Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-03-06
BLAISDELL
Continued from page ~


these bills, but the secretary of state
does receipt for what supplies come to
his office and keeps track of where they
go. The state auditing board (of which
the secretary of state is not member)
passes direct on the prices rendered in
the bills, and this is the special and
original power of said auditing board.
1t is their business, and does not con-
Germ the secretary of state
Remember that the trustees furnish
the supplies, but do not nor any of
its members as such pass on the prices,
and the secretary of state does not, and
will not on his own responsibility ap-
prove of any prices. This fact l wish
to emphasize. I have in this instance
lately examined the prices referred to
by the committee and also the prices
they submit, and their: prices are Ger
tainly not only very far from being ac-
curate, but in certain instances abso-
lutely untrue, and apparently only sub
nitted for purposes of casting discredit.
I am not passing on the questionability
of office deputies and employees being
interested in local Bismarck business
enterprises of various sorts and, which
concerns are so often soliciting various
state boards for business. However,
this fact is we'll known and it is far
from being discovery"
l also note the committees studied
method in endeavoring to discredit the
secretary of state by fixing upon him
the entire responsibility of the trustees
of public property for supplies author
lied by said trustees, and yet the COM
mittee is forced to admit that the audit
ing board has allowed similar bills IL
past times at simila Figures for suppl:
furnished, as follows: "The prices
charged the state in this instance do not
differ materially from prices previously
charged for this class of supplies"
I will further say that during my ad~
ministration, for the first time in the his
tory OF the state, I have kept a record
of legislative and state supplies left in
my department and can inform any
member what the various departments
have had, and what the members of
the tenth and eleventh legislative as
sembles have had. I would be glad to
have any member inspect these systems
introduced by me two years ago.
The committees report shows our de-
partment with not enough session laws
on hand and with too many revised
codes. This inventory was started and
never completed by them, and anyway
is untrue and misleading. With refer
ence to printing bills, I have to state
that these bills are approved first by
the state printer and then approved by
the commissioners of public printing. ).
Chapter 1856, Laws of 1907, provides
that printing shall be done in the state,
providing it can be done within Is per
cent of what it would cost outside the
state. Undoubtedly printing is some
what more expensive when done within
the state. The suggested printing esti-
mates of the committee are wrong and
entirely. misleading and so intended
The commissioners of public, printing
are DESTROYS of not shutting out 1.-THE
small job plants in the state where such
printing can be done within fifteen per
cent of what it can be done for outside
Of the state, as provided by, said chap
ter 1876. H. s,..@.. .&.. ~. :. r. + =
The entire report is, as we'll know.
instigated and practically prepared by
Messrs. Packard and PIoyher Of the
Valley City Times Record, whose en-
nifty 1 have incurred solely through my
constant refusal to allow that paper to
dictate my political and official affairs,
and owing further to my constant Re.
fusal TO repeated oral and written re-
quests made for both money and public