The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-05-15
TIE CITY PRINTING.

Last week our space would not permit
us to conclude our remarks on this SUBJ
ject. and we then expressed our intention
TO resume the discussion this week. 1t
may seem slight trespass on propriety
10 review the comments of member of
the city board, in the public press. But
no one will deny our right to refute er-
roneous statements particularly WHEN
they are designed rs a reflection on the
Democratic papers OF the city.
Mr.. White said IN support of his mo-
ton to lay on the table: Democracy is
coming down. The time was when the
democratic papers Of this city had no
opposition that they charged full rates.
Now, when there is prospect of another
organ being established in the city they
come down" Because democracy had
come down." Mr.. White objected TO
giving any attention to the offer made.
He moved to lay the proposition on the
table thus removing every vestige of
opposition to the new ''organ," term
descriptive Of the new paper, which we
borrow from Mr.. White. When Mr..
White stated that democracy came
''down" he must have forgotten that the
rates for city printing are fixed by the
city board without consulting printers
and without inviting competition. He
must have known that even with these
rates fixed, the bills of the city printer
are audited by the city board. He must
have known that the democratic papers
have been doing the city printing at the
rates fixed when the official papers were
republican, and that there was reduction
of eighty dollars made the last fiscal year,
to which the democratic papers did not
offer word of objection. He probably
does not know that the republican papers
were at one time allowed full legal rates,
sixty cents per folio, and this at time
when competition could be easily invited.
He knows that democratic papers have
been doing the printing at % per cent
off from legal rates. II he does not
know, we can inform him that demo-
crat reduced the price paid for the pub
LEGATION of the proceedings of the city
board to just one half of what had been
paid, and that republican members OF
the board restored it to the original
amount because republican journals
were the official papers of the city.
The price paid for city printing during
the time the PILOT has been under its
present management has been less, pro-
portionally, than what merchants are
charged for advertisements. The same
space given to the city business if occu-
pied by commercial advertisements at
the rates We charge, would yield twice
as much as we received from tie city.
Under these circumstances how Mr..
White can complain OF the city's having
suffered through monopoly it is diff
cult to understand. The Board have
the right, ana they have exercised it, of
fixing the price to be paid for city print
ing. The price was fixed when the city
had four papers. 1t was subsequently,
reduced when still there were four pa
pers in the city. And it vas further
reduced when there were but two. There
has been no lobbying to secure advanced
rates nor TO prevent reduction. During
the past year the bills presented by the
PILoT were invariably allowed in fail
with but one exception and that was for
a class of work for which rates had not
previously been fixed, and the reduction
then was but $50. In view of these
facts can Mr.. White honestly say that
the city has suffered through the cxorbi-
taut rates Of democratic papers? Ana
why, if it is true, does he attempt to
rule out competition 10y laboring to pre-
vent the proposition Of the PLoT from
coming before the board?