Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1919-06-19
FIGURES ON THE PRINTING BILL
Data Taken from the Records ut the
Court House of Cost of County
Printing s

) Court House of Cost Of County
Printing ag
Senator Cahill, when he was here;
Horst. in his speeches; and the league
newspapers, are trying to put Through
the Brinton printing graft bill by
talking about cutting down expenses.
They are using the cutting down Of
expense as the bait to force through
a monopoly of all printing NOT
PAID BY THE COUNTY AT ALL,
but by private parties. 4,
The Record has secured from Audi
tor Brant and Treasurer Atha figures
on the matter that will actually show
the condition prevailing.
First of all, let US explain that the
total printing for the past two years
includes pay for work that the pres
ent law makes optional. For instance,
in 1918, and ever before that the
county officials have printed the cer-
tificate Of nominations before each
election in the three official papers
30 that all the neighborhoods in the
county would have access to the in
formation in their home paper. The
law provides that these certificates
be published in ONE or-more official
papers.
Il,e amendpents to be voted on at
this election are being printed in only
ONE oncial spaper UNDER THE
PRESENT LAWS. Several hundred
dollars Of the total for the past two
years given in this article could have
been saved under the present laws by
printing only in one paper.
But, for the. sake Of argument, we
are giving the league the benefit Of
all such conditions.
Listen 70 this: According to the
records in the county auditors Office,
the total amount that could have
been saved by having only one OFF,,
cial paper was $500 per year, and
even l,ss than that because the tax
list the past two years was only pub
lished in one paper, as we'll as bridge
notices and they would still have
to be published in one paper if the
new law takes effect.
County proceedings averaged for
each paper the amount Of $295.0O
per year.
Let us use the figures, $1,5OO-
which is more than the actual saving
to be accomplished.
The total tax paid on all property,
ETC., in Emmons county-except mon
eys and credits-was $296.557.63.
Therefore, each dollar Of that amount
requifed one-haf Of one cent to pay
the county printing bills.
And-of the total tax paid in EN-
mons county, except money and Gre
dts, the railroad companies alone
were taxed 38e 900. Telephone and
ether corporations also paid large
sums. Therefore, the railroads paid
$4,000 Of the money used for the
extra printing.
gTownlay, in his speech at Linton,
stated that so per cent Of the land in
this state was owned by non-resi-
dents. Therefore, another large share
Of thats money for printing was paid
by non-residents.
The actual fact of the matter is
that any man who paid 500 in taxes
last year paid less than FIFTY.
CENTS of that one hundred dollars
to give the people Of this county a
chance to have practically all county
affairs reported in their local papers.
And, under the new bill, there is
another funny feature: Heretofore,
the thousands upon thousands Of dol
lars worth of state printing -publi-
city pamphlets, bills and journals Of
the legislature, "New Day in North
Dakota" reports Of commissions,
and the hundred and one other things
printed in book and pamphlet form,
have been let on competitive bidding.
\ The state auditor informs US that
last year there were seventeen bid
ders and that the Bismarck Tribune
3 undcrbid the next competitor $4,000.
Imagi:e how much higher the. highest
bidder must have been.
Under the new law there is no
more competitive bidding for state
printing. The printing commission
designates who will ret the worE---
AND THEY SET THEIR OWN
PRICE. a
MORE HONEY WILL BE SPENT
81 (Coutinued on Sixth Parel "