Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-01-20

in a ,roper manner in regard to their duties
All he desired in this matter was to open tue
way To competition. Whether this vas done
by the amendment or otherwise he cared not
He had no doubt that it was competent Ior
each branch of the legislature TO contract LOT
its own printing, but he very mueh docDteu
whether a legal contract for the state PRINT
ing could be made, which should nave me
force of law, unless il was done by resolve,
passing through all the forms of legislation,
and finally being signed by the Governor
He found that By law the printing of the
Agricultural reports was under the direction
of the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture;
and as long as that law existed he claimed
that il was incompetent for the legislature TO
make a contract with anybody to do that
printing He moved that when the vote was
taken ii should be by yeas and nays, and the
House so ordered.
Mr. SrRour of Portland said that if he IN
derstood the proposition of the gentleman
from East Machias lie did not agree with his
law. He said that committee authorized oy
the two branches of the House 10 contract for
the public printing would be clothed with all
necessary power 10 bind the faith of the State
for the payment of work done. Such has been
the precedent for years, and he did not tninH
the legislature needed the assent of the Exec
UtlNt 10 Iltht THIS dGt LAG VSJSNsNN -
the attempt on the par, of the gentleman from
Minot to manufacture political capital out of
simple business matter like this.
We are here. he said. to act
upon this matter of pure business as
business men and not to indulge in cheap
captrap to catch a few votes in the future.
We are TO have 4 committee who are pre-
sumably honest and competent to do the duty
with which they are charged. They are
bound to get the public printing done as
cheaply as they can and have it done well.
The fact is that they will find il easy for men
to offer to do the work at figures below fair
price. and at the same time the State be the
loser in the end The difference would be
made up by the work being sighted and not
promptly done. and in the end it would be
found that the course pursued would be poor
economy. The matter should be treated as
any other matter of business and no
doubt the committee would receive pro-
posas and award the contract TO that
party who would do it best as well
as cheapest. Why hamper them with
positive Instructions: 1t has been the
custom in all matters of this kind for the par
ty representing the government TO reserve the
right to reject bids which they deemed not
advantageous to the State. 1t is the only
way the State can be protected against men
who will cheat in order TO make profit on
lob where they have underbid a fair price.
rhe gentleman from Bath was right in saying
the fusion legislature of 1879 took precisely
the course we are now pursuing of leaving
the committee with some discretion. He said
the matter should not be a question of politi-
cal preference but of economic and fair busl-
ness dealing. The house would have the re-
vision of the whole matter when the commit
tee should report.
Mr. RowELL of Hallowell. said the history
of the State printing. was well known to the
members of the House. Those who had been
here last year knew something of the printing
the wear before. 1t was well known that after
some weeks of legislation there were but very
few reports laid before the House. \ com
mittee of which he was a member was ap-
| pointed to ascertain the cause of the delay
and it was found that some of the reports had
not been commenced. and it was not until the
latter part of the session that they were re-
ceived. That was under the contract of 1879
| and the memories of members could easily go
back to the discussions in that year. and to
what the bids were bv responsible parties who
would have done the printing promptly. In
stead of giving it then to the lowest bidder
the legislature delegated it to the Governor
and Council to see what they would pay for
/ ~
accordingly. The printing was done after a
fashion but neither promptly nor we'll Mem
| bers knew of the exhibition which some of
! that printing made. There was one report in
which there were errors on almost every page.
| No business man would make contract with
| the lowest bidder whether he was capable of
| carrying out the work promptly or not. The
| gentleman from Ninot had said that bv let
ting the printing ont to the lowest bidder
$4,000 would be saved, vet he
! found by the treasurers report Of this wear
that the sum paid for printing was Sl0.-
So 0S. There might be some man who would
do the printing for sS12. 0S and save the State
$1,000 Laughter.
Mr.. TALBOT of East Machas. called at
| tention to other sums paid for printing, ap-
pearng in the treasurer's report. which made
the total about 500 short of 1900.
Mr.. RowELL said the printing last year
was unusually large, rendered necessary by
the state of things which existed at that time
to which he would not allude at present The
regular printing of the State would not aver
age much over 10000.
Mr.. SWAN said the order included both
printing and binding. and sthat his intention
was to take them both in. the total amount
being twenty or thirty thousand dollars
wear.
Mr.. RowELL-They are always contracted
for separately.
The amendment was then rejected, as fol-
lows
YEAS. Messrs. Allen. Averill, Bartlett Benner
Boothby, Bradstreet of Palermo, Bragg. Brdgham
Brown. Chadbourue Crosby of Norridgewock
Crosby OF Whiting, Cummings. Dennis Dickev
Doore, Eaton, Edgecomb, Elder Eldred Estes
tilidden, Goodae, Goodwin of Shapleigh Harding
Haskell, Jones of Brighton. keegan. Lang, Leavitt
Leighton, Linscott, Loud. Marston, Mcclellan Pack
ard, Parsons, Partridge, Rowe. Richie Smith of
Buxton. staples of Biddeford Staples of DAYTON
Staples Of Parsonsield. Staples of Elliot Strout of
Cape Elizrbeth, Sturdivant. swan, Sweat Talbot
Irafton. Trufant, Ninal, Wardwell. Waters, Webb
Wheeler of Easton. Wheeler Of Etna, White g.
NAYS. Messrs. Achorn. Andrews A shford Bean
BridgtonI Bragdou, Buck, Burnham, Burr Chase
Clark, Cook, Cushmsn. Donne Eastman Emery
Fisher. Flint. Freeman of Cherryfield (,oodail
tioss of Auburn, tIoss of Bath, Hail. Harris Hatch
Heath. Hersom. Hilton. Hopkins Hutchinson of Lew
iston, Jones Of Winthrop, Jordan, Joy, Kendall
kennison, kimball, King. Leland Libby, Lord Of
Bangor, Lord of kennebunk. Mae.t Marble
Maxcy. McAilisier. Mckusick. Means Morrill, Nick
erson of Linneus, Nickerson of Brewer NickeIs Nor
inton, Redou, Rowe, searey Smith of New
sharon. Smith of Mt. Vernon, Sprague Strout of
Portland Tsrbox, Thatcher, Thompson Torrv
True Tvitchell, Narnev. verri Wentworth of Gar
diner, Wentworth of kittery. wilder.-7g.
The order then received passage.
On motion Of Mr.. kEEGaS of Van Buren,.
the following order was taken from the table /:
Ordered, The Senate concurring, that the