New-York tribune., 1901-04-12
m CUT PRINTING COST.
,ovFRNoR SENDS A SPECIAL MESSAGE
TO THE LEGISLATURE.
p11L TO SAVE $1,000 A YEAR TO THE
STATE ON PRINTING LEAKS

p7T L
STATE ON PRINTING LEAKS
rBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BUxE.I
albany. April l1.-Governor Odell initiated
Rev measure of State economy to-day by call
she attention Of the legislature to the greatly
.,c-eased cost Of its printing since 1880. In
$3.50 he said in message to the legislature, the
states printing cost only s46,51G 81. whereas in
1ooo as he points out, the same kind of print
,,g cost S394.S12 Gl.
The Governor attributes the increased cost of
.be legislative printing largely to the fact that
..a hoard Of State officers charged with the duty
:, awarding II lis deprived of discretionary
ower In making the award, and by system of
,balanced bidding which has resulted" Bills
ore already before the legislature introduced by
senator's Higgins and Goodsel and Assembly
nan Fordvce 10 decrease the cost of the legis-
,s,iye and State Department printing The
governor alludes 10 these measures. and says
80 nothing else is done. the existing law should
10 amended and "a greater discretionary
over given the board charged with the letting
n the contracts for printing. After the Gov
ernors message had been read TO the legis-
,ature the announcement made that the
effective sections of the bills OF Senators Hig-
gins and Goodsen and of Assemblyman Fordyce
had been combined in one statute, which would
be submitted to the legislature tomorrow.
The Governor in his message TO the legislature
says in part,
The most Of the agitation against any change
sn the method of letting the printing contract
comes from rival bidders. who are not engaged
IN the work Of job printing but who simply
hid upon the State printing in order to sublet
the contract TO a responsible person at as large
a figure as it is possible 10 secure. Under the
last contracts the successful bidders were John
a Mccarthy for the legislative printing and
c F. Williams for the department printing.
Both Of these contracts were sublet. believe
that TO this system is due the growth of the
State printing, as shown by the following hg-
ures: ,o.
For Legislative Printing-1SSo. S46.5l6 "a;
1851 sl6 $50 80: 1852. $50. 43i Il: 1883, SIl.
4e5 02 1884. S63. 1913 90; 1855. S6I,53l 80; 1856,
SAL .667 60: 1887. $92ol6 u: lsss, $lS3; $50 20;
600 1892 S1o4. 792 %: 1893. S151 $50 CO. 1894,
s2O5,302 26: 1880 Sl94, ,596 o3; 1896 500 5S5 81;
1897. S144.S50; 1895 S3s2, ,43S 30; 1893. s;3222.-
675 Ss 1900. 1894 So 81.
In addition to this the department printing
for the years 1896. 1897, 1898, 1899 and 1900
cost as follows: 1896. s425S5 "a; 1897. ST.
S73134 81.
A total for the five years OF S3409S9 81.
understand that bills are before you at the
present time relating to the State printing II
nothing else is done the existing law should be
amended. giving a greater discretionary power
10 the board charged with the duty OF letting
the contract, and such contract should be lin
tied to one year. that should any defects creep
in as have been discovered in the present con-
Of the legislature. The present contract Will
expire In May Of this year 1t will he seen.
therefore that prompt action should be taken.
In this connection. il would seem wise also TO
readjust the number of copies Of departmental
reports which are TO be assigned TO each depart
rnent This is particularly true with reference
10 the department Of the State Board OF Regents
where the greatest leak apparently exists. am
confident that If proper legislation should De
enacted at this session Of the Legislature govern
ing the letting of tie next contract the result
would be a saving of at least S6ocoo or Sfo"U
q year There IS certainly nothing in the way OF
service to the State that will commend itseu
more strongly to the taxpayers than a remedy
IN this direction / commend this subject 10 you
FOR YOUR immediate and careful consideration.
and trust that YOU will. by reference to the
proper committees. take 1t up at once
There are now eight different statutes of the
State which apply TO the legislative and depart
rnent printing The statutes refer TO the print
ing for the legislature for the Railroad Com
mission. for the State Banking Department FOR
the Insurance Department. and for the unlVer-
sty The bill which viii come before the IeglS-
lature tomorrow will unite all those statutes IN
one. The law, il is said, Will put IN the
hands Of the State authorities the power 10 pre-
vent unbalanced bidding, and force printers
submit balanced bids The bill TO be submit
ted was prepared al a conference held by Gov
ernor Oden with Senator Higgins. Assemblyman
Aids and Assemblyman Kelsey. The bill, II is
declared. Will prevent the payment or the states
money for rec0mpOsticn Of pages never reset,
make all engrayings the property of the state,
and. in case Of reprinting. only allow a printer
for the actual handling Of plates.
M