The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-03
DEMOCRATIC is CHEAPEST
AN INCREASE OF NEARLY $4,000
FOR TWO YEARS.
ewART SICK OF THE BARGAIN
Eayors Going Back TO the Old Plan of
Electing Public Printer--Offi-
cial Figures From the
Auditor.

bidder. According to the prices for work
submitted hy the successful competitor,
and upon which the printing for the two
years and more WAS let by the Legisla-
ture, it was claimed by the advocates of
the new method that a material saving to
the State would result. Such, however,
has not been the result A comparison of
the cost of the printing for twenty
months under the old method-from
April /, 1898, to December /, 1S94-with
the twenty months-frorn April /, 1895,
to December i, 1S96-under the new
method. shows a saving to the State IN
favor of the old method of ST,446.41--
So, TS1. 80 for printing and S3,664.4S for
paper.
These figures were printed in this pa
per sometime before the Legislature met
and ait once raised a great howl ON the
part of the Republicans. They began at
once to get together figures which they
claimed as official and juggled with them
in a vain attempt to show that the News
and Observers statement was mot correct.
Judge Ewart especially, who, perhaps,
more than amy other one man rs RESPONSE
BILE for the present law in regard to the
public printing, maife calculations and
gave out interviews to the effect THAT the
State printing awarded by the fusion
Legislature, cost no more than under the
Democratic regime He claimed THAT his
figures were official and authentic and
THAT the News and Observers statement
was without foundation.
In view of this conflict, I'M a matter
concerning which the truth could easily
be ascertained, the following better was
sent to the State Auditor:
Raleigh, n. c., Dec. %, 1896.
Hon r. NJ. Furmam, Auditor of State,
Raleigh, n. G.
Dear Sir: AS there are conflicting state
memts as to the cost of the Public Print
ing under the present LOWEST BID
CONTRACT as compared with the work
under the Code prices, will you please
inform the public what the printing cost
from April LIST, 1898, to December list,
1894. under the old contract as compared
with the work done from April i,
1895, TO December /, 1896, I'M
der the present contract, both periods
named, leach a period of twenty months,)
covering similar conditions of the work
and including the heavy work following
sessions of the Legislature. The fiscal year
closes ON November Both, but ask you
to include i'm your answer the first day of
December because / ann informed that
the present public printers did not render
their bills, as they should have done, for
the month of November, but put them in
for nearly three Thousand dollars on the
first day of December, which was the
first day of the new fiscal year.
will also thank you to state the cost OF
paper for doing the work during each of
the above periods, the State furnishing all
the paper for doing the public printing
upon THE requisition of the contractor,
the cost of which is not charged up to
the public printing account, but comes
under the head of contingencies.
Respectfully yours,
NEWS AND OBSERVER PUB. co
Per FRIED. l.. MERRITT.
The reply to the above follows. 1t
sets forth, from an official source, the fig
ures in dispute and fully sustains the
News and Observer in its statement that
the public printing under the MessrsA
Stewart, of Winston, cost nearly $4,000
more than under Mr.. Josephus Daniels,
the Democratic public printer:
Raleigh, n, c., Dec. 81, 1896.
Fred T.. Merritt, Esq:
News and Observer:
Dear Sir:-Your favor asking for
q statement Of the cost Of the public
printing for the periods April LIST,
1893. to December 1st, 1894, and
April LIST, 1895, to December list,
1896. respectively, received. / re-
turn the following:
Cost of the printing from
April, i, 1893, to Deem
Der j, 1894. S2o, Sb2.tb
Cost of paper same period. 9,0970S
Cost of the printing from
April /, 1895, to Decem-
Der /. 1896. .. 80, 1885
Cost of paper same period. 13,S10.4l
The printing for the Railroad Com
mission, the Agricultural Department,
and other institutions which pay for
printing out of funds belonging TO
them, in not included in the above.
There should be added to the item,
Cost of printing from April j, 1899,
to December /, 1896 the sum of
81, 464 .O8, this being the amount OF
account rendered on December 3, bnt
for printing done during the fiscal
year ending November 80, 1896
This would make total under
that item Of $50, 93343 chargeable
10 the printing account for the period
named Very respectfully,
ROBT. NJ. FURMAN, Auditor
Note.-The cost Of print
ing for the four months
from December / 1894, to
April l. 1895, remainder Of
period under Mr.. Josephus
Daniels, was ... IS 7,11934
Cost of paper same period 1,0S8S5
This added to the cost for
the period April ], 1893. to
December l. 1894 would
make for printing 49,, 32,9S140
For paper .............. 10,1S593
This covers a period of twenty four
months. Deduct this from the TWEEN
" months from April 1, 1895. to De-
cember i 1896 we have s., 7S1. 93
more for printing and SO ,6644S for
for paper for the twenty months
under lowest bid contract than for
the twenty-four months under for
mer contract
In addition to this, much of the work,
which has heretofore been done by home