Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-22
A scaly JOB" in the Post-Ofice
Department.

IL Is stated IN the newspapers that the
government contract for furnishing scales to
all the post Offices in the United States for
weighing newspapers and other printed mat
ter, under the law which took effect on the
first of January, has recently been awarded
TO Fairbanks Il Co. Postmaster General
Jewell has been lauded and praised, ad nan.
seam, as being "a Cabinet officer above all
tricks aud jobs. 1t is quite possible that he
is above the average Cabinet officers at
Washington, aud yet it would seem that he
is sometimes influenced by motives other
than those which look solely to the benefit
Of the nation, aud other than those Of true
economy, aud will wink at a little deception
where it is for the benefit OF his friends.
This scale contract award is the case in
point. At the last session OF Congress a law
was passed to take effect January l, 1875,
providing that the postage OF uewspapers aud
periodicals should be prepaid at the Office of
mailing. This neccssitated the purchase Of
a large number Of scales by tho post-ofice
department. 1t has been the custom, and n
proper one, to advertise for bids upon arti-
Giles of this kind. No. finding any such ad.
v%ertisement in the papers, Hon. N. 7.
Sprague, Jr., representing the Howe Scale
Co., as its President, visited the post.ofice
department during the past season, to ascer-
tam the probable wants of the department,
and the manner and proper time for bidding
upon the same. He was met by Postmaster
General Jewell with the remark that there
was no use in agitating the question, as it
was too late. Pressing the matter with per-
slsteuce it was finally acknowledged by
Postmaster Jewell that he had said to the
Fairbanks Scale Company that he was not
authorized to purchase as yet, because there
had been no appropriation made but If
they would have their scales in readiness, he
would give them the order as soon as the
appropriation was made. And here comes
in what is the probable reason of Postmaster
General Jewels evident desire that the sub
ject should not be agitated. The price that
be had agreed to pay was higher than the
Fairbanks company often sell single scales
at retail for. Could there be a more fragrant
instance of favoritism, or a more evident
case of-to say the least-reckless waste OF
the money Of the public2
The representative of the Howe scale was
not satisfied to let the matter rest here, but
appeared before those representing the APP
preparation and Post-ofice committees, and
succeeded in breaking up previous negotia-
tons, which was Of course a plain acknowl-
edgment Of their irrcgularity. BY this
course he naturally secured the opposition
of Mr.. Jewell to the goods he represented (;
and though it would seem that by c%ompell-
ing the department to advertise for bids he
had the matter placed upon an equal basis,
the sequel shows what favoritism will do.
The department advertised December IL
for bids to be opened the Dist, thus allowing
the short time of ten days in which to pre-
pare and enter bids. Upon tho opening OF
the bids, which were supposed by all bidders
to be for regular sizes and styles Of scales,
it was found that upon the sizes Of scales
upon which bids were called for other man.
utacturers were a triio below the Fairbanks
company. Among the scales called for was
a 6OO-pound platform scale. Now, upon
the published price. lists of the various man
ufacturers there appears but one size of a
60O-pound scale, but in the bid OF the Fair
banks company there appeared a bid for a
6~0O-pound scale at a price above that offer
ed by others, but also a supplementary bid
to furnish a platform scale of 900 pounds
with a platform ID inches by ~ inches at a
much lower price. Is tia singular coinci.
dence, or is it Il fraud upon the public that
a careful examination of the published list
Of the Fairbanks company makes no men.
ton Of a 6OO.ponnd scale with Il platform of
that size, while it does say that the size of
their 4O0.pound scale is IL inches by u
inches? Other bidders entered their protest
upon the award being made, and proposed to
prove that the course which would be
pursued by the Fairbanks company would
be to simply add a200-pound weight to their
400.pound scale, but was informed by Mr.,
Jewell that he would make no change. The
result Of all this agitation was, however, that
the government have secured their scales al
a price less than one.half OF what Postmaster
Jewell had originally promised +, pay for
them. Ii the first price was a fair rate, the
last must be %ruinous one to III lse who &c.
cured it, and for this saving to the public,
which amounts to about SO, 700 on a trade
that would have foot ID up less than sl5,0 600