New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-15
HILLS PECULIAR REFORM.
FAyoRING wAsrEFUL EXPENDITURES.
MEASURE TO REFORM METHODS OF STATE
PRINTING KILLED FOR PERSONAL REASONS.


PRINTING KILLED FOR PERSONAL REASONS.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUSEl
ALBANY, Oct. IA lavish expenditure OF
money for 9printing" and advertising" was one
of the ways IN which Tweed sought to strengthen
the Ring power In the years 1s7O'7l, when
Daniel Manning was looking after the interests OF
The Argus. nearly 100000 was paid to The argus
Company alone for printing and advertising. In
the session of 1871 it was regular thing TO order
printing and advertising, almost without limit, to
benefit Tweed's supporters, and for all of that
sha meful waste of money David ID. Hill voted.
That NAV, perhaps. account in Part for Mr. Man
nings desire TO see him elected Governor The Ring
wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in similar
way in New-YOrk. A bill was passed in 1871
authorizing Tweed and Connolly to expend such
sums as they might see fit. in whatever way they
might please for advertising but explicitly stating
that newspaper should be entitled to charge Tor
publishing the proceedings of the Common Council
or for anything else unless authorized TO do so by
Tweed. For that bill Mr. Hill voted Nearly all OF
these old printing claims, some of which Hill has
already legalized since lie became Governor grow
out of that law. There are Others Of these stale
claims for large sums pending in New-York which
have just as much basis the Hill has legal
lied against the protests of the city authorities.
These claims have been rejected by the courts. The
city authorities, following the lead of Andrew IL.
Green have for many years refused to pay them.
BY the last report of tie State Treasurer it ap-
pears that the printing of the State cost 7996s for
the fiscal year, which is only about one-third the
sum paid in one year under Tweed to The argus
alone If the State should establish printing
Office of its own, as proposed by Mr. Ilill it would
have to pay out at least 900 in the purchase of
material to begin operations with. and no person
with any.exUerience in the management OF PRINT
ing Office will doubt for moment that IN the pay
ment of salaries and other expenses the State would
expend many times more than it does now for
printing The same influences that demand such an
establishment would then demand that all sorts of
work should be ordered to give employment to the
men with votes, and the State would tind tself
carrying business IN the same costly manner that
has been done in the construction of the New Cap
JtOl At is not likely that it would require for long
time anything the So. go. 600 that is expended
for the Government printing at Washington. but
experienced business then believe that this proposed
system would lead to yearly OUTLAY for printing
as great as that under Tweed But Mr.. Hill APP
proved that outlay, rs he has now publicly
approved this scheme for the establishment of
State printing Office. Because il would add largely
TO the State taxes and thus ont of the pockets
of the poorest workmen the Legislature last winter
rejected this absurd proposal. 1t was conceded,
however that even under the present comparatively
small appropriation for State printing large sum
is wasted while the slow manner in which the
work is done often makes it entirely valueleSs.
State institutions. officers ard boards which are
required to make annual reports often delay them
so that the reports do not reach the Legislature IN
time to be of any value for the purposes of egsla-
ton. Appropriations have to be made frequently
Oh gnesswork. without Trustworthy data. Officers
of institutions, in many cases have their reports
of .ba af fnrt no nAfi
ton. But they print only few copies. and the
legislature has to have the work done over again.
causing unnecessary expense to the State. What
is orse the journals and bills of both houses are
often not printed for several days aud thus bills
are slipped through and gross errors committed
which could not be done If the members had the
printed bills and proceedings before them. The
State officers aud institutions get good deal CT work
done regardless of the State contracts thus avorng
political supporters at the of the taxpayers
For economical reasons, and to give all the print
ing houses of the State opportunity to bid on
these contracts and particularly in the interest of
clean legislation tho Legislature last winter passed
q comprehensive bill on this subject 1t was intro
duced by General Curtis and was carefully consid-
cred BY the committee 1t received the approval OF
the proprietors Of a number of the most extensive
printing establishments III the State-Doth Demo
Gratis and Republicans. The bill required public
notice to be given each alternate year, at speclhed
time, Ill two newspapers OF ulHerent pOIlIlcs pup
Jshed in Albany, NewYork, Syracuse, Rochester
and Buffalo, that sealed proposals would lie received
for the whole any part of the State printing aud
gave the State authorities the power to contract on
the most advantageous terms for such printing
for two wears. The bill specified in detail how the
blanks for the proposals should be made out, with
all particulars possible and required satisfactory
guarantee to be given IN each case. 10 save the
State waste of money IN printing unnecessary
comics of reports il specified lust how many should
be printed in each case and to pat stop to another
legislative abuse familiar in Tweeds day, tine bill
provided as follows:
printed under any concu rent resolution unless said
resolution directing the furnishing or such extra or adi
shall state the aetua number to be printed, the public
oniccrs. Institutions and persons to whom the same
shall be distributed.
The most excellent provisions of the bill required
annual reports for the fiscal year which ends Sep
TENDER 80 ready to be printed and transmitted to
the Legislature or before January o in each
wear This wOuld make them of some value to the
Legislature and would save the printing of many
of them the second time. Another provision re-
dured the legislative bills and journals TO be
printed and distributed within forty-eight hours
from the time the manuscript Is given to the
printers
No more important reform measure bias been
passed by the Legislature for years. 1t would have
ended completely any State printing rings, and
would have saved the State a largo sum annually
besides being of great benefit in the way OF clean
legislation Little or no opposition was made to
the bill except on the part OF certain printers OF
this city among " HON the proprietor OF Inc ITgnS
is SAID to have been conspicuous. General Curtis
appeared before the Governor and presented the
weghty reasons why the bill Should bo signed.
But while he did not veto it for lack OF reasons,
probably he refused TO sign 1t, and 1t failed to be-
come q law.
CHEERING REPORTS FROM THE STATE.
The Republican State Committees reports