Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-03
The State Book Printing Of 1907.

The State Book Printing OF 1907.
The Waterville Sentinel is still angry
at the Governor and Council for foil
ing it in its attempt to recoup its
losses on the State book work by get
ting an extra $1,000 from the State
on the legislative printing, breaks out
in a new place. This time it accuses
the Governor and Council of turning
over to Burleigh & Flynt book print
ing that properly belonged to the Wa
tcrville Sentinel, instancing the state
Treasurer's report. the vital statistics
report, the fish and game report the
Adjutant Generals report and the re-
mort of the Industrial School for Girls.
Now what are the facts? We do not
think that the Sentinel will deny that
Rurleiyh & Flynt had a contract with
tho State covering all the book work
for the years 1906 and 1907, and that
this contract did not expire until mid
nigh. of December 81, 1907. 1t will not
deny that this contract gave Burleigh
G. Flynt not only the right to do the
book work of 1906 and 1907 but it also
gave them the right to complete any
work upon which they had made be-
ginning. We believe that, strictly in
tcrpreted, this contract gave Burleigh
& Flynt the right to print all the re-
ports whose subject matter covered
the years 1906 and 1907. They did not
however raise any question of this
kind with the State. They were con-
tent to take the work actually put into
their hands, in whole or in part, for
printing during the period that their
contract was actually in force. The
Sentinel says that these five reports
"belong in the State book printing for
1898 and should go to the Sentinel
Company under its contract" This
statement is absolutely false. All five
of the reports mentioned by the Sen
tiiiel were 1907 reports, submitted to
the Governor and Council and ordered
printed by them in 1907. and put into
the hands of the printer in whole or
in part, in 1907.
The work on those reports actually
belonged to Burleigh G. Flynt under the
terms of their contract. The contract OF
the Sentinel did not go into effect until
Jan. l. 1903. The Sentinel affects to
feel agerieved because the Governor
and Council did not ignore the plain
provisions OF the States contract with
Burleigh & Flynt and carry those re-
ports of 1907 coming in at the close Of
the year over into the year 1903 for the
benefit of the Waterville Sentinel!
This shows how little bound by con-
tract obligations the Sentine! would be
were it placed in a position Of similar
Let us say here that the Governor
and Council. made no attempt to push
forward OF carry over reports. They
were passed upon and ordered printed
as they were received and put into the
hands of the printer precisely as they
have been put out in years past. 1t ia
true that the Governor and Council
made no exceptions from the long eS-
tablished rule for the purpose of
helping out the Waterville Sentinel by
violating 10th the long established
-ule OF usage and the plain provisions
IF Burlcigh & Flynt's contract: but the
which pretends to believe in
honesty and fair play-savc where its
JWn financial interests are concerned -
has no reason to criticise them Oh that
account.
The plain fact is that E;irleiSl
& Flynt received no more than they
were legally ard fairly entitled to I'M
der the terms of their contract. Tie
rretcnds to be very angry be-
rause the Governor and Council did Tot
see fit to carry over into the year 1898.
for its special benefit printing of the
year 1907. Which was turned in and
ordered done, III the year 1907. and to
which it had not the shadow of right
under the provisions OF it's contract