The evening Argus., 1868-02-28
sa-S2. 2.157 68
For same FIVE months, only


the whole year, in Davenport, for the reason
that the city clerk who preceded Mr.. Lillis
did not keep his books in such manner as
to enable us to find the sums readily. But
during the FIVE months given, the bills aver
aged S45l 50 month. Taking this as an
average for the whole year, the city
printing for Davenport for the fiscal year
ending March lst, 1867. would amount to
the sum of s@r45.41a as.
The whole amount allowed and paid for
printing blanks, books, binding, advertising,
&C., &C., in Rock Island, for the same year,
the year ending March lst, 1867, was only
s6ls 25,or S5l 81 month, against an aver
age of S45l So month in Davenport.
Last March the Peoples Party came into
power in Davenport, and there was change
of city printers, from republican to demo
in until the lst of April, and that probably
included the work done in March. From
April l, 1867, to January l, 1868, ten
months, including March, the bills allowed
and paid aggregate Sl.4s6 81, or an aver
age of Sl4S 6S a month. Adding the other
two months, at the same average, and the
aggregate paid for printing, advertising, &C.,
&C., in Davenport, for the year ending March
|, 1868, would be a6-41.784 II.
In Rock Island, there has been allowed
and paid, for work done since last March,
the sum of $562,l0. But this only includes
bills from March lst to December 3lst, ten
months, and includes books printed for the
city assessor, city collector, wharf master,
| city scales, street supervisors, the paper,
printing, binding, &c. Taking the bills al
lowed as an average, it would be $56,21 a
month, or S674.52 for the year, in Rock
Island, against s9p$1,za4,1z paid in
Davenport, during the same time.
The Union complains that we have
charged too much for advertising. We al
ways charge, for legal notices, 81 square
| for frs: insertion, and so cents a square for
each subsequent insertion; and we have
charged city advertising at the same rates.
And our charges are only one-half what the
newspapers charge in Davenport for the
same work. We noticed, for example, a
charge in the Davenport bills for advertising
60 lines ten times, sos, which is 81 square
for every insertion. Another item of 81
lines ten times $9l, which is at the same
rate, VIZ: 81 a square for every insertion,
and not an unreasonable price-but it is
nearly double what we have charged the
city, here. The same is true as to blanks,
posters, blank books with printed headings,
and other job printing.
We do not publish these items to find fault
with the prices paid in Davenport for the
same kind of work done here; bnt we publish
them to show that our charges have been
less than is charged in other places, and that
the amount of work here has been very small
indeed; exhibiting unusual economy on the
part OF our city officers. Itought also to be
remembered that we have charged nothing
at all tor publishing the proceedings of the
CITY councii-work which is paid for in
other places.
| But the comparison for the year ending
March l, 1867, between the two cities. ia a
fair comparison of radical and democratic
management everywhere. The average in
Davenport was $451,53 month, under
radical rule, against $5l $50 in Rock Island
under democratic rule-or nearly ten times
as expensive under radical rule as under
democratic rule. The comparison viii hold
good in cities, towns, counties, states, o,
the nation, and is lesson the people viii
do well to study.
| We are glad the Union walked us up on
this subject.