Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-28
STATE PRINTING.
Mr.. Nichols and His
Witnesses Appear.
Examination Brings Good Evil
dence for Present Prices.
interesting Hearing Continued Until
Past Midnight.

ne hearing before the special legis-
HttlEc committee on State printing held
another and .inal hearing last evening
me session, beginning at o'clock and
continuing until We'll raSt midnight
ne hearing took place in the hall OF
the House when was crowded TO its
utmost capacity. although the crowd
was pretty We'll rhinnrd cut when mid
ator Heselton. he hearing was presid-
ID over by Mr.. Sewali OF Bath. the
Chairman on the part Of the House.
The evening vas devoted to the evil
d2nce of witnesses introduced by Judge
Foster. and although trey We're put
apOn the stand to testify against the
present prices. there was not one of
them but proved pretty good witness
for the side Of The State printer before
the croSS-examinatiOns by Mr. Baker
ana Mr. Williamson wero concluded.
Tie Witnesses Of the evening were +. r.
Nichols Of Bath. che lat candidate for
State printer; w. +. l.add, a small job
PRINTER of Augusta: Harry f. Waite OF
Concord y. H., a memb"r of the state
printing committee OF New Hampshire:
y. F.. McCIeary. & job printer Of Farm-
ineton: and .. II. Hersey. a POrtla nd
'"wyer who was member of the leg"
islative committees which let the State
printing in the Legislature of 1891 ana
lS33. Mr.. Hars-y has :Ilso appeared in
the case as counsel with Judge Foster
for Mr. Nichols of Bath.
The first witness was Mr.. Nichols of
Faith, who testified in substance as fol-
lows: "HaNe been Il publisher for -
years. Plain composition on book work
1T 40 cents per 1000 ems leaves a rea-
All State work foi this sum. Rurleigh
* Flynt once set type for me ut 20
cents per thousand ems. They did part
of Il job and l aid the rest in my own
Office where paid girls Il cents per
1910 ems for composition"
Mr.. Nichols claimed that he had
compositors who would set and distrib-
ute seven or eight thousand ems Il day.
but when followed up in crOss-examn-
alton as to wages paid. even on that
basis of product Mr.. Williamson made
him admit that the composition would
cost him over 40 cents per thousand
ems. Mr.. Nichols did not claim TO be a
practical printer and his statement on
this point was in sharp contrast TO the
practical printers who had appeared
before the committee. and who were
unanimous in stating 5000 ems as Il
good days work for a first-class COM
position.
ahal in
and other improvements III presses.
folders, etc. have made the work
cheaper than it used to be. Would print
compliment slips and envelopes much
cheaper than prices allowed by the
statutes. Think the present law is rea-
Sonable on rule and figure work. The
present price for press work is ret
sonable for small jobs. but is too high
OF long runs. The allowance OF - per
cent. on stock is no more than reason
able. The wages il my establishment
run from $50 to $40 per week. Should
estimate there ought to he a profit of
$50. 100 on the State printing if the to-
I'll amount done reaches $4,000 annu-
ally. That is a profit of 20 per cent.
and is about tie same as / make on
about S25. 900 annually. Would give
bones to do the State work 10 per cent.
below present prices if | could have
contract for the whole of ii.
On cross-eXamination by Mr.. Will
hanson. Mr.. Nichols admitted that the
worl: done for him by Buileigh & Flynt
for 20 cents per thousand ems was
newspaper composition and delivered
to him on the galley and was done for
him AS an accommodation to fellow
publisher. He had read the proof ana
prepared the type into pages and forms
for the press. Newspaper composition
| is much cheaper than book compost
tion. MIR. Nichols also admitted that
the enycloDps and compliment slips
which have appeared in the case so
Frequently are the jobs of work upon
which the most profit is made and are
not fair examples to judge the state
printing by. He also admitted that it
| Is the universal custom among PRINT
ers to use standing type when they
have the opportunity to do so and to
,harDe fuIl price for composition when
Il is used the second time. In regard
to the prices for press work
Mr.. Nichols admitted that the
statute price of - cents
is very low He also admitted that
tho prices in his private business on
some classes of press work would he
nucb higher than those allowed the
state nrin1er by the Law. In regard TO
the double price allowed for the use Of
colorad ink ana copying ink. NJ. Mich
oIs admitted that this was only fair
CONDENSATION If any considerable
amount Of copying ink was used as
his kind Of ink WAS very destructive
RI rollers. Mr. Nichols said that he
had Two linotype machines in his Of
fee but as he had had them only
,brae months his opinions were rather
hazv rs TO the work they could do and
Tho cost of doing it. In conclusion Mr..
Nichols aduitted that he was not a
practical printer and that in the course