Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-08
About THE UNSATISFACTORY
CONDITION OF THE COM
PILED LAWS.

transaction 10 the DduGr OF any per
son or firm, there were considera
tons more weighty than mere sur
face chespness, which IS often the
most expensive process in the end.
As an illustration in point, the re-
port Of the legislative COMMITTEES
appointed under the statute on the
subject, passed and approved in
lsSS, 10 compile and distribute the
laws Of Utah, was cited. The re-
port made by the committee
TO the Assembly asserted that
the contract for printing the
laws YVES 50 imDerfectly exc
Gated that the urgent necessity for
the compilation was the only con-
sideraiion that prevented the rejec-
tion ef the work. Mr.. Herbert
Pembroke, the gentleman who was
awarded the contract for the print
ing-beeause ofhts Did being largely
below aay other-has handed in, for
publication, the following COM
munication:
SALT LAKE, March @, 1890.
Editor Desert NelrS:
Inyour article Of Thursday, where
in you endeayor TO prove it bad policy
70 award a contract to the lowest bid
der, you do me injustice, and I beg of
You space for an explanation.
At That Lime there was Printing
House Association" comprising the
prominent printing Offices Of Salt
Lake, and This association adop:ed n
scale of prices. was not a member
OF tins combination, and was bound bv
no scale, but put in my bid, based on
independent calculations. 1 was sat
istied with the result.
The tendency OF your article is to
convey the impression that 1 nm an
incompetent printer. You know that
such is not fact, and SO do all the
printers Of this city.
Nua must admit that the printing q,
the Compiled Laws was an oxeeIieBt
job.
NY contract was for printing and
binding the Laws Of 1855, and il was
fulfilled to the letter.
I now wish 70 defend nvseIf ,,-,;,.,
the report Of the committee on comm.
laiion. The copy for the books was
not arranged in a complete and intel. |
hgible manner; not one single section
number was inserted in the whole
batch Of coPyi these figures were in.
serted By me at the expense of a great
many hours. The total cost of tina,
work was nearly 500. The commune |
would not pay ne for this labor. A
proof Of this matter, and n nroog ~ |
every page after its make up, was fur-
nished by me. II laws were omit,a5 l
aud errors were left indicated tho,
was nos my fault my contract being
Tor printing land binding the laws
And theeommiItee ought not to bIama
me for #.
\ great amount OF small type com
position was necessary when on.
could not estimate upon. for it was
10; written { the time. For ips,,n.o
the old volume Of laws oon,aina5
about 70 pages Of index matter. tho
new books contained about 100 psges
oi index, more copious side notes "a
larger small type headings. the sn,iro
extra cost OF which was abo,, So
1his the committee also refused 70
pay and now charge the members
oil that committee with uufairp.s. :,
arbitrarily Withholding i, from mo
IAs committee in no instance ken, its
contract with me, and you can iudro
Of is general incompetency when 7
tell you that the chairman Of {, c,r,.
10 me last week 10 re. the 6cpras /
upon which 10 prepare his report OF
some ofihs expenditures.
Yours, etc.
Il. PEMBROKE.
Referring to the impression nj
legged to have been conveyed l.,
our article that Mr.. Pembroke Is an ,
incompetent craftsman, such a cor. {
slruction Is strained. The unsat's- c
factory condition OF the CompileJ I
Laws was stated to DO the result Of q
bis being forced, owing to the low 4
ness Of his bid, to take one Of two a
horns of Giiemma-..suff.r loss nv :,
slignt the work entrusted to him ;, a
DE Is not poor workman, conse-
Iuentiy the shape in witch he
compiled Laws appear does him in Il
n>dce in that respect. "
Mr.. Pembroke states that he IL n
lot responsible for the situation u
md assails the legislative commit. o,
&c, who, however, are probably til
ole 10 take care OF Themselves So
n this respect he makes 4 veyv tn
amagims admission-that lie sec. IN
ons Of the laws were not numbered / co
I the copy, and that the number in
ere inserted by him. He does mt Of
'em to understand that The section Or
lm5eHs are very important fea- fol
Ire Of law, and errors in thatline tn,
e liable to destroy its meaning pa
feet and force, especially where to
lie section refers 10 another. He pr
.mits, therefore, that he has been wi
liity OF legisiating without an. ina
ority-a serious ofTense-altbourb son
'uotiess without any Intentional 7
"a Of committing a wrong. me
The rule-in the absence Of an Ut
press understanding 10 the con- bee
-ry-is that the Contracting pub- the
her shailread the proof and cor fact
I ali literal errors. The errata in ing
: Compiled Laws appear to be exc
gely OF that character.
The charge Of general inoom.
.ency laid against the committee
Mr.. Pembroke Is exceedingly Z
seping, and for that reason seri- Pro
especially when it is directed eph
men OF such known and acIDovI- ing,
ed ability as S. r. Thurman. q nun
richards, L. D. Hoge, L. r.. In
tie j. E. Carlisle, w. C. Hail.. gem
Sutherland and J. T. Ham. prop
nd. old
he application of the chairman In
ne printer for information TO en- clear
; hin to make up his report does aus Gus
,inco,1,.tana-- Any ihdl- Pari:
ay simply have been the result how
are to ensure correctness, which Russ
lways eonn,end.tla ,--.-.-,,- :.