The Portland daily press., 1895-02-15
Usual Result Of Bids for State
Printing. Is
TIE STATE COLLEGE APPROPRI-
ATIONs is DECIDED UPON.
General Business in the State Senate and
House-A Bill to Raise the Age of
Consent-A Blow at Policy Writers.
lspeolaI to the PRESs0


Especial to the PRESS.)
Augusta February 1.-THE committee on
state printing met this morning and decld-
ed to report in favor of awarding the con-
tract for the printing to Messrs. Burleieh
and FLINT, and for the binding to Messrs.
Smith and Reid of Augusta. There will be
10 minority report, but il is probable that
the contract will be drawn in new form,
and it is known that members of the conf
nittee took the ground that the present
system of advertising for bids from all
parts of the stare is unfair if the advantage
of having the work done in Augusta out
weighs as it has always done, any differ
ence in price in favor of bidders from other
cities There were three sets of bids pre-
scented. those of Burleigh and Flynt for the
printing and Smith and Reid for the bind
ing, the present contractors, and OF the
Thurston Print and Lakeside Press of Port
land, which bid on both printing and bind
ing. The figures of the Thurston Print were
almost five per cent under hose OF the pres
emit contrac tors, while the Lakeside Press
offered to do the work at q price 10 per
cent less on the printing and D per cent
less on the binding. so the contest narrowed
itself down 10 he Lakeside Press and the
Augusta bidders. Members of the commit
see carefully figured out the saving to the
state in dollars and cents should 1.-The work
be- done BY the Lakeside Press. and their
conclusions, it is stated by member, were
substantially the sains IS an estimate MADE
by Burleigh and Flyrt. The annua apr O.
priation for the printing is S3O,000, and Tor
the binding 900. making $4,000 for the
two years. In addition $4,000 is paid for the
printing of the Austa1 liam ballots, the bal
ance of the appropriation for the ballots,
which is SIS, 500. going to-pay the expenses
of the secretary of states office Tor clerk
hire expressage, etc. By the contract the
printers are required to furnish to the
state the paper and other stooh used in the
work at cost. As near as could be estimat-
ed the COS. of the stock is 40 per cent OF the
cost of the work, SO that the state print
ers, for :heir labor, receive In the two
years, $780, 600, less 40 per cent or S36.0OD, and
on the Australian ballot work, $4,000 less
40 per cent or $2400. According to these
figures then. the Lakeside Press underbId
on the printing Messrs. BuIleigh and hlynt
an amount equal to IL per cent or S3o, 400 or
$500 Five per cent of $4,000. the amount
paid for binding represents 1.-The saving en-
that part of the work. Sl2u0. Adding this
to the So, 7e0 on the printing we have total
saving of Sc, 1850, by the figures of the Lake
side Press bid.
When members of the committee attempt
ed TO get at the exact amount paid for the
stockthey found it impossible TO do SO from
any .-gures on file in the State House. All
bills for the printing ara audited by Mr..
Stephen Berry of Portland. to when mem
orandaln are sent, giving the cost of the
stock and the price for the labor in each
piece of work, SO that Mr.. Berry. when he
approves the bills for the different jobs
knows the cost of the material entering into
them and passes judgment upon it. but the
bills. paid by thesstafe do not show this.
.sand there is consequently no means OF de-
termiaing from the records just the propo1
ton of the cost of the stock to the price
paid for the work. This the committee say
is simply due to poor system of keeping
the accounts which the state has followed
for many years and is in no way refiec-
ton upnn.the contractors. In the contract
new being drawn by a subcommittee to be
submitted to the legislature it will oe spec1-
fed that tie cost of the stock shall be so re-
corded as o be easily ascertained upon con-
sultation of the records. A member of the
committee also stated that examinations
of the printing contracts of other states
showed that, in comparison with them.
Maine is not paying an exorbitant price.
THE STATE COLLEGE GETS. THERE.
That resolve appropriating $4,000 annual
II for ten years for the State college. was
called up by Senator Spoford, today, who
made vigorous speech in opposition to it,
MI. Spoffords remarks were received with
marked attention. He objected to that fea-
ture of the resolve which established an