Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1908-12-18
THAT CURTAILED PRINTING BILL

The in which the plain mandate of law is evaded
sgnay illustrated in the action of the board of
vsors meeting regard the printing bill of
the Amadoa Dispatch The Dispatch put in bill of $72o7o
for printing supplies, mainly election printing and
supplies Among other items the printing of the great
register for which charge of $2287o made The estab
shed for this work. according the revised schedule
adopted last spring five cents per This cut
of onehaf from the price heretofore allowed But the bill
of the Dispatch put the old cents per
That is say, claim for extra work made,
which amounted five per The basis OF this
ira charge the that under law passed by the last
legislature column added the printed index
namely the column stating the occupation OF the voters So
that for this column contemporary charged much
as all other work put together The rate of five cents
fixed long after the law requiring the additional column
passed The editor of the Ledger instrumental in
fixing reduced He admitted before the board that
when he named that ignorant of the change in the
law recurring the additional column making six columns in
stead of five as before He also told them that he would have
considered himself bound by the established and would
have made no additional charge for the additional column
had the work been submitted to him.
The law this subject provides as follows:
The board shall annually fix the price which
the county shall be supplied with job printing and
blank books, from a schedule prepared by the clerk
of the board showing all blanks and blank books
used in several Offices and departments and also the
price of all county advertising and each county
officers shall procure such blank books job print
inq and advertising required tor the proper dis
charge of his official duties such printing and
advertising be done by such person or newspaper
as such county officer may designate at price no
greater than is so fixed and certify the bill therefor
to the Board of Supervisors.
Under this provision the duty of the officer having charge
of this matter was get the work done the established
rate if he could do So He left discretion. If the
printing Office of his choice refused do the job at the price
he in insce the Taxpayers and in compliance with the
spirit of this law supposed ascertain whether could
be done elsewhere If does this the law is sham
and farce No county official is empowered pile up costs
against the county simply bolster up political friends
And this great register given the Dispatch without
any the price other that the established
schedule and without consulting other printers And the
Dispatch after doing the work this layout puts in bill
of ten cents per instead of FIVE And the board of
supervisors without seeking information find the real
value of Notwithstanding it to be eXtra-allowed
$50 for that sing column. This allowance nearly
half the total of balance of the job As matter of fact
the work involved onetweh part of the entire job
And while printer put in gouging bill for STA for this
extra work he claimed it to be, the board cut it downto
$50 The truth is he would have been we'll paid had the
allowance been less than one-thrd that
The point strongly favortsm for partisan motives
1t in striking action Of the board in mat
ter in which the Ledger has been concerned We doubt if
any careful business would conduct his private bua
ness along such lines is hoped this example not be
considered precedent for the coming four of democratic
supremacy on the board of supervisors.