Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-04-06
Whitney for State Printer

'Hc 'lhCe' II IL not Tie big rat" Office
It is accused of being.
In the first place the appropriation
for printing" conveys a wrong mpres-
sion. The biennial appropriation is not
for printing alone, but includes also the
cost OF paper, ruling, election supplies
and many smaller items, amounting.for
The biennial period TO about $4,000.
Tho last report of the Secretary of
STATE to the Legislature will show these
hgures to be correct. Then the State
rrinter must provide his own printing
plant and pay all running expenses of
the office. The pay rolls alone for the
two years exceed $4,000. The Salem
typographical Union can bear out the
accuracy of this statement. The cost
OF material, a limited amount of work
done i'll outside Union offices during a
rush in the State Printing Office. rent
power, inks, and hundred other ex-
peuses, adds fully $40. 900 more. This
makes $5S,000 of expenses which the
state Printer does not get.
Thus it will be readily seen that when
The cost of production oi the printing
Is taken into consideration, the State
Printing Office is not all profit. 1t is
just like any other printing business.
costs something to run it.
Criticism has for years been directed
at the State Printing Office and it
seems that it still continues. The pres
ont State Printer has been accused of
craft, of dividing the profits of the Of
ice with political bosses, and of a fur
ther division for the use of the state
printing plant. There is absolutely no
truth III these statements. | pay 500
per month rental for the plant and no
mora, which is considered reasonable
genital. have lease duly signed to
his effect, and there has been no divi-
sion of the office with any person.
The fees paid the State Printer are
fixed by law, and every item printed is
measured by an expert printer, up
pointed by the Governor, whose duty
II IS to measure the printing and aftix
the amount due as provided by law.
Governor Chamberlain appointed to
this position Mr.. Albert Tozier, Dem
ocrat, practical printer, and secretary
of the Oregon Press Association, whose
integrity is unquestioned aud who has
measured all printing done and ap-
proved all bills therefor in strict ac-
cordance with law. Every bill for
printing is carefully audited by the
Secretary of State. Mr.. Dunbar is
acknowledged to be one OF the best
officers the state has ever had, and his
auditing stamp of approval is sufficient
-ualantee Of honest accounting.
The state Printing Office is target
oi attack without just reason. The
hoavy cost of printing in past years
'as been chiefly due to the large nun.
Der OF copies printed. This has been
reduced by law, and the price now paid
3y the State for most of the public
printing is not above that charged by
the printing firms OF Portland, and
some Of 1t is considerably less. For
some classes OF work, especially where
large number of copies are required
TO be printed, the price should be re-
duced somewhat
have given this subject crreful study.
and believe there are two methods by
which the cost of printing could be
Kept down to Il minimum. One is to
limit the volume of printing and re.
wise the schedule of prices upon an up
lo-date basis, the same as that of com
mcrcial printing generally. The other
for the State TO own and operate its
own printing plant, and to pay the
state Printer reasonable fiat, fixed
salary. Either of these plans, or SIM
l!ar plans along these lines, which the
legislature might adopt for the better
ment OF the service, would meet my
Doarty support.
hy Republicanism will be attested
by the people of Linn County, where l
-ormerly edited the Daily and Weekly
Herald for twenty years
As native Oregonian and a printer
oi twenty-five years experience, | have
eudeavored 10 conduct the State Print
= Office in a clean, business.hke man.
uer, and as a candidate for second
terIh, am willing to stand upon my
'etaord. The books of the office are
zen for inspection. j r. WHITNEY.