The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-18
Mr., Seaman on State Printing.


To the Editor: From the News and
Observer of April 14th | see that the
entire State printing contract has been
awarded Mr. e. NJ. Uzzell of Raleig.
This communication is not to criticise
the Printing Commission for accepting
Mr. UzzelTs bid and rejecting all the
others. for this right the commission re-
served in its advertisement for bids.
What l do object to however, is for
the commission to award to Mr. Uzzeli
Cor any one else) contract for printing
and binding when his bid does not con-
form to the requirements of law and
especially when his bid on number CT
items is not the lowest.
Mr.. Uzzelrs bid on "job work. COM
position was thirtg-five cents per hour,
when the law of 1901 expressly says,
"All other work (other than book work.
"shall be classed as job work and shall
not be charged for at a higher rate than
thirty cents per hour" In my bid under
this particular item / entered thirty cents
per hour, but interlined the words dis
tribution and stOnework" after the word
composition in order to make it more
clear, as these words should have been
printed in the schedule, as the law Of
1901 makes provision for these items
when the printed schedule under which
| bid did not. The assistant Commissioners
of Labor and Printing, who it seems has
entire control of the States printing,
says that my bid on this item was the
highest because / included the items Of
distribution and stone work" when in
fact my bid on lob work" Sob press
work" ruling and blank books was of
lower average than Mr.. Uzzell's, and
Messrs Carroll and Carroll on sob
work and "iob press work" bid lower
than either of US.
Mr. Faison. the assistant Commissioner
of Labor and Printing informs the writer
that the State does not propose to ray
the public printer anything for the dis
tribution of Job matter nor for stone
work relating thereto, when the law en-
rhatically declares that all other work
shall be classed as job work and shall
not be charged for at a higher rate than
thirty cents per hour To presume that
an employing printer of any intelligence,
paying thirty cents an hour TO an en-
rloyo would contract for composition
at the same price per hour and give TO
the State all distribution and stonework
free of charge would be ridiculous and
especially so when the law governing the
matter is so clearly defined.
The truth is Mr.. Faison is trying TO
regulate a new contract under an old
law, long dead This he will attempt to
do when he will require the present
public printer to furnish materials (other
than pane1) for blank books, unless pro
vided for in contract as there is no pro-
vision for same in laws of 1901 and the
schedule states that mo paper or other
material for the States printing shall De
used cxcept that furnished by the State.
How is the Department of Labor and
Printing going to get around this clause
with the printing law of 1899 repealed
and which dead law Mr.. Faison informed
the writer he was governed by. Strange
proceeding this.
Mr. Fais as / have been reliably in
formed, to tx the liberty of criticizing me
personally before the Printing Commits
S on the day the contract was awarded,
stating that ] know very little or nothing
about the printing business. All have
to say in this connection is that Mr.. Fat-
son is sore over q just decision | render
ed in a matter of dispute between the
Department of Labor and Printing and
Edwards and Broughton, and further
more tNat ! REFER " my I'M y JSoio
practical experience in every department
Of letter-press printing and to those of
the craft who know me as to whether
am competent in what / profess to
know relative to printing
I would like to have it understood that
with the light now before me, l would
under no consideration accept a contract
to do all or any portion of the States
Printing were it offered me, and that my
sole motive in writing this letter is for
those interested in the matter of public
printing to enquire thoroughly into the
present method of inviting bids and let
ting contracts and then ask themselves
if the State can justly expect good SER
vice and satisfactory results under the
conditions that prevail and the prices
paid for state printing. Where will tic
law books. tax books and other perna
nent records of the State be in twenty-five
years from now under the present Ia
requirements and cheap-John methods:
1t is fact which cannot be controyert-
ed that under the last schedule, prepar-
ed | presume by Mr.. Faison, that no
printer living can intelligently bid on the
State work with any degree of accuracy,
and contracts awarded under this sched-
ule. 10 say the least must be very unsat-
isfactjory. The State has no business
furn SHIN, paper and other materials but
shouldAgiye out contracts, not as a whole.
! but FROM time to time as is necessary