The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-02-02
THE PRINTING BILL.


We are In receipt Of . copy OF II. u. Is,
Ia relation % printing. Briefly: 1t repeats
the printing law now In force, and throws
the public printing for the Territory, and In
counties where there are two or more news
papers printed, opeuto competitive bids at
prices not exceeding certain fixed prices,
which arc Is TO 70 per cent. lower than at
present allowed on job work and Advertising,
and fully 80 per cent. less where there Is rule
and figure work with . large proportion Of
figures. The bids for. Territorial printing
are TO be advertised for by the Auditor and
awarded by the Auditor and District, or
County, Attorney TO the lowest bi Ider. For
County printing, where there Is more than
one newspaper, the County Clerk shall in
site proposals and the County Commissioners
lake the award TO the lowest bidder. In
each of the above cases the contracts are to
be let for one year, instead Of two years a.
at present. No provision Is made In this
bill for the publication Of general laws In
any newspapers. Printing required TO be
done for the Territory or It's departments Is
TO be paid for at the same rates as paid by
the United States "under the rules pre-
scr'bed by the Secretary OF the Interior for
such service" eve might remark, paren-
thetically, that 1t Is the First Comptroller Of
the Treasury Department who fixes the rates
for United States Legislative printing in the
Territories, and II Is probable the Secretary
OF the Treasury Is intended). The bill does
not substitute anything for section 9S5 Of
the present law, which II should do. Nor
does 10 make any provision for re contracting
In case of the failure Of any contractor TO
perform the work.
we..do--not like this bill. 1t reduces the
compensation for work very materially.
From q publishers point Of view We think
the rates low enough now; but this,
In the abstract, shall not enter into our OBJ
jections. 1t Ia ostensibly designed to break
up partisan, or official, distribution Of print
ing patronage, and place the public printing,
under . Limitation, open to competition.
There Is something to be said against the
present method In the Territory; the same
may be said against the method Of the
United States In Its officers designating the
papers which shall do The advertising Of APP.
plication for Patents, ETC.; but our Legisla
:ure cannot reach that and 10 not responsible
for the system. The establishment, how
ever, OF . system which Is charged with
being defective should be urged only on the
ground that . better "ne, and the best that
can be devised, Is offered In Its stead.
We object TO the principle involved in the
measure offered. 1t contemplates giving the
Territorial printing to the lowest bidder.
This will admit any person, the owner OF .
local Job ONCE, or . person not publisher
who may send the job work to the States to
be done at less than the absolute cost Of
type setting in Montana, and contract with .
newspaper 70 publish the advertisements.
Neither Of these things should be, or be per-
INVISIBLE. We bold that creditable news.
papers arc . benefit to the Territory aud
should % encouraged in oil legitimate ways.
The public printing should 90 10 the
public Journals, and then II they bid
At too low 6gures II 10 their own
fault. The old law, n worst, required the
board to designate the newspaper. The In
consistency, moreover, Of this disposal Of the
territorial printing 10 shown when IL comes
to providing for county prihtihg 6hich pro-
vides BY implication, that the contract shall
be made with "tbe publisher Of newspaper"
Why not so provide for the territorial print.
ing? But even then Il does not take into
account the circulation Of the newspapers
bidding. A new 6edgsd Newspaper, however
unstable or uncertain its life, of whatever
character, sine or circulation, even II 1t have
not Is many hundred subscribers as another
has thousands, 10 pu. on precisely the same
basis. The commercial advertiser considers
circulation NEST essential point In advertis-
Ing. The Legislature has before 1t . bill
that wholly ignores this consideration for
public advertising. And yet II Is fully as
important 10 advertising Is the price. For
anything this bill provides 70 the contrary, .
newspaper at.the capital whhca circulation
Of 100 may do the territorial advertising; or
It 10 not required even to hsvea single bona
fds subscriber. .~..
The rates are also arbitrary, per folio.
Under 1t . tabulated delinquent tax list, set
IN proper form with rule and figure work,
would In many cases not pay for the compo-
sition. Where an officer orders an adver-
tisement In specified form II. should at least
be measured At what 1t would amount TO II
set In solid matter. r.. rs g
Again-h repeats the old printing law and
provides this one shall take effect from Its
passage. five recollect, the Constitution
Of the United States provides that no State
shall make any law impairing the obligations
Of contracts. We believe the printing for the
Territory and, all tho counties then organized
was contracted for two years succeeding the
termination Of The twelfth session. It would
be unwise 90 impair the obligations Of these
CONT scts.
We hare referred 10 the dement's Of the
bill briefly. 1t 10 net In our opinion good
measure either In general or particular, and
We can perhaps speak - disinterestedly re-,
gsrding II . any, publisher in Montana. II
we are to have new law let us have better
one, =