The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-17
THE PRINTING SCANDAL
Serious Problems Confronting the
Present Legislature

The appearance OF the unpaid print
ing bills Of the Burlington Free Press.
the st. Adams Messenger and the Tut
tie company before the legislature the
resolution OF the House into a com
mittee Of the whole. its summons Of
the auditor, attorney general and
printing commissioner. and the lay
ing before that body OF the whole sor-
did story Of combination forced prl
ces and non-competition, Is chap
ter OF legislative history which may
appeal to some as a humorous in
cldent but which Is decidedly unsaY-
DRY and discreditable, when viewed
nom serious standpoint, says the
Rutland Herald.
1t appears that these firms cannot
sue the state in law, and the veto of
their bills on the ground that their
work for the state was based on an
illegal contract in restraint Of trade
and void, left them but two avenues
OF recoVery--mandamus proceedings
through the supreme court or direct
appeal TO the legislature. The attor-
ney general stated In open committee
that In his opinion the court would
positively decline to issue an order
requiring the auditor to pay the claims
the presumption being that these
firms would have no standing what
ever In a court of record In this state.
The serious character Of the prob
lem before the legislature then be-
comes apparent. II Is constituted a
court of final jurisdiction and its first
acquaintance with the problem was
notable by several facts:
First, the chairman of the commit
tee on claims. Mr.. Seaver of Williams
town, admitted having never heard
the notorious contract read
Second, several members Of the
committee made the singular argu.
ment that because the other members
Of the combination, the Argus com
pany, the Watchman company, A. F.
Stone and II. +. Parker, had been paid
In full, the state should in equity pro-
coed to pay the others. Mr.. Goodell
the gentleman from Nottingham a
veteran legislator made a notable an.
swer to this proposition:
IF some one has been stealing my
chickens. can only punish the fell
lows catch at IT,"
The third incident was the indig-
nant arraignment of the praying firms
by Representative Martin OF Brook
line who said that 1t was perfectly ap.
parent that these firms had cOnspired
to defraud the state. and, because
their fellows had succeeded in getting
off, the legislature is now asked TO
pay the rest In full He was in favor
Of paying just what the work was ac-
tually worth and then directing the
attorney general TO proceed against
them for conspiracy. This would
mean that the printing commissioner
must review the bills of these firms
for four years. deduct the graft and
then see whether there is actually a
balance due them or whether the
state should not recover the differ.
ence.
The whole unpleasant affair merely
emphasizes the imperative need oil
such an official as Printing Commits
sioner Langley and reflects credit OF
the auditor and attorney general who
|, have had the requisite backbone Il
stand out against two of the mos
powerful newspapers of the state ant
declare themselves on the side o
honest contracts.
The Herald presents TO Horace
Graham and Clarke G. Fits it's mos
distinguished consideration.