The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-02-15
STATIONERY SUPPLIES.

r., STATIONERY SUPPLIES.
b \ card or two published IN this and Other
= paper, by Mr. Jonn Gross, hook-bindcr and
q blank book manufacturer in Ottawa, com.
$ planning OF unlairnCss towards him on the
} part of the committee of the Board of Super.
e visors charged with the purchase of stationery
) supplies for the county, has excited consider
able interest, and We are piled with impor-
tuntics to give the facts on the subject.
l.. So far as Mr. Cross is concerned the facts
are very simple, The committee asked HIM
| to hand in 10 them by given day his bid ON
certain record and assessors and collectors
r. books that would be needed by the county
during the year, giving Mr.. G. to understand
: that he would have to bid against Culver,
3 Page, Hoync Il Co. of Chicago, Mr. Gross
proves that after the bids of both parties were
I in, Culver, p, H. Il Co. were allowed to change
their bid, Notwithstanding which, however,
his bid was lower than theirs, yet the commit
tee gave the work to Culver, Page, lloyne e
\ Co. The committee, in spite Of several lame
attempts, have thus far failed to controvert
this charge.
But the subject, outside of this little contro-
vcrsy between Mr.. Gross and the committee
deserves ventilation.
The stationery supplies needed by the coun,
" amount to many hundred dollars IA year
| | p to Il year or two ago the practice had been
to allow the county officers to procure those
supplies in their own discretion, rendering the
bills to The supervisors al tAeir stated meetings.
! For many years the bulk of them were obtain
ed Of local dealers and printers and the bal
ance mainly such rs local dealers failed to
! have on hand-werc ordered from Chicago,
and mainly from Culver, Page, Hoyne Il Co..
1t gradually grew into large item, however,
and Mr. Page Il mombcr Of the Chicago firm,
uegan 10 pay frequent visits to Ottawa in con
,nection with the business. The firm of c., F.,
Il. & Co. have business of the kind with per-
haps half the counties in the state, and Mr..
/ Page has done most OF the drumming" He
is 1t courtly, pleasant gentleman, no one qucs-
tons his perfect business integrity, and long
experience has given him wonderful tact in
managing county officers, boards OF supcryis-
orS and their committees. The result has
been here as elsewhere. Mr. Page has had the
address" to monopolise the entire business to
the exclusion and disgust Of the local dealers,
printers, bookbndcrs &c. Their complaints
finally came no to the board Of supervisors,
and that wise body decided to make Il change
! in the manner OF procuring these supplies
Instead of letting the officers buy them as
needed, they appointed Il committee Of their
own body to do the purchasing, with recon-
mendation that, whenever practicable, the mat
ter should be let to the lowest bidder.
| The change was a step from bad to worse.
County officers had at least to act on individu-
al responsibility, and were amenahle both to
;he supervisors and the voters on whom they
depended for reelection. 4 committee of three
OF the Board could divide up the responsibility
or shift II from one to the other and none OF
them be really held amenable. Then there
were half a dozen of county officers to be ma
Inlpulated, which was certainly more difficult
task than to manipulate "A committee of three.
The event here at least appears to justify this
view of the case.
While the county officers were "sophlsticat-
ed into giving the grcu,cr part only of the
supply business to Culver, Page, Hoync & Co.,
the supply committee gave them all,
II the county saved any considerable sum
of money by the change, there might be no
valid reason for complaint But unhappily
the case is contrary and quite the reverse"
In the case of Mr., Gross, the only one in which
the committee deemed 1t eXpedcnt to ask ion
bids, as we have seen, the county had 10 pay
the higher price. Then instead oi the com
mttec purchasing the supplies rs contcnl-
plated by the supervisors, they simply proceed
cl to get of Culver Page, lloyne " Co Il list
of prices of such articles rs the county might
need, and directed the county officers to order
dd Hjitum at those prices. Now that list Gov
crs nifty or more different articles every one OF
which can be obtained of Ottawa dealers,
and there is not one which Ottawa dealers
would not gladly furnish at the same price;
while some of them are II good deal higher
than Ottawa prices Blank books have al
ready been instanced in the case OF Mr. Gross,
and they cover several hundred dollars n year.
Hall sheet cap and Iuiio blanks at 80 cts. Tor
"a half sheets or Sl.GOpcr quire are 40 per cent.
above local rates. Note and letter heads are
charged $3.50 per rcam for printing in add
ton to cost OF paper Ottawa printers would
he glad to work for very heavy reduction
from such rates and 20 cts. per box for print
Tag envelopes is AT least double what any OF
lawa printer Is allowed to charge And so on,
we could name many more articles where the
Culver, Page, lIoyne IL Co. list is considerably
above Ottawa prices.
We are finding no fault, DC it understood,
with Mr.. Page, He is gentleman, an honor
able man and a thorough business man, and
4. ,,,,.r.C this huSinpss : he does all his