Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-08-22
The state Printing.
WILroS, Aug. 20. 1870

Gov. Garcelon' administration between elght
and nine thousand dollars for the same. max
inc the State paw nearly thirty thousand for
last wears State printing while for the pres
ent wear. 10 date. the State printing has cost
onlv between four and five thousand dollars.
which j. fully one-half of the whole cost for
the wear. His speech represents a saving to
the State of about twenty thousand dollars.
when comparing this years work with last,
in the matter of state printing alone
| suggested to the speaker that he must
have rcckoned some of this years printing
with last years bills. which he denied.
If il is not asking too much, hope yon
will give me a statement of facts. so far a
YOU are able, in letter. concerning the cost
of State printing of last V, ar and the present.
Very respectfully.
j. r. EATON.
Though the above is private letter we
take the liberty to make it public in the
columns Of our paper and answer il in the
same public manner.
The appropriation for State printing in
1873 was 100000. which was not all eX-
pended that year in State printing.
When the year closed the State printers
had some unfinished work on hand-the
cost of which we are unable To state, hui
which was probably not less than $1,000
nor more than $1,000. That amount,
whatever it may have been, necessarily
and properly went into the bill presented
bv Spraguc owen Il Nash, to the present
administration.
The bills of Sprague, Owen Il Nash for
State printing presented to Governor Gar
cclon and Council for payment amounted
10 -, l9s 30 This sum includes all that
was due them for work in progress and
Not completed Jan. /. 1879 and what was
/ due them for all the state printing they
/ have done this year. Ercfy doiiar o.
mar bWs prcScnfcd h GoretN0r GdrcclOn
a,.d CouEcH has been dH0,ccd and poM.
They were not cut down one cent. If
any creenback orator charges therefore
that Sprague. Owen & Nash have received
more than belongs fairly to them in these
bills. he at once a>>ails the integrity of
Governor Garcelon and the Executive
Council. 1t would be very pertinent in
quiry to make of any greenbacher who
asserts that Sprague, Owen X Nash have
received more than they should for state
printing. why if tiat assertion be true.
Governor Garc-lon and Council permitted
it. They were the auditing board. and
not a dollar could Sprague. owen X Nash
obtain from the treasury without their
warrant.
The statement which we have already
made disposes of the charge that the State
printing cost 100000. last year. 1t cost
less in fact than the appropriation. which
was $50, 900. All that has been paid
this year on work done last year. is be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000; and more than
this was paid in 1878 for work done in
1877. Necessarily the bills for incom-
pleted work at the close of every year
pass over into the following year for pay
ment. as even a greenback lunatic would
| probably find if he were State printer.
| But this greenback lunatic in Franklin
county, after asserting that the State print
ing cost $50, 900 last year. also asserts it
appears that 1.-THE State printing this year
to date has cost only four or five thousand
dollars, which is fully one half of the
whole cost for the year" Now there has
been paid to Sprague, Owen 4 Nash. for
printing done this year. between $4,000
and $1,000, as is readily seen from what
we have stated above And the Campaign
Standard OF the 18th states that f. f.
Illsbury Il Co., have drawn from the
treasury for State printing this year the
sum of 2l,6lj.9s Adding what Sprague
Owen d Nash have received TO what the
Campaign Standard says Pillsbury d Co.
have received, and the total for State print
ing this year amounts to about 81 900.
But Pillsbury y Co have probably work in
progress and bills not yet presented for
work done, sufficient to amount to at least
$1,000 more so that the probability is that
the State printing so far this year has
amounted to at least Sl3, 900: and if. as
our greenback lunalic reckons, only half
the State printing for the year is done,
then the cost of the STATE PRINTING
thi, year will be $4,000 against less
than 100000 last year
We will add also that in response to an
advertisement published by the Printing
Committee of the last legislature inviting
proposals TO do the state printing. Sprague,
Owen < Nash made n proposition to do
the same IL 2-3 per cent lower than the
proposal. made by +. F. pillsbury The
republican Senate favored taking the bid
which was lowest and best for the State,
/ but the neutrality-suspicious. House ia
vored taking the highest bid, offered by f.
/ F. Pillsbury Go. No contract was
therefore made by the Legislature with
/ anybody to do the State printing. In or
der to help the case of Pillsburv along,
the cry of fraud was raised against
! SpraVue. Owen ~ Nash by the Maine