Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-05-12

the proprietor and publisher Of the Guar
dian, is endesvoring TO charge the town
Of Homer All extravagant price for the
public printing.
The members 81 the Town Council are
of the impression that the bid Of Mr. Har-
risou is extravagant, or they desire to get
their work done for less than It's actual
,alne. As il 10 TO be presumed that all
homes, inen are willing to pay a fair and
reasonable price for scr,i ices performed We
must conclude that the Town Council are
honestly OF the opinion that the bid Of Ar.
Harrison is largely IN excess Of the amount
that in justice should be paid for the print
| ing that may br required during the year
for which the estimate is made. Ii is easy
to get at the facts. At the head Of the
first column on first pnge Of the Guardian
will be foupd the regular rates for MI nd
verti.ing. Upon comparison with the rates
Of other papers it will be seen that the
prices of the Guardian are not unrrasons-
BILE or excessive.
II is customary To- let ont public printing
to the lowest bidder, or to make a con.
tract in the absence Of any law TO the
contrary. In making q contract it is al
ways expected that the amount TO be paid
shall be less thar the regular rates. A
reduction that the printer eau bear in con-
sidoration of more certain payments, aud
because he has all the work 10 do.
Now, If IL can be shown that in previous
contracts the prices received by Mr. Iiar-
rison were considerably less than his reg.
ular rates it must be admitted by all fair
aud reasonable men that his charges are
not extravagant, indeed that they are just
aud reasonable.
The contract for tho first years printing
that contract would have amounted to
ninety.iwo dollars, at the regular rates.
On this contract there was an actual loss
~ will be seen by reference Ia the neat
contract, which was for sixty dollar. On
that years contract the work ut regular
rntes amounted to eighty.two dollars,
being reduction Of twenty-five dollars.
For the third year, that will expire on the
first Of August next, the contract was for
have passed we have done ffty.tyc dollars
worth Of work. by the end Of the year,
from what We know Of publications yet to
he made, we presume that there will be
twenty-five or thirty dollars worth Of work
to be done. Thus making ubout the usual
difference between contract price aud reg
ular rates. In nll these figures we do not
include the publication Of certain notices
that we're extra. There is not printer in
the country that will not declare under
oath that our churgcs are exceedingly
moderate. We have been fair and reason
able III our dealings with the Town Coun-
ell. All advantages have been with thcm
and We have received a ncagre remuncla-
alton FOR our labor.
We have made calm, temperate, honest
statement of facts. While we would like
to do the town printing even at low rates,
we are not so anxious to get ii as TO bid
with onr eyes closed. 1t is not unlikely
that under the new administration all
ordinances will be promulgated anew.
We can't tell what reforms are TO be in.
auguratrd, what innovations to be at
tempted. As we look back over the his
tory of the toHa for many years past, we
See many changes that could with al
vantage he made. We think il not
unlikely that the talented young Mayor
has schemes and ideas that if carried ont
will rebound greatly to the credit of him
self and co-adjutors. Should any Of
these changes be made due notice will be
given in the Guardian, all under the
terms Of the contract.
These ale only surmisc. of ours. Posi-.
bly, there may be less printing than usual
III the twelve months beginning with the
first of August next, and probably there
will he a great deal more.
The proposal Of Mr.. Harrison is fair and
equitable To the town, whatever it may he
to himself And when it is considered in
connection with the result Of previous
contracts, it will be seen that there is
nothing about it to warrant the threat
that an cndeavor will he made to dispense
with the columns of the Guardian for the
PRONUNCIATION Of laws. II we were to
take advantage Of the fact that there is
no other paper IN the town and make ex
ccssivc charges for work done for the pco-