Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-06
Mr.. Callahan Answers Journal.

| Augusta, Maine, June 5, 1914
! To the Editor of the Kennebec Journal:
| Gentlemen:
The Lewiston Journal of June End
! had a short editorial on the State Aud
! itor, called forth by an investigation
being made by him, regarding Auto
mobile Registration receipts. Those re-
marks form the basis of an editorial
in your paper of this morning, in part
| of which you say the Auditors Office
Controls the placing of all miscel-
| laneous department printing of the
| State and that the Lewiston journal
receiving a large part of 1t occasions
no surprise that Mr.. Callahan should
be the favored one among other de-
partlnent heads" also this praise of
a member of the enemy's camp the
Kennebec Journal accepts at its face
value" You also kindly state that "on
State Auditor Callahan's account you
are rather sorry to see the Lewiston
Journal booming him. The reason or
motives for any article of the Lewis
ton Journal, l have nothing to say.
They are able to speak for themselves,
but that part of the editorial in which
they refer to what they said of me two
years ago, certainly could not nave
anything to do with Glass B printing
to which you refer.
Any public officer must expect to be
criticized in the performance of his
duty and l am no exception, but wnen
you give the impression that am faV-
oring one office rather than another IN
any State Printing which is nos under
contract (and Glass B. is the only one
not under ContracD and your readers
are apt to think this is done at the
states expense, then 1t becomes my
duty to notice it. The Committee OF
the Governor and Council called for
bids twice in 1913 for Glass B.. or
miscellaneous printing. The hrst time
June 18th there was only ono pldder
the Kennebec journal and the pld
was rejected for being considerable IN
excess of what the State mad been
paying On July 29th the second bids
were opened and in those figures the
Lewiston Journal was considerably
lower than the Kennebec Journal,
neither being the lowest bidder. The
Committee on Printing instructed the
Auditors Office to give the lowest DID,
der trial before making contract,
which was done and the same not pelng
satisfactory no contract was maze.
Since then Glass B. has been distrlput-
ed to many offices for the best interest
of the State at lowest possible prices.
No favored one. The Lewiston jour
nal being the second lowest bidder nat
urally received part Of the order In
this class. but at the price of their BID.
If the People of the State feel that
the State Auditors Office should De
criticized for placing the State printing
under Glass B. when ii can De done
at a low rate. all things being equal,
there would be some ground Tor your
implied Inference.
While l am State Auditor shall be
the Auditor and ] shall perform my
duty as I see it without fear or favor,
[ shall not hesitate to correct any
bill that 1 know is extraNagant
or hold up any that l CONSIDER
doubtful, for further explanation be-
fore payment, no matter who the own
er is. All will be used alike.
7 wish to thank you for your kindly
interest in being sorry for me on ac-
count of my friends.
Regarding the Automobile investlga-
ton of which l make mention, II you
will come up to the Secretary OF
States office and note the changes
which l have made beSlnnlhs Way
18th, in the accounting, as compared
with the system they had which was
started by Secretary of State Davis,
You may see some grounds for APPROX
al.
There is a much reason for criticism
from the one hundred and hfty or
more automobile owners of our state
who have and will receive from nVe
to fifteen dollars each, rebate, on ac-
count of errors corrected, in the inves-
tigation by the State Auditor as 'here
is for any printing Office to criticize
the manner in which the printing OF
Glass B. is distributed by the state.
Very respectfully yours.
T. r. CALLAHAN -
State Auditor.
In the above communication Auditor
Callahan would give our readers TO
aaI had Y11 a