The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-29
Tint Gaun,. printine.

brings a row among the newspapers
of Brule county over the awarding of
the county printing. j
The statutes of Dakota regulating
the powers of a county board allows
them the privilege Of giving the pub
LEGATION of their proceedings o.any
newspaper in the county, and for
which work they are allowed to pay
one-half of the legal rate-ffty cents
per square. For many reasons, which
we will not take the space to enumer-
ate, this law is a wise one.
If the county board invite bids and
then ignore them it is certainly open
to a most severe criticism. But has
it done so? So far as the knowledge
of the GRAPHIC extends it is not.
aware that the board intimated that
they would be prepared at their last
meeting to entertain bids, giving the
impression that they would award
the county printing to the lowest bid
der. Therefore, if we are correct in
our surmises, the board is not open
to criticism, by the public at least,
whose interests should be paramount
to any newspaper. At the last meet
ing of the hQzrd, Mr.. Gregory, who
seemed to hold the balance Of power
in the awarding of the county print
ing, evidently done the best he could;
and as he could not prevail upon the
other members of the board to concur
in his idea, to divide the printing
among all the papers, took the next
best thing, viz: to give it TO the Reg
lister, which paper agrees to furnish
supplements containing the proceed
iogs of the board tie four other papers
in the county, doing the work at fifty
cents per square.
No paper can afford to publish the
county doings for less than the rate
allowed by law. When it offers a
lower bid it is not done for the pur-
pose Of benefiting the public, bat for
the sole purpose of waving at its
masthead "Oficial Paper" and
through that empty title endeavor to
gain a few subscribers. 1t is not
strange that the board is not iii sym
pathy with anything of this kind: and
while the county would . Y q con-
siderable amount by the board award
ing the county printing TO the lowest
bidder, yet we believe that the tax
! payers of the county viii always up
, hold the board in having their pro.
ceedings published in several papers
and paying what the law allows, in
preference to having it confined to
! but one paper, which must have a
, limited circulation, as there are six
papers in the county.
While we agree with MI. Gregory
that the present plan, possibly, is as
!. good as could be devised under all
. the circumstances, vet we must say
that a majority of the board have not
only III former years, but this year as
well, unduly favored the Register. A
u fact for which we can assign no rea
{ son. Certain it is that the members
of the board are under no obligations
to that paper. They were not assisted
G into Office by it. They were elected
by the people, irrespective of politics
religion or of any thing but to be, a.
Mr.. Gregory says, county commission
ers. In 1884 the Register was givel
the printing; and the GRAPHIC a
;: considerable expense paid that pape
for supplements. In 1885 the prin,
ing was given to the Register ant
. -Iader jointly at regular rates. Woul,
!, IN not have been simple justice II
have given the printing this year 1
, the GRAPHIC and Democrat? The.
could have supplied the other paper
!. with supplements gratis, as is nov
done by the Register, and thus hav
: given the proceedings of the board a
wide circulation as under the presen
plan. We think the printing shout
be equally divided between the Kan
bali and Chamberlain papers, giyin
it each year to n paper in kinda
and one in Chamberlain, each to n
ceiye half the pay. This plan woul
? not only be satisfactory to the "di
terminating public" but 70 the new
papers as well.
We may ali be happy yet.