The San Francisco call., 1897-03-08
JOHNSTON NOT DERELICE
So Far Nothing tomes Out of tho Print
ing ftvestt0dtion.

ing fhVeSGtJ0ttOn
SACRAMENTO, CAL, March THE
Joint committee on investigation into the
affairs of the State Printer broke Sunday
by remaining in session the whole day
and part of the evening.
Nothing was discovered that tsnded to
show that State Printer Johnston had been
derelict as State official, and he ex-
planned how the apparent deficiency came
about. He said that in the forty-seventh b
fiscal year he paid deficiencies of the forty
sixth fiscal year. The items were: Legis-
lative printing. forty-sixth fiscal year,
S280 COS; permanent material, S6950; re-
pairs, printing. etc., $5048; stock, SIS, sos !;
insurance, $780,. remainder, $2l36. He
had always considered as applying to
wages paid in changing the bindery.
Dickinson pointed out that the alleged
message was $51, 293, and for the stock
$12, 600, the adued total would be $63, 079
He wanted to know how that happened.
Johnston replied that it would not
make any difference whether be made
arbitrary charges or not. His accounts
balanced perfectly with the Controllers
His books showed in detail the work done
and its cost.
Caminetti wanted to know how Johns
fciency of $2136 in his report and in his
su osequent account.
Johnston replied that $4,000 was the
estimated cost of moving the pindery and
the composing rooms. He kept no record
of orders, but they came back in the
formed bills. The charges against the
item OF legislative printing are the cost of
the work. He could not be exavt as to
the arbitrary charges in his report. His
books would show the real amount. ALI
the stock used in legislative printing was
not legislative stock.
Senator Gillette evidently became tired
of the pecking OF Caminettl at little
things and suggested that the serious
charge made by the Governor as to a
shortage of $4,000 should be examined
into.
''If there is anything wrong,' he said,
"let it be exposed. 1t looks as if some
body wanted to make political capital out
of it."
The Senator added that one of the me M
bers OF the committee had acted as if he
were prosecuting attorney, Senator Sea-
well had admitted that.
Caminettl hoty denied that he was
prosecutor. Seawell had designated him
as prosecutor. but that was through
force of habit. He was ready to go as far
as anyone in vindicating Johnston.
Senator Seawell said that he had not
meant to designate Caminetti as a prose
cutor or as biased against Johnston in any
way.
Price called attention to the fact that
Senator Seawell had frequently spoken of
party votes. Caminetti was fortified with
forty or fifty typewriter questions, and
be had a tabClated statement which he
had tried to force into the report for the
purpose OF making political thunder.
Caminetti rather hotly replied that no
one could impugn his motives. He would
rise up on the floor of the House and re-
sign if such charges we're to be continued
against him. He denied that he said TO
Senator Gillette that he had Johnston on
the gridiron tonight ana that he would
have him again tomorrow. 1t was his
duty to inquire about the $4,000 dis
crepancy.
Senator Gillette remarked that it was
not the duty of Judge to go around talk
ing about people who were TO be tried be-
fore him. Caminetti declared he would
resign from the committee, and Price ex-
pressed his willingness to kiss and make
up, but the fiery man from Amador re-
piled that he would neither be kissed nor
cajoled.
w. H. Taylor, who worked in the State