The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1922-07-15
STATE PRINTING LAW
UPHELD, robertson
HOME PRINTING MUST BE DONE
IN MISSISSIPPI.
Attorney Says Work Done Oueslde
of State Can Not Be
Paid For.

In reply to an inquiry for an in
terpretation of the public printing
law, requiring printing to be done
by concerns inside the State Of Mls-
sissippi, Attorney General Robertson
has rendered an opinion that will
startle some of the Mississippi rrlnt-
ers who are sending work outside of
the State on dummy contracts, and
some outside printers who have con-
tracts with the State.
Under the law, the purpose was
evidently to prevent letting contracts
for printing to persons or firms out
side of the State. Yet many State
concerns have bid in contracts for
work which they cannot 90 and have
been sending this work to outside
concerns. For example, there is lot
of lithographing work contracted for
under the tSate contracts, and there
is but one lithographing plant IN the
State. Besides this, the printing of
the Mississippi reports Of the Su-
preme Court is contracted for by an
outside firm. And there is consider
able other work by various depart
ments, colleges, etc, that is sent out
of the State.
Under the Constitution of the State,
section LOT, contracts for printing,
stationery, etc, for the departments
of the government shall be con-
tracted for as may be prescribed by
law. The law provides that all such
stationery and printing shall be fur
nished and done by firms located IN
Mississippi.
The opinion not only affects State
contracts, bat also affects contracts
for county printing, which are in
cIuded in the law.
Under the opinion of the attorney
general moi money can be legally
paid out of the treasury for printing
of any kind that is done outside of
the State, by any office, institution,
college or department of State gov
ernment. The opinion is in letter
addressed to J. R. Oliphant, of the
Issue Publishing Company, and is as
follows:
"Mr. j. R. Oliphant, Manager, The
Issue Publishing Company, Jack
son, Mississippi:
my Dear Sir-I have your request
of the 3Oth ultimo for an opinion,
which is as follows:
SIN the payment of bills for public
printing out Of public funds, will you
please give Us your opinion as to what
departments of State and county gov
ernments and State institutions are
governed by Chapter 1876, Laws of
1916?
Chapter 1876, Laws Of 1915, is
what is commonly known as the home
printing bill statute, which defines a
responsible bidder within the mean
ing of section 107 of the constitution,
as one who has a printing plant in
this State, or one who is bona fide
resident of this State, engaged in the
printing business, This statute pro-
vides further, that no contract shall
be sub-let to any person who is not a
responsible bidder, as above set forth.
This chapter 1876 only amends
part Of chapter 2O5, laws of 1912.
Chapter 205, laws Of 1912, section 1,
amended section 284 of the code of
1906, and provides that the State
Board of Public Contracts is created
to carry out the provisions of section
lot of the Constitution.
''The next question in which we
would be interested is section lot Of
the Constitution, which reads as fol-
lows:
"Section 1O7-All stationery, print
ing, paper and fuel used by the Leg
islature and other departments of the
shall be furnished and
......shall be performed under con-
tract, to be given to the lowest bid
der, below such maximum and under
such regulations as may be prescribed
by law, etc.
'Your precise inquiry resolves it |
self into the determination of what |
the phrase departments of govern |
ment' found in section 107 of the |
include.
81 am of the opinion that the de- |
partments of government as used in |
this section of the constitution |
would include all offices, departments, |
colleges and, in fact, all |
offices or institutions supported by
the State.
"This construction of the section
is borne out, In my Judgment, by sec'
ton 3765, code of 1905 (section
645s, Hemingway's Code), defining
department reports This section is
as follows:
'sThe department reports consist of