St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-20
JIM BURNS BILLS.
Expert David Ramaley An
alyZes Them in Complete
Detail,
And Figures Out Overeharges
That Are Somewhat Sur
priSing.
Five Thousand Dollars Al
legged to Have Been Un-
justly Collected.
The County Printer Expresses
No Concentration by
Commissioners.

ne DOaru OIL co unlY COMMISSIONERS
as at present constituted, held its last
meeting yesterday, and a memorable,
all-day session it was. OF the large
amount of business considered that of
the gravest character is the recommend
alton to sue James Ii. Burns to recover
overcharges onecounty printing, and di-
recting the county attorney to bring
the matter to the attention of the next
grand jury. This course was unani-
mously agreed upon after hearing the
report of David Ramaley, the expert
printer who was employed to look into
the matter.
The report of the expert created
profound sensation in the board. and
some sharp and indignant expressions
proceeded from one or two members.
After the report was read, Commissioner
Lavallee offered the following resolu
tion, which was adopted by a unani-
nous vote, all the members being pres
ent at the afternoon session.
Resolved, That the county attorney be-
and is hereby instructed and directed to com
mence, without delay legal proceedings
against j. II. Burns ana his bondsmen for
said Burns in his contract with Ramsey
county; and the county attorney is hereby
instructed to bring this matter TO the notice
of the grand jury at It's next session.
BURNS Unabashed.
Mr.. Burns asked leave to express
himself on the report, and. being ac-
corded permission by Mayor Wright,
spoke as follows: II don't object to
this resolution at all. You might make
it even stronger if you wanted to. There
is no occasion for any of the commits
sioners here to get excited. You have
heard only one side. Ii this matter is
taken into court Pll take my chances OH
the rest of it. I'll make a monkey of
your special expert. That's all l have
to say"
In Speaking to GLOBE reporter dur
ing the afternoon, Mr.. Burns said that
he would be in the contest in the courts
and will stick TO the matter to the end.
Mr.. Ramaley was selected at meet
ing of the board last week to 90 over
the bills of Mr.. Burns for the period
covering his contracts for the
county printing and stationery. IL.
ID. Brown and others had asked an IN
yestigation of the work done on the
court calendar. Then Mr. Burns asked
that all of his work be examined. He
stated at the meeting last week that he
regarded the expert printer, Dries. as
incompetent, and suggested that David
Ramaley. the state expert printer, or
some other competent expert, be en-
pIoyed to investigate all OF his bills.
These suggestions were adopted by the
board, and yesterday morning the
full report of Mr.. Ramalev was submit
ted to the board and read at length.
VI. For. In
endar,years 1891 and 1892 separately, and
also makes distinction as to the bill
ordered paid by the board at its meeting
in the early part of the present month.
This bill was for $6S9 and embraced the
months of August, September and Oc-
tober. A large part of this bill was al
lowed, and there was total scaling
down of over $1,000 i'll the bills for the
two years aud fraction, for which the
county attorney is asked to sue.
The Experts Report.
The report of Expert Ramaley is di-
yided into three parts. and each part is
verified by affidavit. The substance of
the report is as follows:
Work done under contract with the
county of Ramsey for one year, from
July Is, 1890: This contract, in brief,
deSignates in general manner the
kinds OF blank books and printing re-
quired for the use of county officials.
and the prices for the work are entered
upon the contract. There is also pro-
vision for all printing that cannot be
classified, and contractors are expected
to conform their bills thereto for all
work not directly mentioned, with a
further implied agreement that for
work done for which there Is no desig
mated price, that the contractor shall re-
ceiye no more than the customary com
mercial rates for the work The figures
proposed by the successful contractor
are of such character that justice to
the county and TO the unsuccessful bid
ders made it important that strict con
structiOn should be placed on the COIL
tract III adjusting claims arising there
under. The bid for fiat cap and deny
books, half-bound, without printing,
was one cent per qulre, and half-bOund
medium books were contracted at 80
cents per quire. Full-bound end
and band books Of fiat cap were
bid at five cents quire; deny books at
one cent, and medium books AT 20 cents.
In books with printed headings, half
bound books of all sizes were bid at one
ce mt per quire, and fnll-bound books
were bid at five cents for cap and deny,
and 81 per quire for medium books. In
books of full page printed all sizes were
bid at one cent per qulre for half bind
ing, and for full-bound books the prices
for each class were bid at 81 per quire.
All these prices were for completed
books. The price of the court ealen-
dars was definitely bid at 70 cents per
page printed, fer compositiOn.and press
work for 400 copies or less. The price
of ruling was bid at % cents per 100
sheets for each time through the ruling
machine. Paper was to be 24-pOund
folio at IL cents per pound, and binding
was to be 81 per hundred, except fifteen
leather-coyered books were TO be 30
cents for each book. Many other mat
tiers were directly bid upon, but are
not in question to any extent in this in
vestigatiOn.
The prices for all other printing that
could not be classified were. for compost
tion, per 1000 ems, 80 cents; for press
work, per 1000 impressions or less, Is
cents; for fiat paper, two cents per
pound; for rag print, one cent per
pound; for S. & s. G. book, six cents;
ruling, 80 cents per LOCO sheets; num-
bering. 80 cents per 1000; perforating,
35 cents per l,000.
overcharge
The first bill rendered under this con-
tract was for S94i. So
10000 blanks for the abstract clerk,
printed and ruled two ways and
numbered, are billed at 5lj6.3). and
= come under work not classified -, S65 30
Court calendar for October, 1890:
amount of bill allowed, S3Dl. d.. 1865 97
All other items are substantially as per
contract
The next bill allowed. Nov 3, 1890,
was IOF SOoS Oh -