Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-10

"r'ier 'h'' ne may have ii available A.,
pay for the work when connIa,os
IN this connection it may he said -,
The state printing is the only g.,
expenditure which passes throrab
hands Of a special State aud;to, \,
Governor and Council acting as
auditing committee on all otba,
renditures.
The auditor If the printing |. !,
stephen Ferry Of Portland, Grand 9.
rotary Of Grand Masonic ,od.. y.
Maine, practical printer Of
years experience. and a gentls,n..
whose integrity no one will ouesti,,
wren u" STATE printer delivers cor.
reted work to any official. he tato.
receipt therefor. drscribin,, ,ba ioh -,
stating the number of copies d.Itvs,.,
This is his voucher for the work I'll,
receipt IS thcn attached to copy NJ
the job, and forwarded to the oud;.
who figures up the co,nposition CO..
ana press work in accordance with 4.
law and upon his return to the Cors,
h"i ana council a warrant is drawn On
the treasury in payment for the wo,s
Now a word as to the prices maid !.
state printing. AS we have said fhsr
are the same as in 1882, notw,h.
standing the large increase in printer
wages and the shorter working
hours. They are more than twsn,v
percent. lower than prices maid fr
commercial printing throughout the
State, and the prices paid for tho
counties for their printing. We have
had our share of this class of private
work ana never have we figured com.
position upon it at less than 30 cents
thousand ems and, owing TO the in.
crease in wages of printers and shorter
working hours, we have in recent wear,
figured 50 cents a thousand ems on
nearly all the private work that has
come to us in competitor with our com.
petitors, including the printing estab.
lishment of Mr.. Davis at Wateryille
The fact that we have secured our
share of private work is proof that the
public has not regarded this price as in
any way eXorbitant.
The State of Maine secures its com.
position for AZ cents a thousand ems
the lowest price at which this grade Of
work is done within its borders
So much for the State printing.
the Journal has been able to hold II all
these years. it has been because II has
kept its plant located at the State Cap.
itol fully abreas: Of the times, and ad.
equate to the needs of the State, be.
cause it has turned out work that
would not suffer by comparison with
official printing of any state in the
Union, because its prices have been
lower than those paid for private work
and because there has been no detaif
connected with it, which has not been
able to bear the closest scrutiny OF the
peoples representatives.
In 1865, the appropriation for state
printing was $4,000. In 1904 It was
$50, 900; hut the growth of the STATE
in this period Of 80 years. the greater
number of its departments and Ut
stitutions, and the vastly larger vol
ume of work done by them would seem
to justify the increase. This at least
has been the opinion Of the peoples
representatives. The printer, who hs
had no part in bringing about this 10
crease, has invested many thousaM
dollars in a modern plant, Is payhs
large rent and insurance, and Increase
wages to printers for a shorter wofN
ing day. He has done the work tn''
has come to him, at prices when a~
fafr-minded printer in Maine Will
mid are not only lower than sIallo'.
pri9es for commercial printing, ~
are lower today than leave nr =
ness margin for the care and RI
bility Involved in carryineo4 g.