Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-30
The Public Printer and the Law.

The PUBIC VTluteT anu Tvs law
third point Ia that the law makes
Il a criminal offence. punishable by nne
or Imprisonment. for anybody to spend
more money for the State for any pur-
pose than the Legislature has appro-
priated for that purpose. This Is III
REPUTATION OF Mr.. Burleigh's plea that
the Public Printer must print every
thing he IL ordered to do. Instead, II
has been his plain duty to refuse to do
any more printing for the governmental
departments after the money appro-
priated for the work had been exhaust
ed.-Bath Times.
InasInuch as 1t is usually the middle
Of February before the first appropria-
ton bill Is passed. II Is very eviden;
that for a number OF weeks In
legislative years Doth the Legisla-
ture and the State Departments are
mourning expenses for which there are
absolutely no appropriations. The APP
preparation .or the expenses OF the Leg
islature itself is the last measure which
It passes, although it's work and ex-
penses have been In progress for three
months prior to that time.
Certainly the Journal plant has never
received pay for Its work save from ap-
proprlations made for the purpose BY
the Legislature.
To say that the public printer should
refuse to do work which H. is ordered
10 do by the Legislature or the Cover
nor and Council. or that the work to b.,
done can always be guaged by an APP
preparation Is certainly far-fetched.
The war with Spain which suddenly
necessitated a considerable amount Of
printing that could not have been fore
seen or anticipated by the Legislature
wien 1t made its appropriations. is a
case in point.
The administration OF Governor Hill
has fortunately had no such contingent
cies to contend with. and during 1t
printing expenses have been kept with
IN the appropriation. and there hav,
been no deficiencies.
The public printer is simply Il servant
of the State. He does the work he is
ordered to do under the law by those
vested with authority In the matter.
of the printing than private citizen.
The statute law, (Chapter 3, Section 2D.
specifically states the number Of re-
ports that may be printed for the va
rious State departments. Continuing.
Section % says:
The reports. catalogues. and compiia-
tons of all State departments, bu-
rcaus. commissions. and Institutions,
other than as enumerated in the pre-
cc,,ing section. may be printed and
bound. bat the number and the styles
in which the same shall be so printed
and bound. at the expense Of the State.
shall be determined from time to time
BY the Governor and Council. who
shall fix the number Of the same which
shall be delivered from the bindery
or printing office to the librarian of the |
State library" Section Is provides
that Each department. bureau. and
may have printed at the
expense of the State bulletins and cir
cular letters Of inquiry and mforma-
ton at such time and in such numbers
as the officer i'll charge thereof may
consider necessary"
Here Is the law. The Public Printer
has absolutely no authority under it
to determine either the character or
the volume Of the printing. Yet the
Bath Times solemnly asserts that in
case he thinks the printing authorized
by the statute law above quoted and
ordered by the officials acting under
it's authority is likely to exceed the
appropriation 1T is his plain duty to
refuse to do any more printing for the
governmental departments"
Meanwhile we presume these de-
partments are to be closed until the
Legislature assemblies! What an auto
crat Brother Nichols would make OF
the Public Printer. Over riding the
authority vested by statute law in the
Governor and Council and the State
officials Mr.. Nichols would have him
promptly hang them up If. in the ex-
ercise OF that authority. they should
overstep the limits Of his arpropria-
ton.
Not only is it the printers plain
duty" in the opinion of the Times. to do
this but it intimates that. failing to
assume and exercise these soy reign
I rights, he would be a ,"csiminal" and
punishable by fine or imprisonment"
The text Of the statute law above
quoted is all the answer that Is neces-
sary to assertions Of this character.
SANTA lin fact. a hundred or
two >aal-had his whiskers
vrith Ctha~