The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-23
The Stewards Get $4,000
Worth of Relief.
ON THE PUBLIC PRINTING
THER LOWEST BIDDER BUSINESS
A FRAUD.
SOME GRAVE CHARGES MADE

Need Expianation--SI,7Oo For
Public Documents That
Cost $500.
II s>s want to realize perhaps more
stronsly than ever before what Repub-
.lican rule Is costing the State OF Nortn
CaroIina Just consider the difference IN
the amount paid for the public printing
now ae compared with what it cost I'M
der Democratic rule.
THN PUBLIC PRINTING AND
PAPER FOR THE PAST TWO
YEARS Cs5-90 HAS COST THE
STATE OVER TWENTY THOUSAND
DOLLARS MORE THAN IT DID
THE two YEARS PREVIOUS
S93-951
This II not a mere guess, it is proven
by figures; those figures are in the Aud
itor's office; they are taken from the bills
presented by the public printer and paid
by the taxes In the State Treasury.
An inspection Of the books in the And
itor's office by a News and observer
reporter shows that the cost OF printing,
exclusive OF paper, for the years 9i-35
was 4,439 in round numbers under
Code prices. For he years 1885, un-
der Code prices, less is per cent, the
printing, exclusive of paper, cost $3O,6''5'
The lowest bidder contract business,
inaugurated by the Republicans, began In
March. 1895, and from then until April
/, the amount paid direct to the public
printers for printing alone, exclusive OF
paper, has been $43,532.
This $43,b32 already paid, exclusive of
paper, does net include the laws of the
last LEGISLATURE, the House and Senate
Journals and other printing done from
April TO July i, when the contract OF the
Stewards expire. This will make the bill
for printing alone go mp to between $780,
900 and 100000
Now ka ms include the paper, as it
should properly be, in counting up the
cost On the basis of the bills already
presented and paid, to say nothing OF
those yet to come, the following is the
remarkable showing they make:
Approximate cost, in round numbers,
including paper, for the years 1891 to
1893, Josephss Daniels, public printer,
$42, 600
Approximate cost, in round numbers,
including paper, for the years 1893 to
1895, Josephus Daniels. public printer.
$4,000
Approximate cost. in round numbers,
including paper, for the years 1895 to
1897, EtewaBt Bros. public printers,
$50, $50
The Absve estimate does not include
the $1,000 Or $1,000 worth of paper now
on hand In the Stewards warehouse. 1t
will be remembered that paper can be
bought emily by q reuuisition on the Sec
rotary Of State for what is needed and
tins IL much more paper than the public
printer, Under this system, ought ever to
have on hand
The paper purchased by the Stewards
in hess than two years, ostenslbly fol
State printing, cost, am told, within
5000 Of that used by Mr.. Daniels for
the feur years he was public printer
There = . cry OF oyer-charge from al
most every department.. Time and again
the examiner for the State has refused
TO ratify Htewart'e bills. Even now there
is an unsettled dispute over an exorbi-
tans bin for the printing of North Caro-
lima and it, Resources" the book recently
published ~ ths Agricultural Depart
menA
For DKntiHs che pension blanks Stew
art charged 81 200, In round numbers, al
against $3.50 charged by the former
printers. The frst year Stewart man.
aged = ret His bill allowed through a
sorS Of misunderstanding. The next
year he was made to cut 1t down 5000.
The ORIGINAL contract, on file in the
Secretary Of State, says, am told, that
A. - tod On ma
Plea ems Ions This II done In the laws
of 1896 lor the first 112 pages, which
were printed vnder the old contract; the
balance u snly A ems. And the strange
part Of It h that the PRINTED contract
tprinted frsm letter press copies OF the
original On Ale in the office OF the Score
tary 81 DtAte) calls Tor only AZ Plea ems
Again n ne contract il Is agreed t.
make asmtsized blank books for $3.50
During the campaign, 100 election books
of this denomination were made and or
December 4, 1896, Stewart Bros. collected
81 each fer them from the State
amounting to N overcharge OF $5OS. /.
But thebiggest and most fragrant over
charge of all, perhaps, was in the matter
of public documents. These consist oil
the Governors message, reports OF of
ficers. heads of department, institutions
and the like. They are printed each III
pamphlet fern and then bound in one
volume of some $500 or more pages
For printing these pamphlets Stewar'
was wen paid. Then as is customary
365 copies of each was Laid aside to be
bound 10 form the "Public Documents
This wefk usually costs about $500. Bu
this was not enough for Stewart. Id
ont In . bin for $1,75O, clear over
charge Of $3.50. The State Examiner
Mr.. J. q. Birdsong, refused to approve
the bin. Later, however, on account Of
the continuation Of such incidents al
these. he resigned and Mr.. r. G. River,
foreman Of the Caucasian, Deputy
sheriff, Director In the Blind Asylum
and candidate for anything else In sight
was appointed to succeed him. And ther
the bin was approved, though Stat,
Auditor Aver knew that 1t had been re
iected by Mr.. Birdsong.
II must he remembered also that th,