New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-02-18
AUTO LICENSES BRING
500 900 MORE LAST YEAR
(By Guthrie Smithl

Receipts from automobile licenses
in The Acal year 800 showed an
increase OF almost 100000 over the
previous year, according to the bien-
nial report OF Secretary OF State
Manuel Martinez, just filed The
biennial period ends with the close
of the eighth fiscal year, November
80, 1920.
For 1919, the automobile license
collections amounted to Sl05. l46.3l
of which $63,703.I2 was turned into
the state treasury, and S24,782.33 re-
mitted TO the several county treasur-
ers. The amount OF net expense
properly chargeable to collection Of
1919 motor vehicle licenses is Civ
ou as S ql495. which is about Il
per cent, of the collections.
For 1920, the motor vehicle cot
lections reached a total OF $202,S0b
l. of which Sl78894.40 was turned
into the state treasury.
The subject of advanced printing
costs is pretty thoroughly discuss
ed by Secretary Martinez. The print
ing of the New Mexico Blue Book"
or legislative manual and general
guide for 1921 will cost at least twice
as much as the 1919 volume it is
said. and recent appropriations TO.
printing of the laws and journals
have been utterly inadequate. With
respect to the Blue Book" the re-
port says:
Need Twice as Much
The New Mexico Blue Book is
one of the most important public
ations of the state, in fact it reaches
ihe greatest number of people, and
tor this reason should be given more
consideration thar it has in the
past. The 1919 Blue Book was a
DISAPPOINTMENT; ii was, howeyef,
the best which could be obtained for
the amount Of appropriation made
BY the legislature, i. e, $l,650, in fact
the printer claims to have suffered
loss. | have requested estimates
or prices on the 1927 Blue Book, and
it will require $500 for 200O copies
of the class OF book which | de-
sire. The lowest price, $500 was
given me on book similar to the
1919, except it provided for 500 ad
ditional copies. From past expert
ence | have learned the lowest hid
der is not always the best. In the
1921 Blue Book expect to super
wise the selection of all material
that goes into the book and the
work shall be done under my diree-
tion, not let by contract. No less
than $500 should be Appropriated,
and this appropriation should read
not alone for the printing OF the
Blue Book, but for compilation,
printing, publishing and distribution
of the Legislative Manual or Blue
Book for 1921
As to printing of laws and iourn-
ais, we read;
Publishers Lost Money
This appropriation two years ago
was wholly inadequate. In former
years when prices were so per cent
lower, the appropria tion for this
work was never less than $3.50, yet
this office is asked to do the same
work with more pages and chapters
added to each book, for the sum of
$1,000, suffering all kinds of ncon-
venience and criticism. The print
ers, Messrs. Albright and Anderson,
claim to have suffered a loss OF be-
tween 800 and $500 on the laws,
and were not able to fill their CON
tract on time.
OF all state departments, this Of
flee suffered most at the hands OF
the last legislature in its practice
OF economy. 1t placed additional du
ties on us, yet reduced the appro-
priation in every instance. For this
reason | am making this report long
er and going into detail more fully
than | would otherwise.
Study Is RequirsI
"In the matter of the appropriation
for the printing OF the laws and the
journals, would ask that the leg
islature familiarize itself with the
present prices on printing, and then
make the appropriation flor the
books accordingly.
"In addition TO the above, be
lieve that an appropriate for print
ing should be made for the Sccre-
tary of States office, this to cover
the printing in pamphlet form of
the different laws for which there
is great demand. namely. Labor,
Blue Sky (if passed), Workmen's
Compensation, Agriculture, and last
but not least, a compilation and
printing of our election laws. |
think that before another election
occurs the election laws should be
printed in pamphlet form.
Has Furnished Information
The state OF New Mexico has no
publicity or information bureau and
this office receives a great volume
OF mail which properly belongs to
such a department. 1t is impossible
to answer each letter giving the ip-
formation desired, but we secured
about 1900 copies of the Red Book,
printed by the Land Office during
the time chapter so laws of f9l5,
was in force, and distributed these.
The postage on this class of mail
would amount to between $50 and
500 annually. Our contingent fund
will not permit of this expenditure,
therefore we have infringed to a
certain extent on the motor vehicle
postage fund"
ruAVES cOIJNTy civil