The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-01-20
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
BY ]. L. POWER.
By J. L. POWER.
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Attorneys be hereafter included In the dstribu-
ton. The surplus copies each year that have
to be stored away will Justify this Increase In
the distribution.
Five hundred copies OF Mississippi Digest, by
Brame & Alexander were received and l3j
copies distributed as directed In the Act OF 1896.
leaving 3s5 copies on hand. The Secretary OF
State Is not authorized to sell the Digest, and
perhaps shonld not be until the compilers re-
allie enough from private sales TO reimburse
them for their great outlay in time and money
In its publication. | recommend that after Jan
uary !, 1906 the Digest may be sold by the State.
at price TO be then fixed, unless In the mean
time the supply In the hands OF the publishers
may become exhausted. 1t Is further recon-
IEended that a copy be sent to each State Ii
brary In exchange for public documents recelv-
ed from them. From several OF the states we
receive many valuable volumes and the cour-
tesy should be reclprocated 10 the full extent Of
! our publications.
respectfully renew the recommendation in
my last report that tine time for the printing and
distribution OF the laws and journals be re-
duced one 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 out In sixty
days With few exceptions, the laws 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 1t took from four
to six months half a century ago to print the
laws and journals is no reason why that sched-
ule should be perpetuated. The edition OF the
laws should be increased from 1000 to 1000 cop
les, ana the journals from 500 to 900 copies.
further recommend that the contracts for
-.
for stationery from one to two years. This
would justify home printers in competing and
equippng for the work. On a two years con-
tract most of them would have TO expend for
materials any probable profits on the work.
With such change in the law al least 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 I
who are, as a class. the most deserving OF, and |
the least remembered III, public fayors.
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
ting department reports TO press that it is only
by working late into the nights that the secre-
tary AMI 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, Fla
So that 1t is quite difficult TO keep up with the
usual demands upon the office The Secretary
)f State should be allowed a special deputy for
1t least four months in each legislative year.
Much time has been given and about $50 ex-
Dense Incurred In asserting, shelving and box
ng the great mass of pamphlets, books and
'aluable papers that have covered the floors OF
he old library, code room and senate gallery
or many years. Several tons OF TRASH accu-
mutation OF half century, was destroyed. and
heir burning helped 10 purify the atmosphere
round the Capitol during the quarantine
eason. Several copies OF laws and journals OF
ncent dates. and not in the State Library,
AVE thus been secured for its shelves
Several wagon loads OF valuable documents
emoved from the third floor OF the Capitol to
he penltentiary in January. 1896, are still at
he prison. The documents had been carefully
oxed and labelled before being removed, and
ihen learned OF their exposed condition had /
hem reDoxed, but in the meantime many of the
apers had been taken by visitors to the prison. 2
u least TWO wagon loads Of these documents J.
re assessment rolls and vouchers pertaining to }
be Auditors Office, which are often needed in !
lvestigalions by that office. Some provision y
hould be made for re-assortng and classifying 0
lese documents before they are forever lost. a
m0ng the documents thus removed was the d
copy OF our State Constitution of :
81, and he original order OF Governor Robert +
Villains for the arrest of Aaron Burr, direc ted a
} Col. Fitzpatrick, and dated February TO- 1907 u
hese were rescued by our state Librarian, Mrs. s.
ell, as the documents were thrown from the D
indow OF the third floor into the wagons in IL
.ar OF the library. u
The Capitol building has been kept habitable 81
J frequent patchings OF the roof, and recently 7
repairs had to be made, as much ID
the sheet-iron had been dev0ured by rust A
he total expenditures on the roof for the last
ur years has not amounted to more than $500. u
he cost OF lighting is more than it should be, III
'nsldering the amount OF gas consumed, but Is
there Is only one lighting plant in the city, u
have to accept the established rate. Di
with a lively appreciation OF your uniform
ID unvarying Kindness and courtesy during dt
e four years OF our official relations, remain, pi
1vernor, very respectfully and cordially yours, n
j. L. POWER, Secretary of State pa