Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-11-19
COMMISSION NEEDED.

In emphatic manner the people OF
oregon have spoken in opposition to
the early placing into effect of the
fiat salary state printer law passed by
the legislative assembly Of 1910, and
they have decided wisely The effect
of the heavy vote against the propos-
al will, we believe, result in causing
its repeal by the coming legislature
1t should be repealed, II the people
would continue to control the state
printing office.
The present law is much to be pre-
ferred to the new measure. All that
is necessary is to revise the present
schedules under which the work is
done, on some of the work the prices
are too high and on others the re-
verse is true. Mr.. Duniway, the pres.
ent efficient state printer, admits that
he receives too much for some work
and far too little for other work.
The present schedules We're adopted
many years ago when there was
vast difference in the prices of paper
stock, in type and printing material
and in the compensation paid work.
ingmen.
The Observer has all along insisted
that this was the trouble, and the on
ly fault with the present arrangement
of the state printing department. The
writer has had experience in several
states both under the state-owned,
fiat salary system, and the privately
owned fee paid plan now in force in
Oregon, and he knows that In every
instance, where an honest official is
entrusted with the office, the latter
plan has proven the more satisfactory.
Expert Harris in his numerous at
tacks on the present system invarta-
bly, failed to explain wherein the plan
proposed by the Salem printers would
improve what he declared to be the
present undesirable practice. The
Observer pointed way out of the
trouble, and since election Mr.. Har-
ris has issued a circular lettcr boldly
claiming the entire proposal as his
own. Well let it go at that. The
Observer doesn't really mind lar~
ris can have the credit, the main
thing is to have the plan adopted. 1t
is this: The appointment by the leg
isative assembly of commission to
revise the schedules This commits
sion must be composed of men thor
oughly conversant with methods that
prevail in the large printing office.
Metropolitan employing printers
men who deal in thousands and who
know the business from A to y should
be asked to serve. In addition there
should be two or three competent ty-
pograhical union foremen, and the
whole commission should be COM.
posed of at least seven members
Such a collection of competent men,
who know every crook and turn of
the printing business, and who can
and do figure to the cent the cost
and profit on all kinds of printing
from a visiting card to the 1000 page
catalogue, or the most intricate work,
would soon arrive at a decision and
formulate a schedule that would ef-
fectively eliminate all claims of
graft" in connection with the state
printing department 1t would be
just to the state and fair to the state
printer. Under its provisions it would
be impossible to graft If an official
felt so inclined.
But everything depends upon the
commission. No mistake must be
made there. No small town printers
should be named. Not because they
wouldn't do the best they knew, but
rather for the reason that the job is
one requiring the judgment of men
who deal in big things in the print
ing business as they are more apt to
know the requirements in the state
Office. The commission needs to be
made up Of successful business men
rather than experts"