Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-16
printing required by the state and

printing required by the state and
county governments and the various
public institutions, educational, penal,
charitable and the like. We are free
to say that in our judgment the propo-
sItion is a good one. We do not believe
tnat the government printing office at
Washington even, Is able to turn out
printing OF any kind at anything like
as low cost as the larger private and
corporate printing houses throughout
the country, and we do not believe that
in the nature Of things a state printing
given class as cheaply as 1t can be de-
nvered by corporate or private pub
fishers. In fact we are morally certain
or this. But from our knowledge Of the
way things go, we are inclined to the
opinion that a well-equipped state
printing office located in Columbia will
be able to turn out all the public work
that is now required at a much lower
rate than it has been turned out,
or is being turned out. While
the layman cannot understand the
proposition we r making, we
say without hesitation that there
is no such thing as getting q print
ing contract such as would be In
volved in the general run Of public
work, down to the cheapest or most
economical basis, through means Of
competitive bidding. Such q thing as
a standard basis for such work has
never been definitely established, and
time and again legislative commissions
charged with the duty Of letting out
the state printing, have accepted the
highest bids when they honestly
thought they were accepting the low
est. One mar often gives better work,
cheaper in the aggregate at a higher
price per page, than another man at a
lower price per page. We mean thai
he gives the customer the same quality
and quantity for fewer dollars. There
is not necessarily anything dishonest
involved in the difference; but the
statement Is nevertheless a fact, and
all printers know 1t to be a fact. What
is known as state printing is always
fat for whoever gets it. 1t would re-
quire a heavy outlay for the state to
put itself in a position to do all the
work hat Is contemplated under the
proposition now being considered
something like $780, 900 to begin with;
but we are satisfied that would be a
good move, If properly managed. Then
there would be money saved to the
counties and the various public insti-
tutions, and on top Of that there would
be benefits in other ways. Most Of the
newspaper concerns throughout South
Carolina depend more or less on their
job printing plants for q part OF their
support. There are some that do not;
but except in the large cities these are
the exception. Where such Is the case,
the editor Of the newspaper very often
allows his views Of men n things to
be influenced by hope Of patronage for
his job department. There are pub
lie men who realize this situation and
who, on occasion, do not hesitate to
make use Of the circumstance for pri-
vate benefit at public expense. Be-
cause of these and other considerations
we are inclined to think that the state
of South Carolina will do well to estab-
lish a big printing plant Of its own,
and turn out therefrom all printing or
q public allure that may be required
by the state, the counties or the public
institutions thereof.