The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-17
pAROCHIAL AND MUNICIPAL PRINT
ING CONTRACTS.

4
TIL new law governing the letting
out of public printing contracts IN this
state-Act No. al of 1912-specifical-
" authorizes police juries and mun1c
ipal corporations to make contracts
with official printers for the publ
cation of all proceedings, ordinances
notices, ETC., thus exempting the
parish printer from the category OF
officials whom Attorney General
Pleasant has decided must be PAID
according to the fee bill rather than
by salary or fixed compensation.
This change in the printing law,
leaving it optional with parochlai
and municipal authorities to make de-
finitive salary contracts if they pre-
| fer that plan to the fee system, I'M
plies a recognition on the part Oh
| the general assembly of the con-
/ {ention that it is to the pubic IN
terest and advantage to vest ponce
| iuries and town or city councils WIN
such discretion. If this be true as
! to the official printer, it is equally
| so as to the district attorney, sheriff
! and coroner, and there ought TO- pe
legislation by the general Assembly
| If necessary. to authorize the substl-
Tuition of fixed compensation for the
fees of all these officers. ~
/ The St. Bernard Voice, whose ed,
Fl tor and proprietor is an Influential
representative in the general as
sembly and president of the Loulsl
ana Press Association, comments
With justice and understanding OF
the attorney generals opinion and thu
IneW printing law, as follows:
soThe attorney general takes tn
view that under. the old law pollct
iuries and municipal corporation
: could not pay the official journa
a fixed salary, he evidently actln'
! upon the. theory that where tn
|flat-rate was agreed upon betWeel
the newspaper owners and pollc
: juries or municipal corporation, tn
' former cot the best end of the dea
$ But this is not SO. We know ina
: in several parishes and towns or 81
: les the newspapers are under Col
/ tract, doing the printing Tor a spt
f Gifted sum. to the distinct adVantae
n of the said parishes Or municipalities
: and this in the face OF the 1ae
Z that the old law provides that tn
il .narisb or municipal printer shall hay
s. a right to demand so cents Pc
q square of one hundred words, ETC..
. .'Not a single newspaper IN LOUIS
:. ana or anywhere else has ever pes
/ overpaid for the public pruning, u
d fee bill being lower than the con
,r mercial rates, or the contract prle
! being always reasonable, enaDil1
the laW-making bodies to pHblls
q their proceedings in full and a
VI quaint the taxpayers and the Peep
AID ganerally i ca ~ rs
8 #szs. he news printing act alltnorlz'
Is police juries or municipal corpor
tions to enter into contracts outrlgh
at a given price, with neWspap
owners or editors, and if they
not care to do this, they must the
4, pay them according to space, Il
y rate having been raised from 81
Sc 10 cents per square. The contra
Of plan, which has been IN vogue
IL many parishes, and has proven ju
as fair to one side as to the othe
= will now be- SagaHzed, but it is 4
se- compulsory either on the part OF q
ed police juries or municipal corpol
,foti
ed tons. Representative :, Sleay soli..,.
= Concordia, one Of the floor leade
81 in the house, is the author OF t
Ne new printing law.
co. Newspapers are business insti1
,al tions and are now being conduct
i with more regard for business prln
= pies, and while the new printing I
'es is not perfect and newspapers "
as still be underpaid, it is an impro'
ment on the old law and will alto
a. more satisfaction