, 1873-02-13


enormous swindles practised upon the
county and the Taxpayers during the
past year IN the matter Of public print
ing and advertising. ths new Board Of
Commissioners issued proposals for bids
for the printing for the current year
On opening the bids if was found that
the proprietors of the DIsaAgcH propos-
ed to publish all the official reports of
every description. and ali matters re-
curing publication by any Of the coun-
ty offices, at the rate OF fifty cents per
square Of twelve lines. The proprietor
of The h,teiiigencer proposed to publish
the official reports at forty-tive cents per
square of ten lines and the sale for de-
linqueut taxes at tiirty-six cents per
square for the first insertion and eight
cen cents for each subsequent insertion.
If this is an honest bid, to be literally
construed, each square would cover an
average Of NOT less than three descrip-
tons, four weeks publication of which
would amount to ninety cents, or thirty
cents description. Two dollars and
fifty cents a description was charged
and paid for the last publications by the
same man who now offers this bid, at
the rate of 81 so square, and the sole
Justification Of this charge was, that the
printer had the right to include the no.
tice OF sale in the count for each de-
scription. Here we have the claw to the
trick of the present bid. The notice OF
sale added 10 each description, would
make two squares, which for four weeks
publication under this bid, ", MD ccme
TO 81 so Under our bid The same pub-
lication, counting three lines to de
scription, would amount to Al cents a
description, at the rate OF 81 % IA sqnare
for four insertions. The anticipation Of
constructive charges which increase the
the nominal amount six times, is the
only explanation of the apparent propa-
sition to reduce his advertising charges
from s. so to 30 cents description "a
confession Of rascaIly extortion before.
And this is the reason Why he nominal
| ly proposes to do the figure work Of the
tax sales nearly % per cent less than
the plain work Of the reports. He knows
| that the Commissioners with whom he
makes the contract viii not have the
auditing Of the account, and he expects
to repfat the constructive charges by
which the taxpayers were swindied ont
of over q thousand dollars in the last
publications. of tax saies. The new
Commissioners show laud bic desire
TO conduct the Affairs Of the county jilst-
~ and economically, and we propo. to
aid them all in onr power to that end,
and that is our only purpose in calling
lbic attention TO this matter. MOI
understanding the tricks OF dishonest
printers, they are liable to construe this
bid bv its appearances instead Of its de
sigus. II ii is honestly intended, let the
contract be so specifically stated as 10
define the exact amount 10 be allowed
for each description. fire average nan-
Der Of descriptions to q square can be e1-
actly estimated by previous advertise
ments. If it proves to be three descrip-
tons to the square, which under the bid
would amount to ninety cents for fou,
weeks publication, let the contract spe-
-cifcally state that .he shall receive nc
more than thirty cents description foi
the advertising. This would wrong no
body. would avoid the possibility o.
constructive charges on that particular
job, and save the taxpayers from being
again vicumized by printing swindlt
which filched from hem 81 50 cents fol
80 cents on contract charges. In ordi
nary business, no man or organization
would entertain business proposition
with any uldn who had so grossly swim
died thea before; and when the public
interests may seem to require it, til,
greatest caution and circumspectior
should be observed. to guard agains
fraud snd imposition.