The Placer herald., 1873-11-15
THE TRUTH Is THIS:

their predecessors. determined, evidently
that if they would make amy attempt t,
cross is th he would put them to as
much trouble as possible; aud for This pn-
pose, during the entire session, nearly. lie
hing around them like an evil genius. Bis
first attack was made on them when the
matter Of county printing came up. Fer
some years the printing has not been let ou'
hy contract. -Four years ago the PLACER
HEbALo and the Stars and Stripes bid for
the contract, and The contract was awarded
to the Stars and Stripes for one year,
| claiming that theirs was the lowest bid
At the expiration OF that contract, there
was nothing done in regard TO the matter,
and the Stars and Stripes Office continued
until the ArguS was started to do the work.
When the Argus was ready for operation
the county work was sent there, and has
been ever since; but both the Stripes and
the .irgus have claimed to he doing the
work at the prices set forth in the Stars
and Stripes contr ct. We have no assur-
ance that the work has been done at thai
price. For the last three years there has
been no contract binding anyone, and tie
parties doing the work could charge what
hey pleased, with the assuY"ee that the
supervisors would allow their bill. The
prices in the Stars and Stripes bid were
low, as may be Judged from the fact that
theirs was the lowest of two bids when
there was a contest for the work, and it is
reasonable to presume that each would bid
as low as he possibly could and live. Al d
mind you, neither wages no, stock are any
lower now than they were then. The
| .A,uus claims TO have done The work at e
prices named in the Stars and Stripes bid
We don't say they have not But the fact
that the Board last week cut their bill down
because it exceeded the rates named in the
bid, looks little suspicious Bat that as
it may. We know that the prices in thu
Stars and Stripes bid were low-very low
so low that nothing but considerable oi
the amount of the work would jnsiisy par
ties in doing it, excepting the rate for adj
veriising, y hicl is IA good round price, and
makes up other defri nc;es. But our opinion
was not required There was other evi
dence. This same matter WAS brought up
before lie Board Of Sup,rvisors nin
months ago by us, when we asked for g
privilege to bid or the work. The Re-
corder was authorized to investigate t.,
IN liter and rel ort to the Sup rvsors. H'
reported le work being done at the same
prices rs set forth in the Stars and Stripes
bid, which prices the Board found 10 b,
so very reasonable tht they would not b'
warranted in asking the wo k done Al
| lower rates, and hence could gee no mt ces.
-iry for Ling III bids. We quote the fol-
lowing from the Recorders report to ll'
Board, that thp public may have better
dea whether the prices in P,acer are low
or not:
In order to ascertain how the prices paid by
| Placer county for printing compared with 9th
II cocntes. similarly situated | wrote to th'
Auditor of FL Dorado county, and requested
h m to send me n certified list of prices paid
tor printing by that county. l received IRON
that officer samples of banks and n certified
list of prices paid by FL ID RADIO county ton
printing. The blanks, in nearly eve y instance,
are inferior to those used 10y Placer county, ana
upon comparison, find that the prices pad IN
that county are about % per cent. higher than in
this. also wrote to the Auditor of Nevada
county, and was informed by that officer tina,
,he printing Of all kinds except the Great Reg
lister and the del nquent tax list, was done undei
u contract for two years for 81, ,999
have carefully computed the cost of print
| ing in Placer county for the past two years, and
find that it costs the county, exclusive OF Great
r gs,er and delinquent list, the sum of 81 ,93J-
| 81, making the cost of printing IN Placer
county, exclusive of Great Register and delln
| quent list, one-third less than was paid by
| Nevada county for similar work
The Recorder then goes on to show that
the delinquent list at the prices paid by
| PA GER, would not exceed $500, while
It Nevada c uny pic $ it would cost
$780, In the Fight cf all these facts,
and knowing that it was in the power Of the
! Board to contract tor the county plntl z,
we presented to them petition, in sub
stance asking tile contract for Going said
work at the rates at wh:h it was claimed
the work has been being done. When said
petition was opened by the Board, we Were
there and explained to them that the rates
asked for advertising. in such cases where
the advertisements rtn some months. were
.extravagant, and rs we wanted but what
was fair, proposed TO make reasonable re-
duction, wh.h was accepted. The argus
man conveniently happened in just then,
and said lie did not know the Board were
intending TO let any contract for printing, if
| sl lie Mnuld ike 10 mi liz q lid He WIS