St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-10-03
STEVENS ON ASpIT
PRINTING COMMISSION ASH
THEIR EXPERT ABOUT
THOSE BILLS.
THAT "RUSH WORK" STORY
BERG MUST TURN OVER ALI
VOUCHERS TO AUDITOR
DUNN.
GEN. cHrLDs SAYS IT'S LAW
Several Bills VIII Be Investigated
Before Warrants Are Drawn
for Them.

A very important meeting Of tne
state printing commission was held
at the capitol yesterday afternoons
at which several applications for the
position of state expert printer were
received. 1t had previously been
announced that a meeting of the
commission would take place lust
as soon as Secretary Berg was
around and able to attend to busi-
ness and few people had evidently
made up their minds that owing
to the facts that have recently been
made public by the Glob b in re-
gard to the methods of conducting
this branch of the states work
a change would very soon be made.
The question of printing the re-
ports of the state treasurer was dis
cussed, the commission being at pres
ent, as has frequently been stated,
very short of funds for this or any
other purpose. Secretary Berg stat
ed that he had made arrangements
with the papers for the publication
OF the report, and he thought that
a satisfactory arrangement could be
made for the publication in pamphlet
form. With this understanding the
commission ordered the report to ba
printed.
Next in Importance was the con-
sideration by the commission of State
Auditor Dunn's application to Sec
retary Berg for itemized accounts
fQ
cost of printing. The state auditor
has refused to audit certain print
ing bllls incurred by the state CEN
sus bureau on the ground that thew
are exorbitant. Secretary Berg ap-
piled to Attorney General Childs for
his opinion on the matter The opin-
ION was received yesterday and read
at the meeting of the commission. 1t
provides that such evidence of print
ing bills shall be filed with the sta te
auditor for his reference in auditing
claims and accordingly Secretary
Berg was Instructed by the commits.
sion to require all printing firms do
ing state work to make out duplicate
DIS, one to be filed with the state
auditors voucher and one to be kent
OF record in the secretary of states
Office.
In his opinion furnished the secre-
tary of state Attorney General ChiIds
cites the provisions of the law. which
provides: 'All accounts and claims
against the state, which are by law di-
rected to be paid out Of the treasury.
OF the state, shall be presented to the
auditor, who shall examine and adjust
the same, and issue warrants. payabie
at the state treasury It also pro-
V1deS that: "All accounts filed for
printing, binding and stationery shall
be carefully entered of record by the
printing expert, and II any errors are
found in such accounts the printing
expert shall make the necessary cor.
rect1ons before entering the same.
When the account is adjusted he shall
certlIy the same to the secretary of
state, VINO, on receipt thereof shall
give his order for the amount due
upon the state auditor, designating the
fund from which the same shall be
paid. And only upon presentation of
this order, with the voucher attached
the state auditor shall draw his wars
rant upon the state treasurer for the
amount thereof
In view of the foregoing provisions
Attorney General Childrs says: 81 am
OF the opinion that all claims and ac-
counts which are in the nature of
vouchers, should be kept in the office
OF the state auditor. l see no escape
from this view when regard is had to
the statutory requirement that the
warrant OF the state auditor is to bel
drawn only upon presentation of thisi
order with voucher attached - Thus
the state auditor will have an oppor-
tunlty to scrutiniZe all bills for print
ing, and, as he has been in the printing
business about fifteen years, and is
said to know an exhorbitant bill when
he sees it, it is thought leak in the
treasury will soon be plugged up.
(which is the result of the G lobe's
expose" remarked a gentleman at the
capitol after he had heard the out
come.
In extenuation of the Increased cost
OF the census printing State Printing
Expert Stevens informed the commits
sion that a majority of it was ''rush
work, which the regular contractors
were unable to get out and consequent
ly he had to take it to other firms.
Therefore the cost was Increased,
Whether this explanation satisfied the
SoAHiniSSioH VI not ulu not appear, Duc
1t is understood that Auditor Dunn
will carefully investigate all the CEN
sus printing bills before drawing war;
rants for their paymenut, as he is not
going to see the state pay more than
1t ought to for its printing and sta
tionery.
Expert Printer Stevens was asked if
he had prepared an itemized account
of the amounts due the various Stata
printing contractors from the fund of
1897 and replied that one of the firms
had not filed it's account but would do
so soon. With the understanding that
he would have the report ready for tho
November meeting of the commission
an adjournment was taken until thens