St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-09-24

cure copies of the bills from the
office of the secretary of state, it was
hardly to be expected that samples
of the work for which the amounts
were allowed would be given up by
Secretary Berg. Nevertheless, a
G o b reporter was detailed to see
the secretary personally and en-
deavor to secure a sample of each
job.
Mr.. Berg absolutely refused to al
low the reporter to see or take away
samples of the jobs, and, outside of
the offices where they were printed,
there is no other place to secure
such samples.
The secretary readily assented to
a request for a few minutes conver-
Sation; but as soon as the reporter 8
errand was made known he did not
sentiments.
mo, SIR" said Mr.. Berg, you
cannot get the samples, nor can any
other newspaper. If 1 undertook to
explain to the newspapers every bill
that comes into this office I would
cial purpose. Explanations of those
bills, and of all bills for state print
ing, will be made in my annual re-
port. / desire to have some mat
ter in that report which the news
papers have not already made pub
lic
eff you want explanations of these
things, why don't you go to the state
auditor, who appears to be devoting
a good deal of attention to the af-
fairs of my Office continued Mr..
Berg. IF other people think they
know better than 1 do how this Of
flee should be run, why let them go
ahead and do as they please. But
1 have no explanations to offer on
any bill to any newspaper. 1 shall
prepare my report for the legislature
as 1 am bound to do, and will abide
the consequences of my conduct of
this Office
AT several points the secretary
emphasized his remarks in language
more forcible than elegant; but
through it all he preserved a smil-
ing countenance.
Asked as to the allegation that
the regular state printing appropria-
ton had been invaded to pay bills
for census printing, Mr.. Berg said
that had not been done, and read
to the reporter section 16 of the act
authorizing the taking Of the GEN.
sus, as follows:
Sec. 16 The expert printer shall.
under the supervision of the superin-
tendent of the census and his chiefs,
attend to the printing of all necessary
census blanks and all printing needed
in conducting the taking of the census,
and also that of the publication of the
said census reports in book form, all
of which printing shall be done as now
provided by law. The expert printer
shall keep a separate account of all
printing. done under the provisions of
this act, which record shall show the
dates of order issued and the kind of
form and number of the same printed
and shall have printed thereon marks
indicating the date the same were
printed, or ordered printed, and the
number printed, being a duplicate in
part of the record entered in his print
ing account book. He shall issue nc
oIue1 III any census printing until
same are countersigned and approved
by the superintendent of census, or au>
thorized assistant. All bills for census
printing shall be paid in the same man,
ner as regular state printing bills are
now paid, but out of the funds ap-
propriated for census work.
Under the second provision of this
section, 1t will be noted, "the ex-
pert printer shall keep a separate
account of all printing done, :
which rsGord shall show the dates OF
orders issued and the kind of form