The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-10-29
THE UTAH STATE
PRINTERY


THE UTAH STATE
PRINTERY
Much has been said by various
reformers, about having a state
printer, and cutting out the print
ing graft, and certainly anything
that will cut out grating is desir.
able. The state Of Utah has re-
Gently instituted a state printer, and
supplied him a suite of rooms in the
new capitol building. The editor
of The Ilaho Republican recently
visited the building, and noticed on
the official directory at the main
entrance was emblazoned the words
State Printer, third floor, room
1926. Press room, $685."
The editor man was pleased, and
decided to go up and study the fur
niture and equipment installed by
new and progressive state in a
new and magnificent marble build
| ing. He was especially interested
in seeing what kind Of presses were
in that press room, what kind of
foundations they rested on, and if
they had individual motors.
On arriving at the "Press Room"
it proved to be an office room con-
tanning large table, a desk or two,
some chairs and some litter. The
room was in disorder, and looked
like it might be the office of a
press agent" or somebody's cam
paign manager. There was nobody
in. The next door, labeled "State
Printer" opened into a similar
room, and door led from it into
still another room. A man came out
smoking cigarette. He looked as
presentable as the rooms, but they
were not in keeping with the rest
of the building. A couple of multi
graphs were on the tables, and type
forms lay around in disorder. A
multigraph is about the cheapest
and fiimsiest of all printing devices,
and, next to the Monograph, prints
the worst. 1t bears about the same
relation to real printing that a spit
gun does to rifle.
An eXpressman entered with big
budget of printed matter from a
printing house at Ogden, and the
printer man was asked to sign and
pay express charges, but he sucked
the cigarette and said, NAV, I don't
pay nuthin'. The state wouldn't
repay me if l did"
The budget was about to fall to
pieces it was so badly packed. It |
consisted of legal forms put up in
pasteboard boxes, and everything
looked ready to SPILL The printer
man wanted to see what the printed |
forms were so he pulled one out and
it was mortgage over a foot long. |
Then he worked quite while trying
to stuff it back into the budget and |
under a rope where it refused to
go. He told the eXpressman to take
the package over to the state land
board and they would receive it and
pay charges they had plenty Of
Then the editor man asked the
printer man If he was the state
printer, and he said, Nav, I am
Just the assistant. He amt here
Just now" Then the two men
;alked as follows:
Editor: What do you print
lere?"
Assistant: "Oh, circulars and such
stuff"
Editor: "Who does the real print
ng? Who prints the things that
equire skill and real printing ma
Assistant: "We let that out to
he lowest bidders. Every time we
lave a job of printing to do the
rinters come in from all over and
i'd on it."
Editor: "And that is the way a
tate printer does the public printing
) it,"
Assistant: That's the way we do
t, and we save the state lot of 8
loney."
The editor pointed to a table that
Ias all Uttered up with type forms
nd badly scuffed and mis-used and
ad knife socked into it, and said, :
I like the way you take care of
his table,"
The assistant official replied:
Oh, that's an old one they sent \
yer here
Editor: "Sent here to be de- .
;royed was it,"
Assistant: II guess So"
Editor: Are you practical
rinter?"
Assistant: "A practical printer! :
WHAT'S that?"
Editor: "A man who knows how
do the actual work of printing"
Assistant: NAV"
Editor: us your chief a practical
rinter?"
Assistant: Eyes, he's been thru
lie game"
Editor: well, this is the first
me ever had the pleasure of in
,ecting state printery, and must
ay l am not very favorably i'm
ressed, SO far"