The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-05-10

that facts have been made public that
never known before.
All three state platforms demand that the state
printer be put on a saary-and still there are Quib
blers who pretend that the state constitution stands in
the way
The state labor convention has declared the true
attitude that the state should occupy in the matter
the state should own the printing Office or else the
state work should be done in commercial Offices
Few people understand that now the state print.
ing Office is ownedby pirate citizen ,rbo lcdScs III,
plant to the stdtc printer Thc pcopc eject stat,
printer. bm he becomes merely the lessee of pyirdtc
party rho ornS the stotc printing ofcc aHd gets his
share Of the proceeds
e. THE JOURNAL charged that this private state
printing Office was kept in the house and that the
state furnished light and fuel and water and anitor
care free of all expense to the owner and that he did
not pay taxes the same
Below will be found official proof of the facts as
stated by Mr. Frank G. Baker himself, the owner Of
the state printing plant We reprint Mr. Bakers let.
ter to the Dayton, Ore. Weekly Herald of April 25:
PORTLAND. Ore, April Is, 1902
EDITOR HERALD: | notice in Brother Hofcr'S
Journal" an excerpt from your paper the "Statc
Printing Office Graft" and while l have dsposi.
tion at present to occupy much of your space in
planning the status of the state printing depart
mcnt yet | am constrained to make reply to just two
sentences in your rather unfricndly criticism
namely:
AT present the state printing office is owned by
Frank &. Baker eX-State printer II is kept free of
rent in the Stdtc house"
Any one reading the above would have perfect
right to presume that your favor making the state
printer pay rent to the for the privilege he en-
joys in the capitol in the matter of rooms, lights fuel
and water. Now, let whether or not the state
printer has any warrant Of law for being in the CAPT
to and by what authority. Section 2954, Hills Code
says: "The state printer shall have and keep open
printing office the of government of the state
supplied with material with which to perform the
duties of his office and shall he prepared to do all the
work that may be required of him in pursuance Of
law And your attention, Mr.. COnOway, is further
directed page GS2 of Senate Journal of 1890 as fol-
lows:
"Scnatc Concurrent Resolution No. I2-Whcrc.
the joint committee of the legislature appointed to
examine the accounts Of the state printer has ar-
proved the action of Hon X. =. Earhart and Hon.
Geo II. Mcbride while acting secretary Of state,
in providing suitable rooms and other cOnyencnces
in the capitol building for the state printing office;
and whereas the establishment of such Office in the
capitol has promoted the convenience of the legsa
ture while in session and of the several state depart
ments during the recess thereof, therefore be it
"Rcsolrcd by the Senate, the House Concmring~
That the action of secretary of state as custodian Of
the state capitol in providing said rooms and lights
fuel and water for the printing Office is hereby
approved, and the secretary Of state is instructed to
continue the same"
Now the next sentence-namely THE presses
shake the walls The presses stand upon solid brick
foundations, built from the ground up TO a level with
the floor No part of the presses touch the floor being
independent of the building
And in this connection let me quote sentence
from Brother "HOfers JOurna'-tOwt: by what
right and authority is part of the state house uSed
for printing Ofice?' In reply TO his question his
attention is respectfully called TO above section oi
Hills Code, and to the above resolution and let me
add especially that Democratic senator introdnctd
the said resolution in the senate, and that NOT SIN
gle vote registered against it, and tha'
when the resolution reached the house, a DemocTa~
member moved that the house concur i'm the adoption
of the resolution, and il concurred in without OPP
position.
You will perceive that have not entered ln''
discussion of the merits of the state printing OH"
question but simply have submitted some facts
FRANK C. BAKER
The plain undisputed facts about the state pr'H'
ing Office that il has cost the state as follows "'
the past four years:
Appropriations for the years lS99l0 ;, 1'5OSy-