The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-01-23

The Secretary of tde Bureau re-
ports tina during the past two years
over 5000 letters have been answered
by him. Many of these have been
sent him by territorial officials who
in case the Bureau did not exist
could doubtless have answered them
selves. 1t would not be impracticable
for all territorial officers to be furn-
ished with pamphlets muca in the
nature of the one entitled "Ho, to
the Land of Sunshine" which could
be bought direct from the publisher,
and could be used in answer to gen
eral letters of inquiry.
While l am DESTROYS of giving full
credit for the good that may have
been accomplished by this Bureau, 1
am Of h opinion that the expense
of it's support and maintenance is not
a proper one for the Territory to in
cur, and l therefore recommend that
such expense be discontinued and
that the Bureau be abolished.
Public Printing.
Sections 2611 to 2616 of the Com
piled Laws of 1897 provide for a Pub
lie Printer to be elected by the joint
ballot of both houses of the General
| Assembly. Section 1912 requires that
all territorial officers shall give their
printing to the Public Printer, and
contains no other provision for the
payment of such printing except that
Y t0o D11h1ia Drintor ovaot +hc. ranaa
rate as that charged by the United
States for similar printing, and for
binding not more than twenty-five per
cent in excess of that charged by the
United States Government for SINH
lar work. While his section of the
Act Provides that all printing shall
be given the Public Printer, section |
2615 is inconsistent Herewith, and
, sets forth that it shall be the duty |
of all territorial, county, and munic-
ipal officers, who purchase or con- |
tract for official printing to procure
the same to be done within the Ter
ritory upon the lowest and best
terms possible.
However, it seems to have been the
CuSCOm " OSNSIdl years past lOT 1
most public officials to act in accord
ance with section 1912 and give their
work to the Public Printer appointed
by the legislature, or his deputy. The
report of the Public Printer hereto an
nexed shows that from March 1905, |
to December 1906, the total amount
expended by the Public Printer was
$16,699.72, between 5000 and $4,000
per year. This amount was divided
between twenty-three Offices and
boards, but of the total amount about
t~hree-fourths comes under three de-
partments, namely 1.-THE Territory of
New Mexico The Bureau of Immi-
grafton, and the Weather Bureau.
-Four thousand three hundred ninety
three dollars and eignty-eignt cents
was spent by the Bureau of Immigra-
ton.
1t seems to have been contemplated
by the act in question that the terri
torial printing and binding should be
done by the Public Printer himself,
inasmucn as the act provides that ne
shall do all suc public work prompt
ly and no other person shall receive
payment for such printing or work.
The amount of printing necessary
to carry on the business of the Ter
ritory is not great. If the Bureau
of immigration expenses were exclud-
ed and the lowest commercial prices
obtained, it would probably not
amount>to more than $500 per year.
1t does not seem that this amount of
work necessitates the somewhat Ella
borate machinery provided by the
first part of this law. l cannot seeI
why the Territory should be in any
different position in this respect than
poration. BY a careful investigation
of the many items contained in the
Public Printers report / find that the
prices charged by him are greatly in
excess of what the same work could
have been done for elsewhere and if
awarded by contract to the lowest re-
spo1sible bidder, OF what it would
been one for by tine same estab-
lishment that performed the work for
the Territory if the printing had been
awarded under the system of competif 81
tive bids The percentage of excess 8
in the prices charged iby the Public
for the work done for the va {
rious public departments, over what /
the same work could have been doae I
for elsewhere, is as follows: /
Sunoriufonda,% - D4h1;1 rx-.z l.