Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-01-30
MsMsee or RE 4ssoo,ArsD sssss
THE PRINTING INDUSTRY.

Fs
THE PRINTING INDUSTRY.
North Dakota is not manufacture
ing state and as compared with other
states the pay rolls of manufacture
ing industries is not very large.
Strange as it may seem printing and
publishing ranks second in inn
portanee in this state. Bulletin No.
"a, from the census department,
Washington, 1905, shows that the
milling industry in North Dakota
ranks first, the value of the product
for 1906 being s6,463, aaas. Printing
and publishing follows, the total
value OF the product for 1905 being
s1,11O,439.
All other manufact curing in the state
combined, except milling, hardly ex-
ceeds that Of printing.
Wages constitute a large proportion
of the expense Of printing.
Printers receive good wages and
they generally spend their wages in
the community where they work.
To cripple or iniure the publishing
business IN North Dakota is neither
wise, nor is it desirable
1t is a fact, the proof of which can
easily be substantiated, that publish
ers generally are not prosperous.
There are very few paying publishing
houses in this or any other state.
. In a measure this is the faultSo the
publishers but the fact remains the
same ss$ 81. s. n
Under the present laws of this state
Fall state and county printing must be
done in the state and where practi-
cable in the county where the print
4 ing is desired y The intent of this
law was to protect and encourage
/ home industry eardia1 republican
\ principal
1T is now proposed to repeal this
law and throw down the bars to the
print shops OF other states, where
labor and material are cheaper
The excuse is that the protection
heretofore afforded has resulted in
"a combination to maintain prices.
To maintain the prices of printing,
so that good wages can be paid and
manufacturing establishments built up
in this state may have been a crime
but 1t has been no more of crime
than the means used by every success
full business enterprise in the state.
But no matter about the past the
present contract price of public
printing in North Dakota is as ridicul-
Z ously law as it ever was unreason-
ably high. Every printer and publish
er knows that.
1t costs the North Dakota publisher
from 10 to Is per cent more to do
4 business than it does the ST Paul,
Chicago or st. Louis printer. This is
!. an undisputed fact
If the legislature wants to be fair
and does not desire to do an injustice
to the city and country printers Of
North Dakota 1.-THE second in i'm
1 portance Of the manufacturing in
dustries Of the state instead OF re
4 pealing the present laws providing fol
the county and state printing to BIZ
done in the state, and in the county
q using the same where practicable, i
should simply amend the present Law
BY attaching a proyiso that the stat,
y or county shall not pay to exceed tel
or fifteen per cent above the price!
the same work can be secured for out
side Of the state
Such d proyiso would effectuall.
head off any possible combinations {,
boost prices and at the same tim
afford just fair protection to an i'm
portant industry In the state.
No North Dakota print shop cal
compete successfully with those o
the large cities where combination o
I. capital lower rates Of interest an,
cheaper wages prevail
This Is q more serious propositiol
than the average legislator may cor
y template. rs
The reforms, the safeguards
that IS In reason required OF desirabI
lean be as well accomplished by fiji
3 Ing 4 small maximum percentage pre-
lection as BY throwing down the bar
and thus crippling the second industr
il1 the state.
sss S
The Wilton News wants more lat
tude and urges tfe repeal Of the streete
Incl laW