Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-01-07
BENJAMIN Bunker's Bill Disal-
lowed.
NOthtMg Due the Claimants
In Lar or Equity.
Cameron Overpaid in the Sum Of
S759.23.
A. j. Cameron.

The Standing Committee on Accounts to
which referred the bills Of A. J. Gamer
on, the fusion book binder, report that they
find nothing due him thereon. for the follow
ing reasons That the item of $500 entered
IN the credit side of the bill marked "A, as
expense Of binding Abstracts. seems unau-
,horized by law.
Upon examination vour committee find this
work is claimed to have been done by Mr..
Cameron under the binding contract between
the State and T.. IT, W. Smith 4 Co for the
year 1873, assigned to him by said Smith &
Co, February |, 1879.
BY this contract Smith & Go. agreed to
bind the Reports and Abstracts of the Sec
retary of the Board of Agriculture, in full
cloth, At y cents per copy. Substantially
the same clause is found in all the preceding
binding contracts since these books have been
published. The insariable practice, as your
committee learns, ha. been to bind the Re
port" and Abstracts" together in one book
at the contract price of 32 cents per volume,
No case has come to the knowledge of your
committee where the Abstract" has been
bound as separate book. This seems TO
have been the Interpretation of thi, clause
in the contracts bv all who have been called
upon to construc or enforce them. Your
committee believe that the reasonable inter
probation, otherv ise the binder at his pleasure
could bind in two volumes "a, in this
case thus increasing the expense to the
State from 5000 To- $500, or even into three
four or more as he might choose, subjecting
the State +" paving several times the contract
price instead of one. Such a precedent as
this Interpretation would establish, would be
one unsafe to the State.
Another on lection exists to the allowance
of this item. There seems to be no author
ty in law for the printing of this Abstract"
by the parties who did it, or for the binding
il in the manner it is bound All such work
was authorized by chapter -, section of
the Revised Statutes. The Legislature of
1879 by chapter l67 of the Public Laws, re-
pcaled much Of said section as provided
for such work or expenditures. The public
printers for 1873. after the passage and ap
proval of this law March .. 1879, it seems
did not go on and print these Abstracts.
No party, aS your committee can learn or
believe, having authority b, law to print
these "Ahstracts" ever did it. The printers
tor lS19. it is believed, had no authority. un-
Tier their contract to print; and your commit
tee is informed they do not claim To have
done it under the ls.s contract of other par
ties. II III. printing was unauthorized by
these parties. it is not easy to discover the
authority of the binders to take the work
from them and bind il. and especially a
separate book when il could and should have
been included in the 10000 volumes of the
Report of 1875" which had been prev ious-
" bound and paid for at - cents per vol
lmc
Your committee find no evidence of anv
ratification of this work. on behalf of the
state. hy any Of its authorized officers either
in cousenting to its publication and binding.
nr in accepting the volumes since they were
bound. They srv Vet in the hands of the
binder.
Disallowing therefore the $1,000 item. your
committee find MIR. Cameron> bill otherwise
o,orpaid bv S,59. %.