New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-05

The expenses OF the Legislature increased from
s5357s in 1875 to s229 in 1898 In 1924 the expense
again fell off to sloS7sl. 1t Is difficult to see why
these expenses should thus increase The number
OF members of the Legislature has not changed
since, 1874 The volume of laws now passed IS much
smaller than II was twenty years ago, ana mere
seems to be no chanse requiring ,nateraay I'm
chiefly from the multiplying Of Offices 10 attend upon
the Leeslature and from The r.cN;tss extravaganza
We recommend the passase OF law Preserioihg
rea for each, and we report herewith Dill Tor 'ia
purpose
PRONUNCIATION OF THE LAWS.
The State publishes the laws by a twofold meth
cd; first. by printing 5000 copies in book form. at a
cost Of about $1,000 annually: and second. by pub
fishing them in ninety newspapers dorty-five Demo-
cratic and forty-flve Republican,, at cost which
this year will be probably $4,000 The cost Is
unusually large this year owing to the larger vol
ume of laws. The average cost for the last five
A majority OF the newspapers do not set up and
prin, the laws as they do other advertisements.
the State. The laws set up at Somervlle and
in New York and elsewhere. and large editions are
struck off in supplement form which are sold 10
| newspapers for small price For example, THIS
year each newspeper is PAD by the Si"te >y dor
ton. The publisher of the paper pGys Tor about
OF copies folds them into his regular edition and cir
cuaies them Then upon an !, a gc n ah ne nns
In of the cities and towns one newspaper sets
the type for its own use and lends ii to its neigh
bors, who share the expense. one setting of type
thus serving for three or four papers. In OF
the largest cities the newspapers set their own type
Most OF the States make no publication of the laws
in newspapers. and those few which have adopted
the practice have so limited II that the cost IS
moderate They publish only the general laws. or
II they print law Of local application they publish
In New-Jersey practically all laws published
the reckless waste ot our system the following
figures will show approximately The relative total
cost Of promulGans the laws in different states IN
Maine .............. s2aco Virginia So 200
New Hampshire 5so u sso"ri ............ 100 90,
Massachusetts 300 Michisan ~ In,
Notwithstanding the great cost. our laws are not
promptly published. II having often happened that
or August. although the Legislature had Adjourned
in April. This delay Is wholly unnecessary y j.
entirely feasible to print the laws In pamphlet form
daily as they passed rs the minutes OF Assem-
bly, printed
the secretary OF state shall fast as the acts are
filed in his Office. forthwith supply copies thereof
day TO day that all laws passed ~ one Wees may
be laid before the legislature by Monday night Of
the following week inc printer 10 print 23.W copies
and deliver the State in stitched sheets. al east
49, copies thcSo, IRON ga, nay 10 mon or nr,
TO the Legislature and STATE officers secondly. TO
all county clerks and city clerks in sufficient mum
copies also be delivered TO all persons who apply
Of the laws not so required to be retained by nc
printer in sheets and the close Of the session y
the LEGISLATURE bound up IN volumes and delivered
TO all the county clerks and city clerks for disthn
ton and also to be sent TO all persons who Apply
for the
PRINTING PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, BLANKS
ETC.
The act OF 1888 required this work 20 bc given out
bv contrac, after competitive bidding and made II
the duty OF each officer to furnish LIST Of his re-
ourements for the year. with samples. 1t is. OF
course. impossible anticipate all the requirements
of the certificates are therefore legitimate
but In other large and valuable orders Tor
blanks required by law 10 be annually provided
and therefore necessarily anticipate. nave De.h
habitually omitted from the acquisitions ana after
ward given out TO favored persons at prices two or
three times as great as the contract prces-to per
sons. moreover. who have purposey refrained from
their friends the State officers t. give them
the really valuable parts Of The printing al hish
sion TO defraud the State.
In the German printing. downright conspiracy 20
bidder for 1893 paid one rival goo 10 bid hirh. -
sbe ges dd dor S VINO hn a E ri
EMS to withdraw his BID, paying MIN 'p' IN 'ish
cents The Controller was greatly a, fault in this
matter He not only released the lowest bidder
IGm m be se fnq bot ao told Io him n he
could print the factory report either. on winch
he also had bid IS cents. and which he was willing 10
print. The result was that the rival got bo.h al %
cents and forthwith turned the factory report back
AT % cents to the who had offered TO do II al
45 and who proceeded TO print 1t. putting on the
name Of ne publisher who n.a DIinel ANN re cr
ty The terms of the specifications called for
sp,racy TO succeed the Controller was either in COLI
fusion with the conspirators. or was excessively SUI
suit was loss OF several thousand dollars to the
State. Fortunately, part Of The price FOR PRINTING
paid We recommend thai the Controller be directed
not to pay 1t until after an adjustment Of the ac-
little as possible by these frauds.
The translation Of documents into Foreign IAN
Ia hay I,s "A
to person who then farmed II out at " very
'' The e's State to has has at INHERENT times printed It's
and documents In German. Italian Dutcn ana pos
rnon,s appe~lr 10 be entirely unbroken. not copy
being called for The object Of this printing in for
tsn neWsgaper 70 printed in the foreign @nguag
doubtless with the hope OF commanding that news
We believe this State printing in foreign languages
should be entirely abolished Am,rlc.n c,,.zchs
where the immigrant is required TO reside I'VE year
hef1re becoming &c, ses aGI ead Enssh and we phnR
as a matter OF fact practically an these natrranzei
citizens who can read their mother tongue DO learn
Moreover. the total cost OF printing is inorlna,ey
German the report Of the Board Of Education for
1898 viii be from $1,000 to $4,000. The amount paid
in 1894 for printing documents and charged 10 print
ing was $50 osl o. This is not all for much print
Ing was charged TO other accounts To many OF the
renorts are Appended copies OF the laws OF N"wJcr
sey decisions OF courts. tables. schedules news
paper clippings letters ana Other matters OF great
after wear is unwarraD table a simple reference to
the books wherein thry arc TO be found would be
sufficient AS the other matter much OF II has
no permanent or even present value. This mass OF
chan should be w1nnowed that the kernels In II
may be found and preserved, and the waste OF
We recommend the passage OF a bill constituting
the Governor Controller and Treasurer a printing
board. to determine what shall be printed and 10
exclude the rest.
COMPENSATION OF COURT CLERKS
The Clerk in Chancery and Clerk OF the Supreme
Court are required by the act Of 1879 to make sworn
quarterly returns Of the gross fees and compensation
received for their use. The Clerk OF the Su-
nreme Court has made returns of every quarter for
sixteen years but none of them are correct. lie
has returned the end Of each quarter the amount
collected in that quarter which was earned IN that
quarter excluding collections account OF pre-
vous quarters. Such a statement is OF no value ana
Is not a compliance with the law. Those returns
show his fees 10 be for 1892 50 l05 55 for ls1. ~,
ss5 90: for 1885, t9Ci9 S. In fact his fees actually
collected were according to his testimony. Tor ls2
90 20. for Coz, for The eXponseS