State ex rel. Democrat Printing Co. v. Wilder

97 S.W. 940, 199 Mo. 470, 1906 Mo. LEXIS 326
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedNovember 22, 1906
StatusPublished

This text of 97 S.W. 940 (State ex rel. Democrat Printing Co. v. Wilder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Democrat Printing Co. v. Wilder, 97 S.W. 940, 199 Mo. 470, 1906 Mo. LEXIS 326 (Mo. 1906).

Opinion

FOX, J.

This is an original proceeding begun in this court by which it is sought to compel the State Auditor, the iespondent herein, to issue his warrant to the relator in payment of a certain claim for printing. It is unnecessary to reproduce in full the petition upon which this proceeding is predicated; it is sufficient to briefly refer to it.

On June 26, 1906, the relator, the Democrat Printing Company, filed its petition in this court asking for a writ of mandamus to' issue to the respondent, the State Auditor, directing him to issue his warrant to the relator in payment of an account for $20.75 for printing done for the Insurance Department of the State of Missouri, which account had been approved by the superintendent of that department, and for stationery, including both the paper and the printing, said printing having been done during the months of February and March, 1906. The printing for which it is sought to compel the State Auditor to draw' his warrant in payment of is set forth in“Exhibit A” as follows:

Exhibit A.
Insurance Department, State of Missouri.
To the Democrat Printing Company, for printing; 1906. Dr.
Feb. 10 To printing 400 circular letters...... $5 00
Feb. 20 To printing 100 additional lines on blanks.............................. 1 50
[472]*472March 1 To 150 postal cards and printing notices thereon........................ 3 00
March 1 To 250 postal cards and printing no- > tices thereon........................ 4 00
March 1 To 100 postal cards and printing notices thereon....................... 2 50
March 9 To printing 150 additional lines on blanks............................ 175
March 15’ To printing 350 circular letters...... 3 00
$20 75
Approved this 22nd day of June, 1906, for $20.75.
. W. D. Vandiver,
Superintendent.

And on the back of said exhibit appears the following:

“Hon. W. W. Wilder, State Auditor,
“I have approved the bill on the reverse side hereof and respectfully request you to draw a warrant for $20.75 on the State Treasurer in favor of Democrat Printing Company to pay the same. I hereby certify that the bill is for printing done and materials furnished1 necessary for the transaction of the business of the Insurance Department of this State.
“W. D. Vandiver, Superintendent.”

An alternative writ was ordered by the court to issue, and was made returnable at the October term, 1906. It is not essential to reproduce .the alternative writ issued in this proceeding, nor the return of the respondent; it is sufficient to state that relator rests its right to the aid of this court upon the provisions of chapter 119, Revised Statutes 1899, and respondent in his, return justifies his action in refusing to draw his warrant for the payment of the account for printing [473]*473upon the provisions of chapter 145, Eevised Statutes 1899. The contentions of the respective parties, as well as the statutes upon which such contentions are predicated, will he fully presented in the course of the opinion. Eelator interposed a demurrer to the return of the respondent and prayed for judgment upon the pleadings. The record in this proceeding consists of the pleadings, and they are now before ns for consideration.

OPINION.

The record in this proceeding sharply presents two conflicting contentions. First, it is insisted by the relator that the printing pertaining to the Insurance Department is governed and controlled by chapter 119, article 1, Eevised Statutes 1899; on the other hand, it is insisted by the respondent that the printing of such department can only be done under the authority and direction of the Commissioners of Public Printing, and is therefore governed by chapter 145, Eevised Statutes 1899. The correct solution of the propositions arising upon these two opposing contentions must be sought by a fair and reasonable construction of the various provisions of the statute applicable to the subject in hand.

The Insurance Department was created by the act of March 4,1869. Sections 1 and 2 of that act created the department and provided that the chief officer of such department should be designated as the Superintendent of the Insurance Department. Following those sections provisions were made by section 7, that the superintendent should have his office in the city of St. Louis, and it was also provided that he should procure rooms necessary for his office at a rent not. to exceed a specified sum per annum, and that he might provide a suitable safe, furniture, stationery, fuel, printing and such other things as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of his office. Section 8 of said act [474]*474also provided that all of the expenses of the department should be paid out of the fees and allowances provided for in the act, and that the State should not become in any manner liable for any expenses growing out of this department or any charges connected therewith. Section 16 of that act provided for the collection of fees and assessments by the superintendent and for the payment of such fees and assessments into the State Treasury, except he was authorized to retain’ the monthly expenses by filing vouchers for the same. Section 7 of the act of 1869 was amended in the revisions of ’79 and ’89; however, such changes .do not in any way affect the proposition involved; therefore, it is unneccessary to set out in detail the changes so. made. In 1897 section 5799, Revised Statutes 1889', was repealed and a new section enacted in lieu thereof, which' is now section 7840, Revised Statutes 1899. This section provides :

“The said superintendent shall have his office in the City of Jefferson, and shall keep the same open for business from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. every day except Sundays and public holidays; He shall have his office in the capitol building and be provided with suitable rooms therein and be furnished with a suitable safe, furniture, stationery, printing and such other things as may be necessary for the transaction of the business of his office. He shall also have one clerk at a salary of one thousand five hundred dollars per annum, and if it becomes necessary for the proper dispatch of the business of the department, said superintendent may employ additional clerical help at an expense not exceeding one thousand dollars per annum, and also to employ such actuarial work to be done as. may be necessary, all of which expense shall be paid as provided for by section 7841 out of the amount appropriated by law from the fees collected by the insurance department. The Attorney-General shall be his legal adviser, but the superintendent may, with the approval of the [475]*475Governor, employ other counsel for the purpose of enforcing the insurance laws, except in criminal prosecutions. He may also employ suitable persons to make examinations as to the solvency of companies when he deems it necessary: Provided, however, that he shall not employ any person in any capacity who is an officer, agent or employee of any insurance company or association.

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Bluebook (online)
97 S.W. 940, 199 Mo. 470, 1906 Mo. LEXIS 326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-democrat-printing-co-v-wilder-mo-1906.