The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-23
State Printing.

On Friday, Senator Heselton, chair
man Of the l5int select committee Oh
State printing, presented the report OF
that committee giving Its findings on the
investigation Of State printing.
The committee, after stating the scope
of its work and explaining the dlsao van.
taRe of working upon technical matter
during very busy Legislative session,
spoke at length on the volume OF print
lbK. In this connection the committee
recommends reductions In the number di
copies Of the reports OF the bank examit-
er, labor statistics, trustees of State pris-
Oh, commlssi ners on contagious diseases
OF animals, registrar Of vital statistics,
Insurance commissioners. railroad com
mlssloners, State superintendent of
echools, state assessors, attorney gener-
al, State board of health. The con-
mlttee recommends increases In repor
OF the land agent and forest commits
sioner from 1900 to 5000 copies and Ihe
report OF the adiutant general from 1000
to 1900. The committee recommends
that all printing OF the University of
Maine be paid for out of its treasury.
The following are among the salient
points of the report:
alt is proper to say here, in Justice to
the printer and the auditor, that there
has been no violation by either of them
of any law of the State 30 far as the it,
vestigation has acquainted Us with the
facts"
Printing bills, payable out OF the
general appropriation, that should have
been submitted to the auditor, have been
so submitted properly audited by him,
and paid out OF the treasury at statute
rates.o
"The overwhelming weight of the ev.
dence was, and we accordingly find, that
a statute or contract containing no prt-
vision to the contrary, printers have h
right to any savings accrung from stand
II g type, or from printing ahead of o.
ders and we further find that when the
present statute was enacted the right Of
the public printer TO such savings WAS
considered by the Legislature in fixing
the rates"
1.-THE public printers method. OF NAL :
ing out bills by numbers instead OF items.
though, in connection with the number
ed samples, more convenient method
for the auditor than any other, does not
furnish the information which 1t is neces-
printers bookkeeping Is subject to the
same objection"
ION the other hand, it is the opinion Of
the committee that these methods have
not resulted In any financial loss to the
State. For the State TO have lost there
by would mean collusion between the
printer and the auditor, OF which there
is not only no evidence, but the circum-
oil 3 hn
tions, both of fact and of law, are that
there has been no such collusion. We
say presumptions, because it has been
impossible for US during this investiga-
tion to audit the auditors work. In fact,
we have sten vouchers for only fraction
of a single year. But both the printer
and the auditor are men of high charac-
ter, and there is nothing to rebut the
testimony in the case, both OF the printer
and the auditor, that all work done by
the printer for the State that should
have been submitted to the auditor, and
WAS payable out Of the general printing
appropriation, has been properly paid for
at the statute rates, and no more"
In regard TO prices the committee
thinks that: "Prices may be more fairly
and easily determined by bids than by
Legislative inquiry.
Thus the committee says; I'VE deem
it to be in the interest Of the State to re-
peal the existing laws creating the Office
of public printer, and to authorize the
governor and council to contract for
State printing on the basis of compet-
tive bids and we so recommend. The
office Of State auditor, should not be
abolished, however, and the act abolish
ing the office of public printer should
give that official reasonable time to com
plete work now on hand and adjust his
business to the change. We suggest
that he will be afforded reasonable time
II the repeating act take effect January,
1906"
The committee submits an act to abol-
ish the office of public printer aud to
authorize contracts for State printing on
the basis of competitive bids made to the
governor and council.
The report OF the committee ia signed
by each member thereof without dissent
on the part OF any member.