Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-02
PRINTING
IS VERY EXPENSIVE
Superintendent POmeroy Says That
the Legislature Should Make
Some Reduction

Creation of the division of distri-
button of public documents in the De-
partment of Public Printing and Bind
ing is declared by A. Nevin Pomeroy,
OF Chambersburg, head of the States
printing, to have been the means of
saving $4,000 for the Comm onwealth
and he makes earnest recommenda-
tion that there be reductions in the
output of State publications. especially
departmental reports, Incidentally, it
is stated that the last Legislature was
the most costly as far as printing is
concerned of any in the history of the
State and the next is urged not to be
so prodigal With orders to print.
The whole cost of the printing in
the year ending June 80, 1914, is given
as $SS7,00775, of which $23S,S79.57
was for printing; s145,521OS for pa
per and S2,607.10 for cuts, plates, etc.
The total appropriation for two years
was $707.0O0 and there was $117,-
77S.14 on hand. Mr.. Pomeroy sets
forth that there were two printing
contractors during the report period,
the Aughinbaugh estate and w. STAN
ley Ray, the latter being the present
State printer. The Aughlnbaugh es-
tate suffered a loss of its plant by
fire on April last and the State lost
$19,970.72 on paper, covered by in
surance.
Legislature Costly
Concerning the Legislature Mr.
Pomeroy says:
The Legislature of 1918 was the
most costly as far as printing is con-
cerned for many years, if ever. The
cost of printing, paper, etc., for that
body amounted to s10S, ,46631 or %
per cent. OF the entire amount eX-
pended by the Commonwealth This
does not include all of it as there
are still some outstanding bills at the
close of the last fiscal year, July /.
1914. At the time of the fire a por-
ton of the Legislative Journal was
destroyed and had to be reprinted
RMS work was not completed and
billed when this report closed. The
cost or the portion Of the work saved
In the fire is yet to be added to the
amount already mentioned, S1O8,-
1861. This cost was divided as fol-
lows: Legislative Journal, exclusive
of index, sS9,OS5.9S; white bills and
calendars S26,536.9S; pink bills and
calendars, S42,843.35."
MT. Pomeroy says that there would
be big saving If the pink bills, which
are bills printed as introduced for in
formation of members and the pub
ile, nc, could be dispensed or reduced.
me superintendent does not take.
kindly to the pink bills, which have
been feature of the last four legis-
latures. Under the old rules a bill
was not printed unless reported from
committee and the public had no way
of knowing what it contained. The
pink bills show the bill as presented
,, a. :
from committee.
Mr. Pomeroy says that unless abso-
lutely essential their abolition would
mean saving of thousands of dol
lars. He notes the fact that the last
Legislature was an exception in the
NUMBER OF Diils introduced, the num-
Der being in excess of any previous
session.
Because of the fire it is stated that
several large departmental reports
the Legislative Journal and other
publications which were not complet-
ed had to be handled by other print
ers and arrangements were made
with the Evangelical Publishing Com
pany and the Telegraph Printing
Company of this city for the work.
Esler's Work Praised
The establishment of the docu-
ment division is more than justified
and DR.. James Esler, the chief. is
sNeh Pl dise IL was aScerta1ned that
many reports are published in larger
number than needed. The plan has
worked admirably. no one has been
deprived of publications who wanted
them and the fact has been learned
that many publications can be mater
tally reduced in number" says the
superintendent
Another interesting fact is that 95,-
SS1 pounds cf waste paper were left
over after the session of 1919 and
still more has accumulated which will
be sold.
1t is believed departmental reports