Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-12
STATE STEALS.
PEUNDERING AT THE CAPITAL.


A Seven Thousand Dollar Steal.
Scranton Republican, Rep.
1t is not very complimentary to the ell
tertaining character of that enterprising
publication known as the Legislative Record,
that the great public has not before this
late day called the attention of its editors
to the fact that the closing number con-
tanning description Of the last hours of
the late Legislature has not vet been
issued. The Legislature of PENNSYLVANIA
adjourned the second week in June, and
although We have entered upon the second
week in September there is nothing to in
form the people officially" that their
representatives are not still in session. It
cannot be that this delay is due to the fact
that the contractor for the publication OF
the Record is poorly paid, since he receives
s7.6O per page regardless of the reckless
spaces that are allowed to stand between
the reports of two sessions, or of the
equally reckless way in which the votes OF
legislators are recorded for their senatorial
choice in the earlier numbers of this tardy
chronicle. Why then the delay The public
generally is not aware of the circumstance,
for the reason that the public generally
knows very little of the chicanery which,
| attends the manipulation of the Record.
We understand that the delay in the pub
licatiOn of the Record is due to the fact
that its publisher is completing an elabor-
| ate index to accompany it. The Record
itself will make about 9, 400 pages, and the
index will consist of !, ,000 pages to be paid
for at the regular rates, namely 81. go Il
page, making the cost of an index alone
$1,000. Our informant, who is member
| OF the Legislature, vOuches for the cor
rectness Of this statement, which, if true,
illustrates one Of tho boldest and most
fragrant pieces of infamy yet exposed in
connection with the history Of public
plundcr Oh ;the hill.' The idea of
making an index of 1000 pages for a
Record Of twice that number, simply for
the sake of rObbing the state treasury
of $1,000 is but degree removed from
the robber who plans the breaking of
safes and counting houses for the purpose
of carrying off their contents. The
Legislative Record, published as it recent
ly has been, is 4 useless and costly publi-
| cation. We do not think that it should
be abolished altogether, as was have rea-
son to believe that if properly managed
say for instance on tho plan of tho Con-
gressional Record, which publishes every
day the proceedings of the day previous
it would be useful and valuable rs show
ing the votes and speeches of members.
But to add to its miserable management,
a scheme to fleece the state to the extent
of seven thousand dollars is ono of the
most brazen undertakings recently brought
to light in Harrisburg. 1t is to be hoped
that the plan to effect this seven thousand
dollar steal will be promptly frustrated,
and that those who are engaged in it will
abandon their evil purpose in time.
Another Harrisburg Fraud.
Philadelphia Press, Rep.
That enterprising contractor, Mr.. COL
lins receives from the state treasury 81 .6S
for each page of the Record, and he ex-
hausts ingenuity in making these pages as
many as possible. Our correspondent
gives some instances OF the favorite
method of padding. The same spreading
out principle pervades the whole publica.
tion. Every page and column Of this dull
and dilatory journal bears evidences of
this systematic and petty but in the asgre-
gate serious fraud upon the people. By
faithfully recording every idle word and
useless repetition, leaving abundant blank
spaces, and resorting to every possible
printers device for spreading copy over
as much paper rs possible, Mr.. Collins s
Record for this year will cover =, 500 pages,
for which he proposes to draw from the
state treasury over $4,000. Not content
with this, he is engaged recasting and
somewhat condensing it into what he calls
an index of 900 pagcs-onc page of index
to two and a.half pages Of text. This ex-
traordinary annex must be paid for by the
state ut the rate of S7.GS 4 page. With the
other incidental charges Mr.. Collins is
enabled to tack on, this journal will cost
not far from $4,000.
And what is the value received? The
public generally has very littls to do with
the Record except to pay for it. Probably
nine out of ten of the taxpayers who must
make up this $40. 900 never saw the Record,
and nine out of ten who have seen it feel
no desire to see it again. II published
promptly according to contract it would
be of service to the press of the state dur
ing the sessions of the Legislature, as it
would enable them to follow the lesisla-
tive proceedings more in detail than they
can at present. Coming, as it docs, in
large, forbidding bundles at intervals of
eight or ten days, and relating to proceed
ings three and four weeks old, it is chiefly
valuable as waste paper. This publication
would also be of great value to members of
OhO lLOSS IL loSuC
a complete report of the proceedings of the
Record. AS at present conducted, the only
appreciable value of the Legislahrce Record
is for an occasional reference, when bound
and indexcd, for the purpose of ofproving the
record of some member. As in all i'm
portant cases this is, sufficiently we'll done
by the daily press, there is little excuse
for the Rer0rG'. nvistenco ey,nNt f,r tho
benefit Of Mr.. Collins and the Bergner
family.
Our correspondent shows that the
Record could readily be published at the
contract price without perqu;sites or a
double charge for an index, and be done
too, in prompt and satisfactory manner.
MIR. Collins has not complied with the
terms of his contract, and there is no rea-
son in law or equity why it should not be
declared forfeited, and the $4,000, or
Jorge portion of it at least, saved to the
public. For the bad grammar, i'm
perfect Typography, and generally slovcn-
ly make-up of the Record the re-
spoDsibility lies with the publishers of the
Harrisburg Telegraph, who are also print
padding out with unlimited fat is also
chargeable to the same source. The trans.
parent devices Of which Mr.. Collins and
those associated with him resort to swell
the cost of the Record to the state, and
multiply their own profits, are essentially
dishonest. They arc on the same plane as
the state supply steals and kindred jobs
which flourish ut Harrisburg, and on
which the lecchcs and barnaclcs of our
state government have to long been al
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