Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-01-20
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
By J. L. POWER.
By J. L. POWER


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 4 Alexander were received and 1876
copies distributed as directed In the Act of 1895,
leaving 1865 copies on hand The Secretary Of
State Is not authorized to sell the Digest, and
PERHAPS Should not be until the compiIers re-
aiize tsGugh from private sales TO reimburse
them or heir great outlay in time and money
lnts PUBLICATION. recommend that after Jan
uary l. $40, the Digest may be sold by the State
al puce TO be then fixed, unless In tile mean
time the supply In the hands Of the publishers
may become exhausted. 1t IS further recon-
mendet that a copy be sent to each State Lii
brary b exchange for public documents receIy-
ed frcsl them. From several of the States We
receive many valuable volumes and the cutr-
tesy should be reCprocated to the full extent Of
our publications.
respectfully renew the recommendation in
my last report that the time for the printing and
distribution Of the laws and journals be re-
duced one-haf 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 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
equppng 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 at least a dozen
Mississippi establishments would be compete
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 class. the most deserving Of, and
the least remembered ill., public faYOrs,
Section 1914 of the Code requires that the
Beard of Public Contracts shall read the proofs
of all public printing. The Secretary OF State
training and experience as publisher and
prool-reader have been severely tested during
the past four years Quarantine interruptions
during the last three years have so delayed get
ting department reports to press that it 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, Fla
So that it is quite difficult to keep up with the
usual demands upon the office. The Secretary
OF State should be allowed special deputy fOl
at least four months in each legislative year.
Much time has been given and about $50 ex.
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 century, was destroyed, and
their burning helped to purify the atmosphere
around the Capitol during the quarantine
season. Several copies of laws and 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 tho third floor OF the Capitol tt
the peutentlary in January 1896, are still al
/ the prison. The documents had been carefully
boxed and labelled before being removed anC
! when learned Of their exposed condition haC
them rehoXei but in the meantime many OF tht
1 papers mad been taken byyIstors to the prison
4 AT least two wagon loads of these documents
are assessment rolls and vouchers pertaining L
/ the Auditors office, which are often needed il
Investigations by that office Some provision
| should he made for e-assorting and classifying
these documents before they are forever lost
/ Among he documents thus removed was the
| manuscript copy of our State Constitution oil
| 1917, and HE original order Of Governor Robert
/ Williams for the arrest of Aaron Burr, directed
1 to Col, Fitzpatrick, and dated February TO- 1891
/ These were rescued By our State Librarian, Mrs
| Bell, as the documents were thrown from Tho
window OF the third floor into the wagons il
rear OF the library.
The Capitol building has been kept hahtablD
| by frequent patchingS of the roof, and recent,
considerable repairs had to be made, as mucl
of the sheet-iron had been devuured by rust
The total expenditures on the roof for the las
| four years has not amounted to more than 500
The cost OF lighting is more than it should be
| considering the amount Of gas consumed bu
as there IS only one lighting plant in the city
we have to accept the established rate.
With lively appreciation OF your uniform
/ and unyaBng kindness and courtesy durln
the four years of our official relations, | remain
Governor, very respectfully and cordially yours
J. h. POWER, Secretary Of State,