The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1900-01-19

Attorneys De hereafter Included In the dlstriDu-
ton. The surplus copies each year that have
to be stored way Will justify this increase in
the distribution.
Five hundred copies of Mississippi Digest. by
Brame & Alexander. were received and !35
copies distributed as directed In the Act of 1895.
leaving SIS copies on hand. The Secretary OF
State is not authorized to sell the Digest, and
perhaps should not be until the compiIers re-
alize enough from private sales to reimburse
them for their great outlay in time and money
In its publication. that after Jan
uary /. 1905, the Digest may be sold by the State,
al a price to be then fixed, unless In the mean
time the supply in the hands Of the publishers
may become exhausted. Ii Is further recon-
meDded that a copy be sent TO each state Ii
brary in exchange for public documents recely-
ed from them. From several Of The States We
receive many valuable volumes and the cour-
tesy should be reciprocated to the full extent Of
our publications.
respectfully renew the recommendation In
my last report that the time for the printin. and
distribution OF the laws and journals be re-
duced 0ne-half. The law allows three months
for the laws and four months for the journals.
Any publisher. competent to undertake the
work, can get the laws and journals ont in sixty
days. With few exceptions, the a take effect
from their passage, and hence they should be
printed with the utmost dispatch. Fast presses
and sharp competition will get them out within
the time indicated. Because it took from four
to six months half a century ago TO print the
laws and Journals Is no reason why that sched-
ue should be perpetuated. The edition OF the
laws should be increased from 5000 to 1000 cop
les, and the journals from 500 to 900 copies,
| further recommend that the contracts for
printing be changed from two to four years. and
for stationery from one to two years. This
would justify home printers in competing and
equippins for the work. On a two years CON
tract most Of them would have 10 eXpend for
materials any probable profits on the work.
With such change in the law at least a dozen
Mississippi establishments would be competi-
tors, and this would doubtless insure as low
figures as were secured under the present con-
tract. Indeed, competition for all State print
ing should be restricted to Mississippi printers,
who are, as a class, the most deserving OF. and
he least in, public favOrs,
Section 1914 Of the Code requires that the
Board OF Public Contracts shall read the proofs
Of all public printing. The Secretary of State
being president and secretary Of the Board, his
training and experience as a publisher and
| proof reader have been severely tested during
the past four years. Quarantine Interruptions
during The last three years have 50 delayed get
ting department reports to press that 1t IS only
by working late into the nights that the secre.
tary and his deputy can keep up with the type
setting machines and steam presses now being
operated by an expert force in the establish
ment OF the contractors In Jacksonville, fia.
SO that ii is quite difficult to keep up with the
usual demands upon the office. The Secretary
of State should be allowed a special deputy for
at leas, four months in each Legislative year.
Much time has been given and about 500 cX-
| pense incurred In asserting, shelving and box
ing the great mass Of pamphlets. books and
valuable papers that have covered the floors OF
the Old library, code room and senate gallery
for many years. Several tons OF trash, accu-
mutation OF half a century, was destroyed, and
their burning helped TO purify the atmosphere
around the Capitol during the quarantine
season. Several copies OF laws aud journals OF
ancient dates, and not In the State Library,
have thus been secured for Its shelves.
Several wagon loads of valuable documents,
removed from the third floor of the Capitol to
the penitentlary in January, 1896, are still at
the prison. The documents had been carefully
boxed and labelled before being removed, and
when | learned OF their exposed condition | had
them reboxed, but in the meantime many OF the
papers nhu DteT taken Dl SIsllUTs W tIt piisoH'
At least two wagon loads of these documents
are assessment rolls and vouchers pertaining to
the Auditors Office, which are often needed in
investigations by that office. Some provision
should be made for Te-asSOrting and classifying
these documents before they are forever lost.
Anon, the document thus removed was the
manuscript copy OF our State Constitution OF
1917, and he original order of Governor Robert
Williams 70. the arrest OF Aaron Burr, directed
to Col. Fitzpatrick, aud dated February 10, 1907.
These were rescued By our state Librarian. Mrs.
Bell, as the documents were thrown from the
window OF the third floor into the wagons In
rear OF the library.
The Capitol building has been kept habitable
by frequent patchings OF the roof. and recently
considerable repairs had to be made. as much
of the sheet-iron had been devoured by rust.
The total expenditures on the roof for the last
four years has not amounted to more than 500.
The cost Of lighting is more than 1t should be,
considering the amount OF gas consumed, but
as there Is only one lighting plant In the city,
we have TO accept the established rate.
With a lively appreciation OF your uniform
and unyarying kindness and courtesy during
the four years of our official relations, | remain,
Governor, very respectfully and cordially yours,
j. l.. POWER. Secretary OF State.