The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-05-05
STATE PRINTING FACTS.

Notwithstanding the able and exhaus-
tive report made to the State Senate in
1903 (see Senate Journal, PIP: 1857 to
1882 by the standing committee on
public printing of that body, as the re-
suit Of a searching investigation into
the methods in vogue in bidding, award
ing of bids and execution of printing
contracts, and Notwithstanding the
numerous wise and salutary recommend
atoms of the committee in said report,
the conditions prevailing then and since
do not seem to have improved Wide
spread dissatisfaction exists, and dam
aging criticisms are constantly being
made, concerning the manner in which
the State printing has been and is now
being done.
Among other irregularities that have
been noticed is the fact that although
all Of the documents usually accompa-
nying the official message of the Gov
ernOr to the Legislature at the opening
Of the session are supposed to have
been before him when he prepared his
message, and are also supposed to have
been transmitted, with the message to
form, a number Of such documents (de-
partment reports) did not reach that
body until several weeks of the session
had passed, some being presented in an
unfinished and mutilated form, and
some have not even yet made their APP
pearance.
Incidents which have occurred since
the session started are also cited as an
illustration Of irregularity use the
mildest term-in the performance of
the printing contract. One of these i'm
wolves the alleged unauthorized sup
preston of portion of an official re-
port the language of which reflected
severely upon the manner In which the
State printing is being done; and this it
is understood, Is now being made the
subject Of an investigation by the SEN
ate printing committee.
Then there have occurred instances
in which large and important orders for
printing not covered by or bid upon in !
the contract for the State printing have
been given out to the State printer
without any pretense or, at best, with |
the thinnest sort of pretense-Of invit-
ing competing bids FOR the same, at
prices concerning which the public is
in total ignorance.
No one-The True Democrat least Of
all-desires to wantOnly injure, or I'M
Justly accuse the State printer of any
derelictiOn in duty; but the number and
frequency of complaints, and the Sc
robustness of some Of them, lead inevi-
tably 20 the conclusion that nothing less |
than most drastic and searching in
vestigation into every detail Of this i'm
portant matter, by the respective COM
nittees of the two houses or, still bet
ter, by their joint action-will entirely |
satisfy the people Of the State, whose
money Is being used in the payment of
the printing bills.
~~~~~~~~~~~-~-~~~~N~~-~0
The Jasper News has got the State
printing issue down fine. II says:
OF late a good deal has been said
about the inferior quality Of paper, ink,
ETC., used in the State printery. If a
few samples this Office Il In possession
II Is a fair sample of what is being
turned out In the State printing estab-
ishment, we must say that II Is q dis
grace TO the name Of our fair State
When John G.. Collins was In charge of
he State printing there was not a
kick from anyone; the same with
John c. Trice, but alRsl how different
now Is ,.-~o-oo-ooooo,o-oo
For neat, clean Job Printing, see Col
ms '