Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-11-01

Laws. Journals and Reports of State officers,
has been supposed to be given out We re-
fer to the act of 1867, which reads as fol-
lows;
ACT RELATING TO STATE PRINTING
SECTION /. The printing Of the follow
ing state matter, to wit tie laws, Journals
of the senate and house Of Representatives,
all reports Of state orhcers, required by law
10 be made 10 the general assembly, Includ-
inc the auditor report, report OF the adIu-
ta1t and inspector-general, quartermaster-
genera sergeant-at-arns. railroad commits
sinper commissioner OF the insane, super
intendent. chaplain, and directors OF the
state prison, trustees of state reform school,
trustees of the University OF Vermont and
State Agricultural College, and board OF
education. shall be hereafter done under the
following regulations On the hrst week
in June o. each year, the secretary OF state
shall advertise in one weekly newspaper, IN
each county where there Is one printed, Tor
sealed proposals. Said advertisement shall
state the matter 10 be printed, and the form
and STYLE of the same, and when the same or
any mart thereof IS 10 be completed, and
that SAID sealed proposals must state the
size Of sheet 10 be printed on the press,
whether medium or double medium the
weight of paper per ream Of twenty quires;
the price per pound or per ream the price
of compositi0n per one thousand ems, en-
bracinE the price for plain and the price for
6rure or tabular work the price OF press
worl per token Of ten and one hall qulres,
embracing the price per token printed on
one or both sides, and also whether the
sheet printed Is TO be medium or double ne
dunn the price Of binding per copy IN such
stvle as NAV be designated Ii said advertise
ment. and be signed by the party proposing,
giving full name and residence, and that
said sealed proposals must be deposited 10
the secretary Of states ONCE on or before the
tenth day Of July thereafter and II shall
he required that each proposal shall state
the names Of two suretles 10 sign the Donu
required in section two Of this act.
SECT. .. On the third Monday IN July IN
each wear. the secretary Of state and the
auditor Of accounts, al the Office Of the sec
retary Of state, at one clock, p. n, shall
publicly open and examine said sealed pro
posals, and shall accept the one most adYan-
tageous to the state, and shall III once notify
the party making such proposal, ana close
the contract and require and take bono 10
the state, with surety 10 their satisfaction,
10 secure the fulfllment Of the contract Tor
said printing
SECT. 3. In case the bond required IN
section two Is not deposited with the state
treasurer on OF before the trst DAY OF Au-
gust. thereafter, the secretary OF state and
auditor Of accounts shall then close con
tract with the party making the next best
proposal IL accordance with the proTlslons
Of TINS act
SFcr. 4 Il Is hereby made the duty Of
each officer who Is required by law 70 make
. nsa "A %
same il readiness and deposited with the
secretary Of state for printing, on or before
the 18th day Of September IL each year and
the auditor report, adIutant and inspector
general report, quartermasier-gener :
report. reports Of railroad commissioner
commissioner Of insane, superintendent.
chaplain, and directors Of state prison, ser
geant-at-arus. trustees of state reform school,
and the trustees OF the University OF Yer
mont aud the STATE Agricultural College,
snail all be bound IL Gne volume. and
/ he called vernon; Annual Reports OF state
I Officers.
SECT. .. The fiscal year shall end An
/ gust thirty first. 10 which time all annual
I reports shall show the condition OF their
respective subject matter.
SECT. Is. All acts and parts of actS, m
consistent with this act. arr hereby repealed
Sfc1 = This act shall take effect from
IT. pa-sage
Approved. Nov q, $50.
The purpose Of this law j. evident Il
wa intended To- secure fair and equal CON-
petition for the State printing. with the
idea. doubtless. that in That way the STATE
would secure IL printing at the least cost
t. tins end il provides that tine printing shall
be given ont upon 90 sealed proposals
The-e proposals must stale the prices bid
/ for TN, work in such detail a. Is mentioned.
ANA rhey must be deposited ia the >ecre;a-
n Of STATE 5 ofhce on or before tie 10Th OF
July OF q fixed day after that date, the
Secretary ana Auditor arr required 20 open
8. the said sealed proposals and &c snail ar
reDf fhe aas most advantageous % The N,0fe-
The object Of these provision j. clear
The work j. 70 be given out upon written
bids. rather than upon personal solicitation,
IN order 70 put al The printers ii the state
upou the same footing The proposals are
t. be put in before q certain time. are L. be
sealed. and are to be- kept 50 til the time OF
the public opening, all Of them, IN order
tina, no favored party may be enabled to
know before putting IA h. PROPOSE what
the prices offered hy Ms competitor are,
or who III. compctetorsare, or whether there
are any others than himself. all Of which
facts might. and in most case would
material y affect the hgures Of his PROPOSE
And when the proposals are So put IL, the
Secretary and Auditor are plainly required
to confne themselves TO those 50 made and
TO accept the one most advantageous 10 the
State The act lays down simple and
distinct rule Of proceeding, and one under
which IL printer could complain Of unfair
treatment
Our Legislators may be surprised 10 learn
that TINS act Is Of no more account, a. to It's
chief essentials. than 50 much blank paper
such, however Is the fact
For a year OF Two. we believe. the print
ing wa given ont substantially II accor-
dance with N. statute The Montpelier
printers were determined 10 secure the work.
bid for il At starvation price, and Of course
secured the contracts The other printers
IN the state finding it useless TO put In pro
posals at living prices. concluded IN $50
that they would not compete for the print
ins The Montpelier printers, dis-
covering IN some way, probably through
some infraction Of the law, that they had
succeeded in driving of all outside com
petition, as they had probably distinctly
intended io do. put their head together.
allotted the printing among them=eive-. and
secured II all 81 prices very much higher
than they ad got before, and higher than
several other Office in the State would have
been GLAD 3D. a. it for.
The attention Of one of the manager Of
the Free Pres Association wa called 10 this
state OF things by state official and the A.
ISOLATION was specially invited toput in pro
posals. when the time should come around
for another allotment Of the Printing The
Free Pres Association accordingly did so.
this year taking pains 10 conform 70 the
law in al! particulars They bid Tor the
printing ar SIMPLY far and living prices,
and 81 figure which if accepted would cost
the State considerably les than il paid for
the last lot Of State printing. The day came
for opening the proposals. and representa- |
tive Of the FIRES Pres Association was pres
ent at the Secretary Of States ONCE 10 Wit
ness the opening when TO his surprise he /
found that the Montpelier printers had not !
deposited their proposals according to the |
law. One of the Montpelier Office had /
handed in q bid to the Deputy Secretary Of 4
State some time previous, and took u GlrGy /
again. Another Montpelier Office tiad put
in ne sealed proposals but both expected
TO be allowed 10 put in their proposals that
day And they irere 50 allowed. Il Is the