Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-18
STATE PRINTING.
continued from Page one)

t,ill Is to confer upon the Governor and
Council the same discretion as to the
volume of printing under Section 20 of
Chapter 3. as is now vested IN phem I'M
der Sections "a and %.
II these two bills are enacted into law,
the volume of the State printing will be
somewhat reduced, and will be within
the control, theoretically at least, of the
Governor and Council. and the distribu-
ton of the reports win be placed on
more systematic and economical basis.
II, in addition TO that, accounts were
kept by some State official under the
direction of the Governor and Council
and made public. showing in detail the
exact cost of the printing for each de-
partment and State institution, 1t is be-
iieeed by the committee that further
curtailment IN volume would result Not
withstanding the control, in respect to
volume, that is theoretically, as We have
said. vested in the Governor and Council,
and the power of the Legislature to limit
appropriations, and otherwise define the
limits within which printing shall be
done at the expense of the State, the
question: of what shall be printed must,
after all, be left very largely to the dis
erection and sound Judgment Of the heads
of departments themselves; but it is
proper, on the other hand, that the State
should have the benefit Of such restraint
upon the exercise Of that discretion as
would result from the annual or bien-
Mia. publication Of detailed figures show
ing the cost to the State of the printing
for each department of the State govern
ment. Such information could be furnish
ed by the State officials whose duty ii
shall be to keep the accounts. 1t is large
ly a matter of bookkeeping, and It may
be sufficient to make the suggestion
without embodying it in formal
statute.
These recommendations and sugSes-
tions of the committee in respect to the
volume of printing are the more import
amt and necessary, in view of the recent
marked increase in volume. even during
the decade covered by the existing
law, and in view of the probable
ity Of further increase in the future,
whatever restraints are imposed by the
Legislature.
We come now to the other branch Of
the inquiry, which we were charged TO
make namely, to the matter of the law
creating the Office of public printer
and fixing his compensation. We have
carefully studied this law, and have
learned what We could of it's origin,
meaning and practical working. We
have heard numerous witnesses, in
Guiding the public printer himself his
partner, who has been in immediate
| and oh rey.a re- tn {ot
ing, the State auditor, practical prin-
tiers of our own State and from Massa-
chusetts, and the Secretary of the New
Hampshire Printing Commission; and
have had the benefit of the arguments
of counsel. AS result Of all this, GER
tain facts stand out very clearly, and
certain other things, as hereinafter
specified, are not go clear.
The statute divides the State print
ing into classes, book or pamphlet
/ work, and miscellaneous work These
are sharply distinguished in the stat
ute. not only n price but also in the
manner in which they are ordered. the
person to whom each is delive red, and
the evidence of their completion and
delivery which must be furnished the
| auditor. So far as the book work.
which comprises almost two-thirds of
| the whole, is concerned, itemizel bills
approved by the auditor are filed with
the Governor ard Council. So far as
| miscellaneous work ls concerned, the
public printer has received in each
| case, so far as our investigation has
gone, upon delivery Of each completed
job of printing the receipt required by
| Section IN Of (>hanfa Of ho Il
statutes, and the saline has been at
tached to a sample OF the Job and SUBJ
| mitted to the auditor, as required by
the same section. together with a bill,
i'll which the charges are indicated by
numbers only. but corresponding to the
| numbers Of the samples. On approval
| by the auditor, the dill, containing
| numbers but no. items. has been pre-
| scented TO the Governor ard Council.
paid and receipted, and preserved il,
the office Of the Secretary of State.
| The receipts and samples have not
been SO preserved, Or preserved at all,
except for brief time after payment
| of the bill. These samples and receipts
1t is proper to say, are made by law
| the printers vouchers for the compile
ton and delivery of the work. The
| Governor and Council have never, UNI
til after this investigation began, re-
| quested the filing by the public printer
| of itemiZed bills, or the preservation of
samples and receipts. 1t may be re-
marked that the samples are Of great
ly varying size and of great number,
and are not easily filed III any systema-
tic way. 1t also appears that the meth
cd of bookkeeping employed by the
| printer has not been such as to shoH
readily what miscellaneous printing
has been done from time to time for
| each department or institution.
The committee has two comments to
make on these facts, and desires to
| emphasize each of them.
| The public printers method of MAX
ing out bills by numbers instead Of
items, though, in come ction with the
numbered samples more convenient
method for the auditor than any other
does not furnish the information which