The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-07
NOT FOR KANSAS.
State Will Not Print Blanks for
Counties.
Senate Committee on Ways and
Means Kills the Bill.
FEAR OF THEEXPENSE
Increase Annual Cost of Plant
Twenty Thousand Dollars.
Bill Placing Shawnee Back in
Fourth District.
FEAR OF THEEXPENSE

By decisive vote. the Austin bill
for the printing of county and town
ship blank books at the state printing
plant, went down to defeat Monday
afternoon at the hands of the senate
committe on ways and means. A half
dozen representatives OF large Kansas
plants fairly overrode the state
printer elect in their lists of statistics
and estimates of printing and declared
that the practical side of the state
printing plant was a delusion, fond
dream and financial loss to the state.
Austin stepped into ell laid trap
when he estimated the cost of produc-
| ton of a large blank book lying on
I the table in the committee room. He
| had offered to the committee much ar
gument why the state shoulo issue the
blank books and Senator Glenn asked
the cost of the book in question. Aus
| tin said the book which is sold by the
| printing plants at about $40. could be
produced in the state institution at
$1,000. His items of expense totalled
$11.25
After the Austin speech, George
Crane of Topeka stated to the com
mittee that for the state to enter into
! the business would increase the cost
of the plant to the state at least 500
! 600 a year and that the state would
annually lose $4,000 in personal
taxes which it receives from the large
printing establishments He declared
that the present plant was inadequate
to handle the proposed business and
that it would be folly to try to take on
this new plan.
Frank crane followed his father and
showed the items of expense necessary
Ito produce the book in question. He
showed the items which meant an eX-
pense to the Crane plant, he declared,
of 1851 to publish the book and said
the close competition kept down the
profits of the business and compelled
the printers to make close estimates
| J. E Moore of the PittSburg Head
light took the pink wrappers from the
state printing plant and laid bare the
campaign policies of the new Chase
county official. Moore declared that
the states printing business was being
conducted on loose jointed plan
which would force to the wall any in
dividual concern which operated on
! the same basis. He said he had in
Ivestigated the estimating system of the
state printing plant and found that the
same cost estimate of 4S cents an hour
was made both for the folding girls
who receive $3.50 a week and for the
| expert binders who draw $3.50 pay
checks. He attacked the theory of uni
formity of plates for printing as being
obsolete and impractical. He pointed
to the fact that there was a state law
which forbade the use of linotype and
folding machines for state printing, yet
said they were in use III the present
plant.
I Moore declared that in the estimates
made in the state plant, that the sal
airy of the state printer, the custom
airy allowances for taxes, insurance,
! heat, light and power were not figured.
| He offered statistics from the office of
the state auditor, which he vouched,
] showed that in addition to the first
cost of the printing plant which was
nearly $1,000 that the plant was
today costing the state more money
than the old system and that the state
did not receive the service which it
formerly enjoyed.
Il want you to note,'' said Moore,
that the cost of operation for the
last six years of the old state printer
plan was 557.171.3T; and that the
six years of state ownership was $55 L.
492.01, or a saving of $946-56 a year
over the old plan. But, 1 want you
to note further that the cost of paper
under the new plan is more than 3d.
| 600 a year less than under the old
Il plan. . That means much less print
ing for the state and of course a nat
, ural saving. The state, you remember,
bought the paper under both the old
and new system.
You will also note that under the
old state printer plan the public rec
ord books were bound in full leather
| Under the state ownership plan, they
are bound in three-quarter leather
Formerly the supreme court decisions
/ were bound in sheepskin, now in
buckram-much cheaper material
The 1897 laws made it impossible for
the state printer to use labor saving
machinery. Under the new plan type
! setting machines and other labor saw
ing devices are permitted
Moore declared that to accomplish