The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-16
SENATE PRINTING COMMITTEE RE-
PORTS ON THEPR'INTING FUND
DEFICITS.
INTEREST IS PRETTY HIGH,
II THINKS, WHEN THE STATE
PAYS SEVEN AND GETS
THREE.
PRAISE FOR CAPT. WHITNEY.
Committee Finds That the Present
Deficiency Antedates His Ad-
ministratiOn of Affairs.

After thorough investigation of
the deficits which have existed at vari-
Gus times in the state printing fund,
one of which is now existing, the SEN
ate committee on printing yesterday
agreed unanimously upon the following
report, which has been partially anti
clpated in the G 10 b e hitherto The
printing commission will be continued
at present, but certain restrictions are
suggested for the legislative approval
The report is:
The committee finds that the cost Of public
printing has for successive years largely ex-
ceeded the appropriations. Large deficiencies
existed at the time the appropriations were
MADE, anc 1t has been necessary for the
printing commission to use, and at times to
exhaust, the current appropriations to meet
| the deficiency caused by the printing bills
OF the preceding year. That this condition
has been fully recognized is shown by the
existing statute providing for the payment
of legal interest on vouchers drawn against
an anticipated deficiency appropriation by
| the succeeding legislature. This condition
does not obtain with any other state appro-
priation. That the state should pay per cent
interest on delinquent accounts to the extent
of several thousand dollars, while it is re-
celVlng but per cent for its surplus of
funds, is not business-like transaction, and
no legislator would so conduct his private
business.
ton of the state expert printer regarding
the excessive and useless publication of the
annual reports Of the state treasury in the
biennial volume Of the session laws and the
| expense incurred in the publication of said
reports in an unlimited number of news
papers at the capital. The large expenditure
/ for the publication of annual and biennial
reports of departments should be reduced to
an amount commensurate with the value of
these reports as needed Information for the
legislature, and their import ance to the gen.
eral public, and we believe this question can
be best determined by the members of the
printing commission and the state expert
printer, who should have full authority to
determine thereon. {,
The committee believes that the present
system OF state printing may be improved
upon and simplif1ed, and that greater econo-
my could be secured without detriment to the
states interest, and with this end in view
Will submit bill erHbodying radical amend
ments to the present law.
The committee recommends an adequate
appropriation for printing and binding for the
fiscal years of 1898 and 1899, and with such
appropriations believes that the law provid-
ing for payment of interest on delinquent
accounts should be repealed.
The committee finds that the present state
printing expert, under direction of the print
ing commission, has conducted the business
of his department in compliance with the
state laws, in a satisfactory, prompt and en-
ergetic manner, and has introduced an excel
lent system of records, by which the transac-
lions OF the department are clearly shown
Respectfully submitted,
H. J. Miller,
E. K R6yerud