, you made the
Following statement III the FARMER AND
MECHANIC of August 2Sth?:
COSTLY EXPERIMENT WITH PUBLIC
MoSEY.-We have received the monthly
Report of the Department of Agriculture
for August. 1t is printed IN newspaper
form. and contains a number OF articles
which will be useful to the farming popula-
ton. But as the cost OF printing this sheet
Is about so for each 5000, and as the
postage will run to perhaps $40 more, 1t
will be seen that the cost of publication will
reach 81, 800, or say $4,000, 1t the tull
10000 copies be issued.
This statement called forth a note from
Col. Polk, giving you the exact facts. This
statement. and the reference to the Publ
Printers as your authority for making and
adhering TO it, made 1T necessary Tor me to
send YOU the bills showing your error. You
NAV not know that it costs more to PRINT
10000 copies of a newspaper than it does to
- : 600 Int nthar npnnIp do and If
your statement had been correct the Public
Printers would have been justly chargeable
with living to you and with swindllng the
State. would like to make this plain to
YOU. and as all matters connected with print
inc seem to be a mystery to you, l will take
an illustration from every day business !:
The officers of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind
ASYLUM probably buy -four and pay for it
with the public money. You wish tocharge
them with waste of the public money. You
90 to Stronach's and learn that MIR. Stronach
has sold the Asylum 100 barrels OF Hour Tor
$1,000, and Immediately print IN your paper
that the Asylum has bought from Stronach
80 barrels of -four for 81 900. 1t does seem
to me that you ought to understand this.
notice that YOU again explain the FAR
MER AND MECHANIC contract with the De,
partment. as if in reply to me. | alluded
to it only from necessity and then only tc
your own statements of its contents. You
say that 1.-The FARMER AND MECHANIC has
never had but one contract with the Depart
ment of Agriculture. which contract still ex-
lists" have no objection. | take no in
terest in the matter. [ know what the con-
tract contains. [ have read it. Have you
ever done so? Your explanation of its con-
tents suggests the question. Suppose you
set the whole contract matter at rest by
printing the contract? If you cannot spare
the space (the contract and the bond are
quite long documents), print articles 10 and
-. Think of it.
Yours respectfully,
p. nj. HALE.