Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-04-06
DISCUSSES STATE PRINTING
Board Seeks to Eliminate Implications
in Reports and CurtniI Size, and
Consider, Also, Efficiency.

montpelier, April 4.-The state BOARD
of public printing, composed of Gov
ernor Gates, Auditor II. f. Graham and
Treasurer Walter f. Scott, created by
an act of the 1915 General Assembly. met
this afternoon in the executive chamber
with officials and heads Of the different
state departments. and for nearly two
hours an informal talk ensued relative
to the printing of the biennial reports
to the LEGISLATURE The board is author
lied to decid, upon the size of the re-
ports, the binding and the number to
be printed, and the purpose of the meet
ing yesterday afternoon was to gain in
formation whereby duplication might be
eliminated and a saving to the State
had by curtailing the size of reports,
considering, also, the efficiency of the
same.
Governor Gates. who presided said
during the course OF the discussion, that
while it was the object of the board to
avoid duplication in reports. it was also
desired to cover the ground satisfac-
torly and a result some reports may
of necessity be enlarged
| The meeting adjourned without any ac-
ton. but the board will probably adopt
a suggestion made by Secretary Of State
Bailey. and who was agreed with by
several others present, namely, to con-
slider the reports made a year ago and
| by letter make recommendations to those
responsible for the reports. The matter
of getting the copy in early was also
! emphasized, it being shown that as the
| reports are bound in one volume, the
| hardness of one department holds up all
the others.
| Listening to the discussion one would
! have gathered the belief that during the
past few years much has been done to-
ward making the biennial reports much
smaller in size thus lessening the cost,
while in not a single instance was there
| any fault found, all being of the opin-
| ion that the ground was covered salts
/ factOrily, although in a few instances
officials voiced the belief that changes
would be beneficial.
Insurance Commissioner Guy W. Bailey
explained that the reports of the COM
missioners We're cut down about one-half
year ago and an effort will be made
at the next legislative session to have
Il statute passed allowing Vermont to
| cooperate with Maine and New Hamp-
shire in publishing a single report.
Chairman Bacon of the public service
commission said the report is reduced to
the minimum size, statutes defining very
closely what shall be printed Bank
| Commissioner F. C. Williams spoke in a
similar vein and Dr. Motion Of the
state board of health DIR, w. S. Nay
of the board of medical registration. and
others believed their respective reports
were only fair to the departments they
represented. Miss Rebecca Wright of
the free public library commission esti-
mated that a saving Of nearly one-half
| might be made in her report by leaving
| a large number Of maps out and general
| izing more than at present.
| John Avery of the reference bureau
suggested that summaries Of the 20 odd
reports he printed and sent to the press
of the state, believing that they would
be received as news and at the same
time the people of the State would gain
a better idea of the work being accom-
plished and tho legislators would have
time to digest the same before coming
to MONTPELIER He believed the present
reports We're too formal, probably be-
cause of tradition The text should
| come first and the statistics and tables
later on in the reports, making the re-
ports more Interesting. read more widely,
and therefore become more valuable.
Others who spoke during the session
We're DR.. Grout of the State Hospital for
, the Insane, superintendent Barss of the
industrial school, Loukes and Walker of
the States prison and house of correc-
ton, state Fish and Game Commissioner
Titcomb. who outlined plans which he
hoped to follow, Chairman John +,
Weeks Of the penal board President
Renton of the University of Vermont,
Professor Hills of the Agricultural Col
lcge, State Ceologist Perkins. Commits
sioner Of Agriculture f. s. Brigham and
Commissioner of Education Mason s.
stone.