The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-19
THE STATE PRINTER.
THE INVESTIGATION MI TINE spEClAu
JOINT COMMITTEES or THE
IE01sLATURB.

LEGIsLATURE.
Exsmip alton ef Col. Gerard stlth, J. p
walker ana w. y. Barrow.
The Joint Committee on the state PrIntina
Investigation met on Saturday at / o'clock
pursuant to adjournment. to continue the ex
animation of Witnesses.
Present: Representative Hammond. chair
man, and Mesers, Parmelee. Ross. Nettles ant
Landry.
On motion the reading of the minutes OF tbs
previous meeting was dispensed with and the
examination Of witnesses proceeded with.
The first witness Yves
COT. GERARD HTfTH
Mr., Dupre-Under what circumstances were
you called upon as umpire. tl measure this
volume. entitled Documents, etc, Of 1857
do 40, and informed me that bad been chosen
umpire By The two palties In INTEREST," think
The State Printer and Mr.. Green.
the committee. In what manner You conformed
TO the Attorney Generals reauesf
Ans...witb the assistance Of Mr.. Walker
who ls here present. went through the volume
entitled DOCUMENTS, etc. Of 1873. thavlng been
furnished BY the Attorney General with the de.
tailed CALCULATIONS. Of the state Printer apd
Green nor the state Printer were correct. The
difference between the State. Printers measure.
mepts ena those q MT Walker and myself
Mr.. Dupre-Can You express IN dollars and
cents the difference between your measurement
and that of the State Printer2
AL never reduced It down TO that. Mr..
Walker. who Is here is better able to answer
Mr.. bppfe. you before the grand jury
State Printers aceounts2
Al was called on to give my opinion.
Mr.. Dupre- Was your opinion as t9 the meas
urement or IA to the quality OF typef
Alt was solely az TO the quality Of type
Mr.. Dupre-You were not asked to base your
answers on any Interpretation Of the printing
Al was not
The next witness sworn was
J. =. WALKER,
printer on the New Orleans Pioavune news
thirty. I'VE years have also worked rs foreman
and am conversant with the rules Of the Typo
graphical Union. went through the measure
Htitb, to see II the account with regard to rule
and figure work and price and 9 half matter :.
not plain work. was correct ! did 60. and
bet wean my me astrempnt and that OF the STATE
Printer was about li4,ooo ems. ~
The witness was shown page q the report
Of the Sanitary Inspector Of the Fourth Dis
triet, and asked by Mr. Dupre II. as bad been
testified before the committee. the. charges for
the page were unusual. lie said No. u Il
lug to the rules OF the Typographical Union.
Mr. Walker thought that the blank page after
page 0 OF the public school reports ought not to
have been charged. Tor II the reports we're
printed together the page should have been
taken q. ot but y printed at intervals no would
At this stage OF the proceedings
MIR. W. n. BARROW,
foreman Of the Job Office Of the DEMOCRAT. was
sworn. 7? testify with regard to the blank page
III question. He said that both reports 1.-THE re-
port Of the State Superintendent Of Education
hn xal tnd fHae
periods. The chairman asked Mr.. Walker II It
was customary In printing the repors to be
guided BY works OF similar. nature done before.
MIR. Walker answered In the affirmative. Mr..
Barrow said that be had adhered to that custom
In making M tpe Legislative reports OF 1878. Mr.
Walker. questioned by mr.. Dupre as to bic
IN which the Auditpr's report. on pages LAG and
TAT. was printed. said that he would have printed
Mr.. DGpre to the witness Walker We're you
over brought before tribunal to testify In this
Wslker,Yes; before the Third District Court
Mr., Dupre..Have you any Idea that the book
should have been printed IN minion type7
Wftness--I do not know. unless tho law 30
TO Mr.. Hammond--1n 1896 WINS foreman OF d
job office: 1 consider the present report proper
ly, done. unless the law specifically provides
lit. Bupre-fs # mt sot fact tn the rules Of
the Typographical Union to charge for one and
Witness II L.: for example. pages 81 and SO
charged as one and half price matter.
Mr. Dupre-Mr. Green testified TINT The State
Printer had no right to charge for one and one
half price matter II he did not pay his printers
allows. aud 1t is no bus ness # the employee
Mr.. Dupre-State the difference in price
when o printer Is employed by tbs week or by
Ans.-Well, It depends on the price agreed to
Tor piece work; the character Of tbe work and
The capacity Of tho man. The average wages
1000 ems. A good printer will earn more II
employed to work by tho piece than II en-
ployed by the week.
Mr.. Walker retired. and
Mn. BARROW.
foreman OF the DEMoCRAT job office, was next
questioned. He said: When the Legislative
Documents Of 1878 were printed was foreman
pf the job Office of the DEMOCRAT. I employed
Mr.. Green and consulted with Mr.. Dupre about
that employment. Mr.. Dupre said he regretted
The affair. because he suspected Green, and he
told me to watch the man.
Green acted rs foreman In my absence. ! do
a job Office. but he did his work satisfactorily as
my assistant. He could ascertain what charges
made for work as DO had access TO my book
book during my absenre. About Green being
offered the position Of foreman of the news
room, BY Mr.. Dupre. know this much that
foreman tMr. 'Weayer) by Mr.. Green. who was
consulted by Mr.. Dupre In this matter and q
preliminary talk was held locking to Mr..
Green's employment as foreman. but the mat
Ter was soon dropped. and Mr.. Green did not
get the place.
When the grand iury's report appeared, L was
out of town. When / came back. Mr. Dupre
old me about the charges and asked me to look
carefully over my measurements to see IL / had
not made an error. II took me week to do so
and found out that we had undercharged 500.
The detailed calculations made on this occasion
are those which Mr.. Dupre submitted TO the ar
OF Col. Stith. II them Mr.. Stith's find
Ing Is that the OveTcharge In that detailed state
ment Is about sos. II follows then, that the
amount charged originally by the State Printer
s nearly absolutely correct, because the amount
really charged the State is $50 ess than the total
In the statement submitted 10 arbi.
ration.
To Mr. Landry-If I had to print the docu-
nents over again. Id not state exactly the
he cost OF one thousand copies. without some
lime to calculate on.
Here Mr.. Green questioned the witness by
permission OF the committee. His interoga-
ions related chiefly to the charges Of his hay-
nR stated that he wanted to be- foreman Of the
lewsroom, that he had done his duty etc
MIR. Barrow resuming- To Mr.. Hammond