STATE PRINTING-OFFICE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 28, 3 February 1932, Page 6

STATE PRINTING-OFFICE

(To the Editor.)^ . r I 8lr »—ln your issue ''of Eftday, last you I published a special to the' "Evening Post", m> which some'alleged i economies are suggested by the Auckland Chamber of--Commerce in 4 the different Government Departments' Some of these economies," if^giyenl- effect, would not only increase the grave unemployment situation, but ucrease^the items'of expenditure sought to be reduced, 5; , 1/v<V As one practically 'acquainted with the* printing industiy^and^an ex-employee of the Government Printing Office, I will deal with three of these proposals: (1) Hansaid" should he modified and less freely circulated. (2) Many returns appearing in the "Gazette" could be eliminated. (3) In all probability economies would accrue if departments were allowed to obtain stationery and printing otherwise than fiom the Government Printing Oflice. In reply to the first df these proposals it may be stated that "Hansard" is already modified, as proceedings m Committee of the House are 1, reported only m skeleton form. Members are^not likely to agree to any further "modification" so long as newspapers in the Dominion put "coloui" into their Parliamentary repotts by suppressing the views of then political opponents and giving undue space' to the utteiances of then' political fuends. I The position in Wellington is that to get an aecmate idea of the business transacted by Parliament overnight, although theie is a mornmg publication, the public hab to an ait the issue of the "Evening Post" m the afternoon. If popular government costs hundieds.of thousauds^per annum, and the Government outlay £17,000,000, it is certainly not unreasonable that £4000 should be spent on "Han-1 sard" to ensure that the electors get an | accurate repoit of the doings of their representatives arid'the expenditure of their money.

The second, ', recommendation, that "Many returns appearing in the 'Gazette' could be eliminated," shows a woeful ignorance of the facts^ Jf the Chamber' of Commerce had even taken tMe precaution 'to read the introduction to these re- , turns it^would have noticed that their publication is compulsory in 'accordance I with the'law of the Dominion, or for the i information of those who take an enlightI ened interest m the activities of the State. ,Ip addition,- many of these • returns are I more: than paid for by the-cost of regis- | tratipn fees, etc. I know,-further, as an ■ex-empjoyee o: the office, that practically the whole of the "New .Zealand Gazette" i is, after the :irst printing, worked off as extracts in varying numbers, which saves the departments and public much ■more than the cost of publication in the "Gazette." Many. of- these _ returns are repeated from year to year, and as the type is kept "standing" the addition or;deletion, of a few lines'Jiere and therein each page is done at small cofct-^-considerably less than if done clerically. The third recommendation; that "In all probability substantial economies would result if departments were allowed to obtain stationery and printing otherwise than from the Government Printing Office,' has been in operation • for some years now, without the enlightened' Auckland Chamber of Commerce being' aware of the fact. But it has not reduced the cost of the work- except in the cose where private firms have special machinery installed suitable to; a particular class of worK- •I* ?s known,; <,0,, those., technically competent to judge that one firm cannot: compete against .another 'firm in an original order where the latter has the type "standing," or in "stereo," and as the Government' Office has all these advantages as far as Government printing is concerned; «b private firm would have a chance against it. Every Government in the world has seen the benefit of this

economy in its printing bill, and taken advantage o£ it." I am credibly -informed that outside the confidential and Parliamentary work the Government Office is in competition with private concernsi There is a material' difference, however; all -in' favour of pnvate enterprise. While private films can tender for Government work, the State ofiice is forbidden to tender for local body or private work. If this ban veie lifted from the' Gov eminent Printing Office so far asl local body vvoik is concciued, the latepajers "111 all probability," to use the language of the Auckland Chamber of Commeice, -would get an eve opener as to where a fair proportion of the hea\y rates are going. The Government Office price for printing electoial roll for a by-election is 12s per page. I am informed that'the contract price Foe printing the rolls for last-General, Election was 21b per pige—private enterprise. —I am, etc, 1 / C. H. CHAPMAN. ■>