The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-19
HE CUTS IT DOWN.
How Tom M'Neal Will Save the
State Money.
System of Padding Documents
Is Abolished.
BEGINS ON JOURNAL.
Will Be Only About Half as
Large.
Mr.. Knapp Has Assisted in the
Work.
BEGINS ON JOURNAL.

BY the total abolition of the padding
system which has prevailed in the state
printing plant under the contract plan,
State Printer T. A. McNeal estimates
that the size and cost of the forthcom-
ing house and senate journals can be
reduced from one-haIf to one-third.
The house journal, of which the first
$50 pages covering nine days of the ses-
sion has been completed, will make
book this year of from 1000 to 1900
pages, instead of the huge dictionary
of 1880 pages which was issued for the
1903 session. For printing this massive
volume the state of Kansas in 1908 paid
the state printer $5,993.95. This year
the cost may be kept down to $4,000, or
even less.
Proofs of the first 100 pages show that
not only has the state printer eliminated
all of the double leading and fat
which has in the past been inserted to
increase the number of folios for which
the state might be charged, but that the
measurement of the reading matter on
each page has been increased and the
blank margins cut down. The pages
now measure about three plea ems
wider and the same distance longer
than heretofore. This means an in
crease of perhaps IS words to the page.
Another great saving in space this
year was made by the work of Fred
Knapp, chief clerk of the house, who in
furnishing copy to the printers, elm
mated great deal of absolutely use
less stuff which the law did not require
to be published and which has hereto
fore been inserted simply to increase
the compensation of the chief clerk,
who has, like the state printer, worked
on a folio basis.
Il believe" says Mr.. Knapp, that
over half as large as it was for the 1903
session. The first ten signatures of the
book, comprising $50 pages, have been
delivered to me. These $50 pages cover
the first nine days of the session, and
part of the tenth. This is perhaps one
fifth of the session, which would make
the journal itself occupy about 500
pages. In addition there will be the in
dex to the book, which has also been
materially reduced by eliminating GER
tain lists and tables which have been of
no practical use"
It is expected that the house journal
will be off the press sometime during
the latter part of August. The publica-
ton of the senate journal will follow
soon after.
What the Plant saves the State
The total cost of the state printing
plant will be about $6S,000, and it is
not impossible that in the first two
years of operation, the state will save
III LnC COSL u us nearly
enough to pay for this magnificent
plant.
The legislature appropriated for the
years 1905 and 1906 the sum of $780,
600 to cover all the state printing. Fol-
the preceding two years, the state paid
out about S184,000, and it is known
that ex-State Printer Geo. Clark is
expecting to come before the next leg
islature with a deficiency appropria-
ton for about Sc, 900 more. The state
will have to pay this bill, because the
law gave the state printer a right tc
charge 1t. It will bring the total cos
of the state printing for 1903 and 1904
UP to about $50. 600, which is $4,000
more than the amount allowed for the
ensuing two years.
Under the new state printer law, the
state printer is authorized to buy his
material for printing and binding or
the open market, instead of letting the
contract for material for a year at {
time, as the state has done in the
past. This enables the state printer tt
buy at the lowest market prices, picI
up job lots, and take advantage of al
bargain offers which printers know are
constantly floating about the market
Under the old system of buying By
contract, the paper firms were obliged
to bid the top of the market, because
none of them cared to take the risk Of
market changes.
This new system promises to save
the state a large amount of money
since taking his office State Printer