Evening journal., 1906-11-15
Thursday, November IS, 1906,
rHosE BALLor RILLs AoAIN:

TUESDAY afternoon the Levy Court gave
Il careful consideration to the bill OF the
News Publishing Company for printing the bal
lots for the recent election and decided, we think
properly. TO pay it. The bill was for printing
counting, folding, boxing and boxes and paper
for 10000 ballots, at $I2so per thousand Sl575'
Thus it appears that the bill covered every serV-
ice connected with the election ballots, from re-
ceivine the copy Of the ballot to the delivery OF
the carefully packed boxes to the Clerk OF the
Peace. to be handed ont TO the election officers.
Besides the mere printing of the ballots, 1t re-
ouired great deal of care and supervision on
the part OF the contractor, who was Obliged TO
have a large number of employees to examine the
ballots count and fold and pack them in and seal
and label the 247 boxes. Compared with pre-
vious bills paid by Democratic Levy Courts It
was very reasonable being about one-third less
We do not know how much Printer KRAMER
CHARGED Der thousand for his work. There were
approximately 247 changes and separate lot OF
ballots had to be printed for each change, and
each lot kept separate and so delivered to the
contractor. That OF itself was a big undertaking
II NAV be that the work was well paid Tor and
As it was well done-we have not heard OF
single mistake or objection--tnere is no reason
,0hv such service should not be wei oompen-
stated.
There appeared in the proceedings OF the Levy
Court Tuesday, during the consideration oi the
ballot bill. the ghost Of another charge threat
ened to be made by the Clerk OF the rsaee'
amounting to $500, for experimenting the
printing OF election ballots, etc. Considering me
very little work that was done by the Clerk OF
the Peace, his taking or the Levy Court allowing
anv such sum from the taxpayers money would
be no less than a downright robbery, and pun
ishment OF some kind should be visited as well
upon the receiver as those who make II possible
for him to get away with such an enormously
large unearned sum- We venture the assertion
that if every minute the Clerk Of the Peace
spent in connecticut with the election and the
preparation OF the ballots were to be added to-
oether. il would not make the total time OF one
dav of ten hours, and the proposition to pay him
even $40 a day for the tweny days intervening
between the time the first ballot was filed TO the
dav of election-S2oo-is unreasonably large, and
TO pav for one full days time $500 carries ITS
own comment into the minds OF the thousands
~ ncoole whose hard earnings are forced from
them in-the shape OF taxes to pay the bills and eN
penses Of the county Again for doing compar
at;velv nothing. the Clerk of the Peace propose
70 sandbag the county for $500, which is SI2
more than all OF the material work and labo
connected with the printing, counting foldins
packing and distribution OF the 10000 ballots
The proposition is not only absurd but 1t Is DIS
honest and we are sure that the members oi IN
Levy Court will not be party to such an out
rageous imposition upon the taxpayers OF thi
county They are fully warned against such ac
ton now and will probably be again when tn
watchful and honest County Comptroller exam
ines and passes on the bill previous to its benl
acted upon by the Levy Court