The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-11-13
TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY
THREE PRINTING BILLS
House Hears the Pros and Cons Of a
Discussion and Then Defer Action
on the Matter.
state House. Nov. ID.

State House. Nov Is.
The House went into the committee
of the whole yesterday afternoon for the
first time this session to interogate
Attorney General C. c. Fits and State
Auditor Horace r. Graham with regard
to the bin TO pay certain publishers the
sum therein named. which the committee
on claims reported fayorahly. Mr.. Seav-
er of WIlliamstown, chairman of the
committee on claims. presided, and it
was bad day for the printers.
State Auditor Graham was asked to
tell his story and he stated that State
Treasurer Fl H. Deavitt had furnished
him an agreement between the printers
in 1904, six concerns which presumed to
divide up the different state jobs, and
an agreement whereby certain concerns,
in consideration for not bidding on other
Jobs, should receive from the others extra
compensation for the Jobs actually han
died. He stated that when he had pos
session Of this agreement he took counsel
from the attorney general and refused
to pay the three printers, the Burling
ton Free Press. the st. Adams Messen
ger, and the Tnttle company, the con
Germs which had not drawn their money
before the revelation Of the contract,
The amounts were respectively 81 ,233.Ss,
81 .233ss and ss23.35 The other con
Germs were the Vermont Waterman, the
Argus & Patriot, and the Opinion Pub
fishing company.
Mr.. Howe oil Bennington asked Mr..
Graham III the printing Jobs had been
furnished properly by the concerns, and
ii the prices named in the bill were
much larger than they would be under
the system of figuring now in use. Mr.,
Graham said that the work had been
performed. but that he was not quite
satisfied to state how much higher the |
bills were, but that he believed there
was perhaps $3.50 difference each in the |
cases OF the ST. Arms Messenger and |
the Free Press association. AS to the /
other bill, he referred the Legislators to
MFR. Langley Of Barre, the printing com
whom he hard heard remark Thar
the third concern might owe the state |
something
Mr. Howe asked some questions about |
tabular work, but Mr.. Graham stated /
that be was not fitted to 90 into discus
sion ON the technicaities of the bust
ness,
Attorney, General G. G. Fits was then
called upon to tell something Of the legal +
end Of the question. He stated that he /
based his decision on the strength Of the I
contracts between the state and the bid
ders being illegal as there was eombi
nation making them void and against
public policy. He did not attempt to
say the amount that might be due the
printers. hut simply that the contracts
in his opinion were void and that the
supreme court would. in his opinion. on
the strength OF former decisions. refuse
q writ of mandamus A writ of manda
mus was the only remedy for the reeov-
cry of the bill outside the legislature.
This proceeding might be taken by the
printers II they 50 desired.
Several OF The ms npbers of the com
mittee on claims then expressed them
selves One thought that in view of the
fact that the other printers. except these
hree firms. had drawn their pay, that
the state ought 10 reimburse these. and
there is there were grounds for legal
on the strength Of irrcgl.
Iarity or combination, against any or
al Of the firms, proceed against them
Another said he was among the minor I
Ity on the committee and he believed
settlement of the bills slang the lines
d the present figuring Of printing was I
he fair way to dispose Of tie bills. The
opinions then expressed were varied, and |
q this iancture the gentleman from !
Nottingham Mr. Goodell, wsxsd face
Lious, saying that he was one Of the