National Republican., 1878-07-22
A MASSACHUSETTS, GI:OwL.

The Springfield Republican is engaged in
the work Of ovcrhauling the War Depart
ment in the interest of Massachusetts bid
ders for stationery, &C., and attempts to sus-
tain the allegation that there is War De-
partment /" Ring" under which outsiders
have no mortal show of right and justice
We arc reluctant to believe such thing
possible undera Reform Administration, and
hence we accept this Massachusetts, growl
with grains of allowance. There may be
something of it, and it may be the chimcra
of disappointed and vcxed imaginative
spirit which could not have every thing its
own way.
The first allegation is that Assistant Sec
retary Crosby does not treat Massachusetts,
enterprise with courtesy and openness of
action. This is so unlike Mr.. CROSBY that
we must be permitted to express doubt of
its correctness. Again, the growl relates to
the matter of inviting proposals for envel-
opes, with the allegation that
A total of So many to be bid on BY the
thousand is called for of specified numbers
and varying prices, not naming the quantity
wanted of each kind, as is done In the other
Departments of rubber rulers grand total Is
called for of different kinds and cost at so
much dozen; aud all through the list goods
wanted, of widely differing prices, are Jumped
and mixed up to be bid upon together by the
dozen or thousand In so uncommon u way that
none but the firm which has had the contract
and knows what the Department Uses, eau
bid inteliigcntly. In paper, one item calls for
800 reams weighing from "a to 2S pounds,
IN
pounds: of envelopes, l72 900 of Nos. 0, 10, II,
and II are asked for, varying in price from 50
to 81 per thOusand-all without stating the
amount and number required of each kind, aud
so in scissors, pencils, Sc BY sharply insisting,
the agent Of the National Papeteric Company
was able to get the bid Of the old contractors,
MOUUS Bros, Of Washington, FOR ls17, and
Judging by that somewhat Of the goods used,
made up his bid largely at the bare cost of man.
ufucture. Having become convinced that he
must lie present at the opening Of the bids to Sc
cure fair show the Springfield mau went to the
Department on the day specified. The bids
were to be opened ut II o'clock, and he entered
Just as the clock WAS striking, but was told
| that he was too late. An appeal however, Sc
cured recognition Of his bid. But it appeared
us had been expected, that the MONTH Bros
| had got IN the lowest total bid-severl thou
sand dollars below that OF our National Papetcrit
| Company. Mr.. GURDOS BILL, who has re-
Gently been on TO Washington in the Interest,"
of the home company, directly chargcs thai
this MoHUN bid was irregular and plainly no
| intended to be lived up to. When entered the
| bid was not complete, having no names guar
antccing its reliability as required in the pro
posals, though these have since been appended
| The most important point made against tn,
method of Assistant Secretary Crosby, how
! ever, is that, beside the unique way II
which items are mixed up to confus,
the outside bidder, the lowest total bic
Is accepted, instead of the lowest on eacl
item Of the whole list as In the other Depart
mcnIs. A comparison of the MOHUS Bros
bid in 1873 with that Of last year shows som,
remarkable figures as follows 3Si reams blot
ting board, PARKERs treasury, weighing lW
pounds per Tcam, furnished for $50. in 1877
are put in the new bid at $3.50, aud at SO b,
the Springfield company; 5000 envelopes
Manila paper, cloth lined, 10 by Il inch, pc
| thousand, SO in ls17, 81 this year. A follow
ing out Of the comparisons shows lots Of reduc
tiOns from so to 81, even from $50 to Sl-th
inference being that the Washington company
! knowing that certain things would not b.
, called for, put them in at infinitely less THAI
cost, to reduce their grand total and obtain thu
award. MOHUS Bios. have taken this con
tract for dozen years, and, while the Govern
ment called for some $4,000 more goods thi
year than last, when their bid amounted t
sci 900. the bid this year was Ouly abou
ss,OOO-a difference of $4,000.
We give Massachusetts the benefit Of thi
growl; but doubt If much Indignation vii
he excited because Washington pcOpl
know better how to bid for contracts tina
those from abroad, and especially when tn
bids are as Si00 is against $50, saving to tn
Government Sl5.lO On each realn oi blottiug