The San Francisco call., 1897-02-09
STATE PRINrER NOT TO BLAME.
Fault of the Commissions in Increasing


Fault of the Commissions IN Increasing
Eopenses.
SACRAMENTO, CAL, Feb. S.-The in
vestigation into the affairs of the State
Printers office did not progress this after
noon on account of the Republican caucus
which was held at the same hour as that
on which the committee on retrenchment
was to meet. State Printer Johnston was
on hand promptly at o'clock 10 give his
testimony before the mmittee, but as
the committee did not return from the
caucus until half-past o'clock he could
not wait.
After calling the com mittee to order
Chairman Melick announced that Gov
ernor Budd had refused to appear before
the committee. de said also that the
Governor would send a message to the
Assembly tomorrow in which he would
give his reasons for vetoing the bill appro-
priating $75 600 for the mainten ance of the
State Printing Office.
A printer named Hicks, formerly of the
firm of Hicks, Judd & Co. of San Fran
cisco, appeared before the committee and
denied a statement made to the effect that
he had CONF planned to Governor Budd
about the management of the institution.
A desultory discussion followed, in
which Mehck remarked that the printing
office had been made political dumping
ground for the friends of mem bers of both
houses OF the Legislature, but that this
had nothing to do with the increase in
the expenses of the institution. The nu-
merous commissions which have been or
ganiZed during the past few years have
had a considerable quantity of printing
lonesome of them to the extent OF
$l3, 900 each in one year. The excess of
printing was the fault of the law and not
OF the State Printer The bills of the
State Mineralogist were very large. he
added, that for printing in 1891 being
$40, ,5Sl If the printing of each of those
com missions could be restricted TO $1,000
each year great saving could be effected.
The prin ting of the reports, ETC., of the
State Agricu tural Society ran from SIC, 600
TO $13, 900 in 1899, to $4,000 in 1892 and to
$4,000 in 1886. The chairman suggested
that there should be a special act OF the
Legislature restricting the quantity of
printing done by the comm Issions. In
the offices of some of those commissions
thousands OF copies of reports were piled
up, accumuiating dirt and waiting for the
time when they will be converted into
fuel. He thought that ii the quantity of
printing done by the com missions last
year were cut down one-hatf of it would
be sufficient. The men in the printing
office are competent and the bookkeeping
admirable.
Adams remarked that large part of the
expense was caused by lily prepared
manuscripts and by the frequent revision
of proofs. 1t was stated curing the dis
cussion that Labor Commissioner Fitz-
gerald brought in a vo!uminous report
containing a large number of newspaper
clippings praising the commissioner and
his work. The State Printer wanted TO
cut down the report by omitting the news
paper clippings, which were simply
editorial expressions of opinions. He
went before the State Board of Examiners
and asked permission TO cut out that part
OF the r-port before printing it, but they
laughed him out of IL. The matter of the
10000 school grammars was mentioned.
The committee was of the opinion that
the State Printer was not to blame, De-
cause the law required him always 10 keep
a stock of school textbooks on hand to
supply the demands. 1t was decided to
holu another meeting in day or two and
have the State Printer suggest to the COM
mittee some means of stopping the ava
lanche of printing from State officials and
commissions