Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-13
DEMAND THAT LEGISLATURE
PROSECUTE FOR ROBBERY OR
GIVE CLEAN BILL.
WHOLE CONTROVERSY
LARGELY TECHNICAL
Proposed Salary Basis Opposed Be.
s..ss Soi,,ui,sra ;;on ~. o.:1 H.oes AZ
tract Competent Men-Bindsr Jamie.
son Answers Pieree's Charges
Would Welcome Change.
Special to Times Republ.can.

Special to Times Republican.
! Des Moines, March 13.-"Either pros
ecute US for being robbers or give us
clean bill before the people of Iowa
| That was the eliminating demand OF
John H. Jameson, state binder, on his
/ behalf and that of Robert Henderson
! state printer before the committee on
/ retrenchment and reform.
| The investigation" of To, accusa-
; tons against the printer and binder
of illegal charges and collections and
wrongful acts in order to make greater
profit on state work than was legal,
came to a head this week. The whole
matter has been largely technical and
involves controversy relating to de-
tails of printing work not easy to fol-
low.
The real answer to it all was the
bringing out of the long contemplated
bill for state document editor by the
committee. The bill is very good one,
save that salary is sugge sted that
will not tempt in the least any one
really competent to handle the BUSH
ness. But it is an old story Of the ac-
tual need of some one to edit the state
reports and documents.
Jameson Answers Pierce.
Mr.. Jameson, state binder. who as
deputy secretary of state for many
years audited the printing and binding
bills. and is therefore an expert in such
matters, discussed in detail the Mime
sofa plan as compared with Iowa, on
state printing and binding. He made
answer to accusations said to have
been made at a prior meeting by Mr..
Pierce, of the Homestead. He showed
that on fifteen jobs Of Mr.. Pierces Sc
lection there was Il balance of S1T2.13
in favor of the Iowa plan instead Of
$4,009.05 against Iowa as claimed by
Mr.. Pierce. He showed that the es
sence Of it lies in the fact that in Min
nesota there is a system Of allowances
and profits not known in Iowa. In Iowa
where the state buys tho paper, in
Minnesota the printer sells it to the
state and gets profit of from 40 to so
per cent. He showed that on the Of
fetal Red Book, the cost IN Minnesota
would be nearly $4,000 more than in
Iowa.
Mr.. Jameson then took ten jobs Of
binding done in Iowa and compared
rates paid in Iowa and those in Mime
sofa under the contract system, and
these Jobs cost Iowa s11.027.30 while in
Minnesota they cost s14.s32,7o. AS that
is little over one fifth Of the total
cost ratio all thru, the Minnesota prices
would cost Iowa $4,000 more for print
ing and binding. Mr.. Jameson said
he submitted the figures just to show
the absurdity of Mr.. Pierce's system Of
figuring, where in his address before
the committee he had figured eight jobs
and from them had leduced that the
state binder was receiving $4,000
more than he ought to get. If the argu-
ment was good in one case it should
be in the other.
Would Welcome Charge.
Mr. Jameson, in conclusion. de-
clared that he would welcome the in
PRODUCTION in Iowa Of the prices paid
for binding in Minnesota as it was his
opinion after a careful investigation,
that those prices would increase the
profits of the Iowa state binder by
from $4,000 to $4,000 in each Diennium.
He conceded that on one class Of work
in Iowa the price is too high: but If
that is to be scaled down then on other
classes where the rates are too low
there should be an increase in the prizes
paid.
go to the records in the office of
secretary Of state" said Mr.. Jameson.
land you will find a copy of every bill
I have presented the state of Iowa ex-
cept those that went to departments
to be paid out Of their contingent funds.
Look them all over and If you find that
have been charging prices and col
lecting them that are not provided in
the law, or that my charges for the ex-
tras are exorbitant, then, gentlemen,
bring criminal action against me in
the courts and let the courts brand me
as CRATER. a thief, robber; but II,
after you have made such investiga-
ton you find have collected the prices
fixed by law and that my prices for
extras have been reasonable, I pray
you to give me a clean bill OF health
because even with that it will take
years of continued residence in Iowa
/ for men to 50 live as to convince the
people Of the state that I am not a
CRATER, a thief and a robber. after the
manner in which the accusations have
| been circulated all over the state. 1t
| is easy to destroy a reputation for hon.
esty and integrity, but hard to build
up such a reputation, and harder yet
after that reputation has been brought
| in question in the way mine has. So
gentlemen, it Is only justice l ask al
your hands and that is that l either De
cleared or condemned by your commit
tee.
Lines Relating TO a Certain Parsonage
His highness. Kumar Sidkeong, Tul-
ka, maharajah Of Sikkim is dead