The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1901-07-27
Letters From The People.

Letters From The People.
In order to do justice TO both
sides of the controversy which has
ately arisen on account of the
award of the parish printing by the |
Police Jury to The valley-of-the- |
Teche, we publish below the law
of 1894:
AN ACT.
To authorize and require the police
juries of the several parishes Of this
State. the parish Of Orleans accepted, to
elect, parish printer for their reepec-
tive parishes empowering them to desi-
gnate the official journal for their re-
spective parishes; requiring them to;
cause to be published In the Official jour-
nal all their official proceedings; fixing
the compensation to be paid the parish
printer. and repeating all Iayaeontrary
to or Inconsistent with this oct.
Section 1. Be It enacted by the Gen.
eral Assembly Of the State Of Louisiana,
That at their first meeting or or after
the arst day Of July. 1894. and annually
thereafter at their first meeting In July.
the police juries throughout this State
are authorized and IL shah be their duty
to elect a parish printer for theif fespec-
tive parishes who shall be the owner or
representative Of some established news
paper, published in the parish. which
has been in existence for . period Of one
year next preceding the election. The
person 50 selected shall designate .
newspaper published In the parish,
which paper shall be known Is the on
cial journal of the parish and he shall
publish in such newspaper all the Off
cial proceedings Of the police fury and
and such notices as may be required by
law to be published BY the police jury;
provided, that this act shall not affect
any contract now In existence. and pro-
vided further that upon the expiration
Of any contract for parish printing now
in existenV the police jury shall elect
parish printer al provided for In this
act, and provided further that this sct
shall not apply TO any person In which
no newspaper is published.
Section Q. Re 1t further enacted, etc.
that the parish printer shall be entitled
to demand and the police jury Of each
parish shall pay 10 him quarterly. fol
publishing all matter required to b
published in the oficial journal OF the
parish fly cents per square Of one hun
dred words for the first insertion and
twenty-five (25) cents per square fol
| each subsequent insertion and for al
job work executed By him for tina use Of
the police jury he shall charge and re-
ceive the lowest current rates.
Section 8. Be 1t further snarted. etc.
That all laws or parts Of laws contrar!
to or inconsistent with the provisions o
this be and the same ere hereby repeal
ed.
The law is very peremptory a
to how the parish printer is to b.
|appointed and paid. Il says tina
a parish printer shall be sppoin.
ted and fixes definitely the remu
neration for his work. The YER,
object Of the Legislature in pass
ing the law was to do away will
selling the work to the lowest bid
der and thereby prevent a comb
nation among the printers, VIII
were accustomed to charge extor
tionste prices to do the publ
printing and share the spoil
among themselves.
The law having determined be
yond controversy a. TO the. man
} ner of appointing and the amour
, to be paid the parish printer. TIL
police jury guided by the law an
the legal advice of District AttoI
, ney Muller complied with the Law
Had the Evangeline read the la
of 1894 it would certainly not hav
commented upon the action of th