Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-01
TIE BND[RY SCbND|||I|||| / |
Excerpts From the Experts u,
published Reports ON State
Bindery 0vercharfes.
Places Blame on the Law ani
legislature. Not on Indi.
viduals. #
Experts Refused to Rsviss Is.
port Unless Council Speci.
fled Changes Required.
Special to mes-Republlean.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 1.-For the heneflt OF
nose citizens Of Iowa who may have
become confused over the matter az III g
bills for binding state books and doc,;;;ss ,;s
ments by reading the Des Moine. news
papers, which are hardly fair and can-
dld In their treatment of this subject.
slight review may be appropriate ;andi
the addition of some statements which
nave not before been given publicity. m
Etruth it may be stated that the whole
matter has been treated too mucf, !. .
quarrel between the rival publisher. or
Des Moines newspapers. The issue 4.
much broader. The foundation has been
laid for thorough reform IL son,e
matteas which have long neeGssd REFORM
ing' ana there can not now be any doubt
mat the next legislature will be forced
70 taKe up this matter and have 1t ham
oieo IN its entirety. Readers OF the
mind: -
4 =, SAaHinatlon OF the accounts of
.ne secretary of states Office was made
ps expert accountants, under direction
~ tue executive council, which council
~ uilec'eo TO inquire into the accounts
ana the conduct Of state officials,
z. Mr.. Skinner, the chief accountant
ts man Of ripe experience. made this
examination twice before, and was EN-
ployed by the committee on retrench.
ment and reform of the last Legislature
to go over the accounts, and was highly
commended for his work.
| 8. The accountants received no snecials
instructions. but in general to look into
the accounts and conduct Of officials and
report thereon as they had done two
years before and year ago.
4 The report OF the experts in regard
to the printing and binding matter has
not been published in any Des Moines
newspapers, nor any considerable nor.
tion thereof.
.. The abuses complained of or irreRu.
/. larities have continued up to the pres
ent time and there is clear deadlock
over exactly similar bills for binding.
Inc people of the state are entitled to
consider the whole matter aside from
lts bearing on the rivalries OF Des
Moines newspaper publishers. That the
accountants who made the examination
and report aimed to treat it in its broad-
est way is Indicated in part by the re-
port. 1t was not against any person or
persons that they entered complaint, but
! more directly against a system which
almost everybody admits is entirely
wrong, and against laws which are bum
\ gled and botched and without meaning
or of unknowabe meaning. They evil
IDENTIFY hoped they might arouse the peo-
l pie of the state to sense of the fact
that the lawmakers are the ones that
are at fault For instance, here Is an
excerpt from the original report OF the
examiners and 1t is something which
has not before been published:
Comparison Of binding and printing
charges on few jobs that are bound in
paper covers and paid for according to
law:
List of library books for school dis-
| tricts of Iowa 1900:
| Binding bill for 10000. .......$ 1880
| Printing bill for 20O00.... ..... 3s6. 81
Handbooks for Iowa schools. 1900:
| Binding for 40,000.... -. ;. .1,1s4.00
Printing for 100000. 49,. ..S. 4. S24.15
iowa Educational Directory, 1sss-1soO:
Binding 10000 .... 1880
| Printing 10.000.... ;. ;. :. -. 1855
Iowa Educational Directory, 1900-1s01:
Binding 10000 at $1.34.. ;. ~. 1890
Printing 10000. :. .. ...... 1855
Iowa road laws, 1900:
Binding 5000 at ss cents. ...... 1900
Printing 5000 ...... !. ). 1880. 1902
proceedings State Teachers Associa-
ton. 1899:
Binding 1,5Oo at s2.ss.. ........ A.4o
Printing bill for 1,500.. ........ 4S5. .23
J;cp ~ hofxx
and the printing charges for this Job u
because of the small number OF 7 copies
issued. Had there been say 10000 issued
the binder would have received as much
or more than the printer. hence, 1t shows
that the larger the job of binding the
jucier II Is.
"All of the jobs turned over to the
state binder for his attention are COM
plete that is If covers are to be used.
They are all properly printed by the state
printer, so all the binder has to do IL
to perform his work according to the
law on the subject. The law, however,
seems to be defective, because no pro.
visions are made for much OF the extra
work performed by the binder. Take.
for instance, the printing Of the state
treasurer report in 1899, the binder was
paid $519.50 for the Job. whereas the law
only contemplates an expenditure Of
sl22.50 for binding $500 in paper covers.
The differences are made up Of over
charge in price of s27650 and for pasting
in tables. ETC.. of s11s.5o. This ie only
one Of very many instances where
charges are made not covered by law,
such as pasting in plates. maps. tables.
etc. making the fat Of the job in extras
at the binders own pricing. The law
should be improved by legislation, 70
that every ordinary piece Of work should
have its price named, and then the STATE,
will profit by being not subject to imDo-
sition by substitution of prices or meth
DDS not intended to apply under the Law,
nor for possible overcharges on extra
work Of ordinary character now 80 ne
quently needed in making up the ma
terial for ID many Of othe usual reports
OF scientific and businere nature.
I'VE are not experts In the art cf
printing and binding. but We believe We
can see that there is much room for fla-
proved laws on the subject, especially
tcontinued on second FAGAl