REPORT OF THE PRINTING COMMITTEE AS TO THE EXPEDIENCY OF ESTABLISHING A GOVERNMENT PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1858 Session I, F-03

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REPORT OF THE PRINTING COMMITTEE AS TO THE EXPEDIENCY OF ESTABLISHING A GOVERNMENT PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT.

Report brought up Bth July, 1858, and ordered to be printed with Minutes vf Evidence.

AUCKLAND: 18 5 8.

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ORDER OF REFERENCE. Thursday, 27th Mat, 1858. On motion of the Honourable Mr. Richmond, Ordered, That it be referred to the Printing Committee to enquire and report as to the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Establishment. Such Committee consisting of Mr. Speaker, Messrs. Carleton, Merriman, Stafford, Hall, and Ollivierv REPORT. The Library and Printing Committee having considered the question referred to them on the 27th ultimo, of the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Office, beg leave to report as follows :— 1. Your Committee have taken a considerable amount of evidence as to the effect of the existing system of providing by Contract for the execution of the Government Printing, of the expense of establishing and maintaining a Printing Office, and of the probable result of such a measure. 2. Your Committee find that under existing arrangements the printing for the General Assembly and for the Executive Government is performed in a satisfactory manner and generally speaking with tolerable punctuality and despatch. Its cost during the past three years has been as follows :— viz., 1855 £1421 7 3)™, c A ~ 1856 2466 18 11 The a l^, e for " 1857 1030 52 j therefore about £1600. The existing Contract was entered into on the 19 th April last, and the price paid under it is about 100 per cent higher than under that existing in 1856. Your Committee are not aware of any satisfactory reasons for this large increase. 3. The evidence furnished to your Committee as to the cost of establishing a Printing Office for the Government is conflicting. After giving to it their best consideration, they believe that a sum; of £2000 would be sufficient to put such an establishment on a thoroughly efficient footing. The annual cost of its maintenance, including the salaries of persons employed, allowance for interest on the capital sum above mentioned, and for depreciation in the value of the material, would not be less than £1250. To this amount there would have to be added a further sum of at least £250 for the increased staff required during" the sitting of the General Assembly. The aggregate is very little below the amount paid under the present arrangement. 4. Looking to this fact, to the difficulty which would present itself to the execution by a Government Printing Office of the printing required for the General Assembly, when its sittings are held at a distance from the seat of Government, and also to the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient number of extra hands during the Session, your Committee are of opinion that, under existing circumstances, it is not expedient to proceed to the organisation of such an establishment. 5. They respectfully suggest that the attention of the Executive Government should be directed to the possibility of obtaining, either by an extension of the time for which the Printing Contract is let, or by other means, a reduction of the present prices. For although your Committee do not at present recommend the discontinuance of the Contract system, such a step will evidently become necessary, should it be found impracticable to get the Government printing performed under that system upon fair and reasonable terms. John Hall, Chairman. Committee Room, House of Representatives, tithJuly, 1858. MINUTES OP EVIDENCE. Thursday, 15th June, 1858. On motion of Mr. Carleton, it was resolved that F. E. Campbell, Esq., Clerk to the House of Representatives ; Thomas Beckham, Esq., M.G.A.; Messrs. Kunst and Wilson, Printers; and a Clerk from the office of the Hon. Colonial Treasurer, be summoned as witnesses. F. E. Campbell, Esqr., called in, and examined :— 1. By the Chairman. —Have you any information that you could lay before the Committee as to the probable cost of the establishment of a Government Printing Press ? At the close of the last Session I

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communicated with Mr. Lambert, a practical printer, (who had been employed as such in the Printing Offices of the House of Commons) on the subject, when' I obtained the particulars contained in the Memorandum I now hold in my hand. The following Memorandum was then placed before the Committee. £ s. d. Presses, 1 Double Foolscap, 1 Demy 120 0 0 2 Ink Tables, Imposing table, Boilers, &c 50 0 0 Office Furniture, Frames, Cases, Riglet, Quoins, &c, &c 100 0 0 Types,— Pica lOOOlbs @ Is. 3d , 62 10 0 Long Primer lOOOlbs @ Is. 6d 75 0 0 Brevier 5001bs @ 25..... 50 0 0 Great Prfmer 1 OOlbs @Is 5 0 0 Titling Letter 30 0 0 Composing Sticks, Brass Eule, Chases, &c 50 0 0 Miscellaneous 50 0 0 £592 10 0 N. B.—Extra Quadrats, Leaders, Figures, and Metal Eules, required. Wages, — Overseer £200 0 0 3Men 450 0 0 4Boys 100 0 0 £750 0 0 Probable quantity of paper required for one year— 100 Beams double Foolscap @ 25s , £125 0 0 2. What is your opinion of the rates here stated ? On referring to the Estimates of the Colony of South Australia, where a Government Printing Press is established, I find the salaries paid are very much in advance of those specified in this Memorandum. The same remark will apply to the Estimates of Van Diemen's Land. 3. Was it Mr. Lambert's opinion that such an Establishment as he has named in this Memorandum would be of sufficient strength to carry through the work of the Session as it is at present ? It was. 4. Can you convey to the Committee any idea of the amount of work that would be required during a Session of the House ? The Sessions varying so much in duration, I cannot make any definite statement on the point. 5. Over what period generally does the printing for the House extend after the close of the Session ? On an average over two months, this has hitherto been the case. 6. Do you think the proposed printing press would dispose of it sooner ? I do. 7. By Mr. Ollivier. —Has any delay ever taken place in executing work required for the House during the Session ? Occasionally, but this arises from a pressure of other work. A preference is given to the work required by the Government. 8. In an annual Session of the House would there be more than 6 months work in printing for the Assembly ? I should think not. 9. Do all instructions for printing proceed from yourself ? As regards the House of Bepresentatives they do. 10. What would be the average amount of corrections ? Generally two revises. 11. Have they frequently to reset the types, so as to cause a charge for re-composition ? Yes, in the case of Bills, from an insufficiency of type. 12. By the Chairman.. —Who authorises the re-printing of Bills ? Every Bill must be re-printed as soon as it passes into an Act. F. E. Campbell, Clerk of the House of Bepresentatives. The Witness then withdrew. The Committee adjourned sine die. John Hall, Chairman. Wednesday, 30th June, 1858. The Committee met pursuant to Summons. Members Present. —Messieurs Hall, Ollivier, Merriman, Carleton. Mr. Hall in the Chair. ■ Minutes of preceding meeting read and confirmed. The Committee resumed the consideration of the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Press.

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Messrs. Kunst and Wilson, Printers, in attendance. Mr. Kunst called in and examined. 1. By the Chairman. —Are you a Printer ? lam printer to the " Southern Cross " Newspaper. 2. Are you acquainted with the sort of printing required by the Government ? I was managing printer to the first Government Printing Establishment, this was in 1842 and 1843. I have since done a portion of the work for prior Sessions. lam aware of the amount of work required at present for the House, 3. What, in your opinion, is the number of hands that would be required to perform the Government Printing , during the recess ? I have made a calculation that, one overseer, two compositors, and a boy, could do the work for the Government during the recess. This would not include press-work, I should recommend the introduction of a Platten Printing Machine, by which the press-work could be done as well, and at double the speed. Any common labourer could work the machine. This staff would be sufficient for the usual work during the recess, such as Gazettes, the Maori Messenger, Government Forms and the re-printing of Acts. 4. What would be a fair estimate of the cost of the plant required for a Government Printing Office ? I have made a very minute calculation with a view to its perfect efficiency, and find that the first cost would be within a fraction of £1000 ; this would include everything, except the building. The amount of type would be from 2000 to 3000 lbs. of each of the ordinary founts. This plant is calculated as sufficient for the work during the Session. The cost of the establishment out of the Session would be at the rate of about £750 per annum. It may be stated as follows :— £ s. d. 1 Overseer , 250 0 0 2 Compositors.. , 300 0 0 1 Boy 40 0 0 2 Boys for laying on .Sheets 60 0 0 Extra Pressman and Warehousmen 100 0 0 £750 0 0 5. What number of additional hands would be required during the Session ? During this Session I think two additional hands would have been sufficient; but in the Ist Session it would have required three additional compositors. The amount of work for the Session would be according to the number of papers to be printed. The printing of Statistics would require the employment of an additional hand. 6. What would be the expense of such extra assistance ? The salary of two additional compositors is estimated at £3 per week each. 7. By Mr. Ollivier. —Would it be difficult to procure the services of additional compositors when necessary ? By taking timely precaution there would be no difficulty in procuring extra assistance, it might have been so years ago. 8. Would the above staff be sufficient for all the Government work ? I believe the staff above named would be sufficient to get through all the Government work. 9. Would this estimate include the cost of binding ? The binding is not included in the above staff, but it would allow of folding. Philip Kunst. The Witness then withdrew. Mr. Wilson called in and examined. 1. By the Chairman. —Have you had much experience of the sort of printing required by the Government and the General Assembly ? I came down with the old Government Printing establishment in 1≤42, and remained with it until Sir George Grey shut it up. lam now engaged as Contractor for Government Printing. 2. Can you furnish the Government with an Estimate of the first cost of estatablishing a Government Printing Office ? The first cost as near as I can calculate would be about £3000 or £4000. The items may be thus stated. The Witness furnished the Committee with the annexed written statement. LIST OF MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR A GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. £ s. d. 10,000 Ibs Pica @ Is. 6d. a 750 C 0 5,000f)s Small Pica @ Is. 9d 437 10 0 s,ooofi>s Long Primer @2s 500 0 0 2,0001bs Brevier @ 2s. 6d 250 0 0 Various other sorts for Headlines, Jobbing, &c, &c, including Quads and Figures . 400 0 0 Imposing Table and Stone, Cases and Frames, Composing Sticks, Galleys, Brass and Wood. 250 0 0 Chases wrought Iron, Brass Eules, Furniture and Sidesticks, Metal Fur- . niture 150 0 0

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£ s. d. 2 Presses, 1 @ £50, 1 @ £65 115 0 0 Inking Table, Roller Frames and Blocks, Eoller Mould, "Wetting Boards, Trough and Sink, Bank and Horse Points, (spring) Ink Bryar, Ink Slice, Sheeps Foot, Large Brush, Pick Brush, Girting Beams, &c. 150 0 0 Standing Press and Pressing Boards, Glazed boards for pressing Printed work 100 0 0 Printing Ink for 12 months 40 0 0 Printing Machine 250 0 0 Engine 250 0 0 There are many other articles required such as Coats of Arms, Column Rules , Cross Rules, Leads, Quotations, Rule Cutting Machine, Scissors, Mallet, Saw and Saw Block, Bodkins, Shooting Sticks, Page Cord, Turnscrew, Melting Kettle and Stirrer, Paper Knife, &c, &c, say sundries 150 0 0 3792 10 0 To make the Office complete there ought to be binding Tools and Materials 150 0 0 3942 10 O Less for 1 Press in event of Machine being used , 65 0 0 £3877 10 0 The quantities of type stated above may appear large to a printer only acquainted with ordinary Newspaper and Jobbing offices, but not to any person who is acquainted with the management of a Book or Government Printing Office on a large scale, and with the necessity for being fully provided against emergencies : among which the most important is being able to keep Bills and Acts introduced into the Legislature standing from their first stage until finally assented to. W. C. Wilson. 3. What number of hands would be required during the recess ? For the staff of the Government out of the Session two hands would be sufficient if the work was supplied regularly; at present it is not sent regularly, sometimes six hands are required. Besides the two abovenamed a manager would be required to superintend, and a boy to take messages, &c. 4. What extra addition would be required during the Session ? I should say that about 12 or 14 hands would be required during the Session. 5. Is not the above a very high estimate ? I have now upwards of 300 pages of one kind and another standing that cannot be distributed, the weight of the metal so locked up, may be estimated to be about 2 tons. So large an amount of type being locked up, it is impossible to enter upon any other work ; we are therefore obliged to wait till it can be finally disposed of. What wages are now paid to Compositors ? Compositors at day work are getting £3 and £3 10s. per week ; while good hands at piece work are getting as much as £4. An efficient overseer ought to have from £250 to £300 per annum. 7. Could not the Press-work be done more cheaply by the improved Printing Machine than by hand ? I would suggest that the Press-work should not be done by the improved machinery, because the preparation of the work for the machine would occupy too much time. A short number could be worked off sooner by the hand press. If machinery were provided, a hand press would still be required for proofs. 8. Does the staff you have mentioned provide for binding ? These additional hand 3 do not include the binding, but it would allow of folding. W. C. Wilson. The Witness then withdrew. The Committee adjourned. John Hall, Chairman. Thursday, Ist July, 1858. Committee met pursuant to Summons. Members Present. —Messieurs Hall, Ollivier, Merriman, Carleton. Mr. Hall in the Chair. Minutes of preceding Meeting read and confirmed. The Committee further considered the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Press. The Chairman laid before the Committee the annexed Return, from the Auditor-General's Office, of the amounts paid by the Government of New Zealand on account of printing executed at Auckland during the years, 1855, 1856, and 1857.

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Return of the Amounts paid by the Government of' New Zealand on Account of Printing executed at Auckland during the years 1855,1850, and 1857. Executive. General Assembly. £ s. d. 1855.—March Quarter., 15 13 6 ... 45 9 S June Quarter 241 1 7 ... 371 17 6 September Quarter 160 8 7 ... 137 9 O December Quarter 146 2 6 ... 303 5 4 £563 6 2 ... £858 1 1 1856.—March Quarter 12118 4 June Quarter 153 10 1 ... 65 13 0 September Quarter .... 248 10 7 ... 162 17 7 December Quarter 273 18 10 ... 1440 10 G £797 17 JO ..., £1669 1 1 1857.—March Quarter 143 1 2 ... 81 8 4 June Quarter 169 2 7 ... 279 15 4 September Quarter ~ 235 3 3" ... 0 0 0 December Quarter ~ ~ 121 14 7 .... 0 0 0 £669 1 0 .... £361 3 8 Totals paid in each year — £ s, d. 1855 ... ... ... ... ... .... 1,421 7 3 1856 ... ... ... ... .... ... 2,466 18 11 1857 • .. ..... ... ..... 1,080 5 2 Crosbie Ward, Esq., M.H.R., called in and examined. 1. By the Chairman. —Can you form any idea of the probable cost of the plant required in a Printing Office, sufficient for the execution of the Government work ? My experience is so limited that any information I can afford would be of very little value. 2. Could you form any idea from the number of documents presented to the House during its present Session ? From what I have seen I should say that £2000 would be enough, that would not include a Printing Machine. I should say that a machine would be of very little use except the number of copies to be printed exceeded 1000. 3. Suppose an office established at such a cost, and the work such as that already alluded to, would a staff of 1 overseer, 2 compositors, and 1 boy be sufficient ? I cannot speak decidedly, but I think that 1 overseer, 2 compositors and 1 boy would be the barest staff that could be had for any purpose. 4. If the duration of the Contract was extended from 6 months to 2 years, would that enable the work to be executed at a cheaper rate ? A printer with a large staff ought to take the work at the same rate for the shorter as for the longer period, but a printer with a small staff would not take it at all for the shorter period. 5. Would the extended Contract induce persons of smaller means to enter into competition and extend their offices ? I think the longer Contract might stimulate competition. Ceosbie Waed» The Witness then withdrew. Moved by Mr. Ollivier, That after a careful consideration of the evidence and estimates submitted to it, this Committee has arrived at the conclusion that an efficient Plant and Staff for the establishment of a Government Printing Office could not be provided at a cost less than £1250 per annum, due allowance being made for the interest of the capital sum embarked and the depreciation in the value of the material. That to this amount has to be added a further sum of at least £250 per Session, for the increased staff necessary for the execution of the work required during the sitting of the General Assembly. That this Committee find from the information supplied by the Auditor-General's Office, that the average cost of the Government Printing for the three years ending 1857, may be estimated at about £1600 per annum, shewing an of only £100 per annum in excess of the probablecost of a Government Office. This Committee is therefore of opinion that it is inexpedient under existing circumstances to proceed to the establishment cf a Government Printing Office.. Question put and passed. Moved by Mr. Merriman, That the Chairman be requested to prepare a Report to the above effect. Question put and passed. The Committee- adjourned to Monday, the sth of July, at the hour of 2 o'clock, p.m. John Hall, Chairman.

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Monday, sth July, 1858. Committee met pursuant to adjournment. Members Present. —Messieurs Hall, Ollivier, Carleton. Mr. Hall in the Chair. Minutes of preceeding meeting read and confirmed. The Chairman laid before the Committee the annexed Schedule from the Auditor-General's Office.

SCHEDULE of Accepted Tenders for Printing for the years 1856 and 1857, and for the six months ending 1st October 1858.

Plain. Tabular. Table. £ s. d. £ s. d £ s. d. Gazette. Composition per sheet Long Primer " Brevier " " Nonpareil Presswork, per token, including Town delivery,— Sheet (4 pages) , Halfsheet (2 pages) 0 18 1 8 1 18 0 0 0 1 4 1 18 2 8 0 0 0 1 14 2 8 2 18 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 6 6 Bills, Acts, and Estimates, Composition per sheet, Pica " " LongPrimer " " Brevier 0 16 1 0 1 10 0 0 0 1 1 2 4 5 0 0 0 0 1 12 1 10 2 10 0 0 0 Press-work, per token, — Sheet Half sheet ,.., 0 3 0 2 6 6 Blank Forms and other Jobs. Composition per 1000 ems .-..-.. Press-work, per token Alterations and corrections, at per hour 0 0 0 2 0 1 6 6 0 0 0 9 0 1 0 18 5 7. Plain. Tabular. Table. Gazette, (same measure as at present.) Composition per sheet, 4 pages Long Primer " " Brevier " " Nonpareil Press-work, per token, (including Town delivery),— Sheet (4 pages) Half sheet, (2 pages) £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1 16 0 2 8 0 3 8 0 2 10 0 3 8 0 4 18 0 3 4 6 4 0 8 0 8 0 0 5 0 0 3 6 Hills, Acts, and Estimates, 33 s 60 ems pica. Composition per sheet, 4 pages Pica " " Long Primer " " Brevier 2 2 0 2 12 0 3 8 0 0 5 0 0 3 6 2 18 0 3 14 0 4 18 0 3 16 4 16 6 8 0 0 0 Preas-work, per token, sheet " " half sheet Votes and Proceedings, and Daily Notices, Legislative Council and House of Representatives. Composition per sheet, 4 pages, Long Primer " " Brevier 18 0 2 0 0 0 3 6 0 2 6 1 18 0 2 10 0 2 8 3 10 0 0 Press-work, per token, per sheet " « halfsheet Blank Forms, and other Jobs. Composition per 1000 ems Press-work per token , „ Alterations and corrections at per hour 0 0 8 0 2 6 0 10 0 0 10 0 1 6 Bills, Acts, and Gazettes, Octavo. Composition per sheet, 16 pages Pica Long Primer Press-work, per token, per sheet " halfsheet 2 18 0 4 8 0 0 5 0 0 4 0 4 3 0 6 8 0 5 8 8 8 0 0

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Six Months ending 1st October, 1858.

Charles Knight, Auditor-General. Upon the Committee further considering the expediency of establishing a Government Printing Office, the Chairman submitted a draft Report on the subject prepared in accordance with the instructions of the Committee, which was read and adopted. John Hall, Chairman.

Plain. Tabular. Table. I £ s. d. £ s. d. Gazette, (same measure as at present^) Composition per sheet, 4 pages, Long Primer " " Brevier " " Nonpareil Press-work, per token ( including Town delivery)— Sheet, 4 pages " 2 pages Stitching per 100 £ s. d. 1 16 0 2 8 0 3 8 0 2 10 0 3 8 0 4 18 0 3 4 6 4 O 8 0 8 0 0 5 0 0 3 6 0 4 0 Bills fov General Assembly, 33 x 60 ems pica. Composition per sheet, 4 pages, Pica , " " Long Primer " " Brevier Press-work, per token, per sheet " « halfsheet „ 2 2 0 2 12 0 3 8 0 0 5 0 0 3 6 2 18 3 14 4 18 0 0 0 3 16 4 16 G 8 0 0 0 Votes and Proceedings, and Daily Notices, of General Assembly. Composition per sheet, 4 pages, Pica " " LongPrimer " " Brevier Press-work, per token, per sheet " " halfsheet Reports and Petitions to be charged the same price as Bills — 18 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 5 0 0 3 6 1 18 2 10 3 10 0 0 0 2 8 3 0 4 0 0 0 0