The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-10
TACOMA CITY PRINTING SCANDAL.
The "CalI's' Bills Said to Have Been
Doubled-Gross Dishonesty Charred


TACOMA. Dec 9-tspeciai. superior court
judges Allyn and Campbell today sent letter
TO Mayor Kandle regarding the city printing Tor
which the Call holds the contract TIE letter,
In referring to the official Information OF Re-
ceiver Christie which the court says it cannot
ignore, continues follows:
II is charged that gross abuse has resulted
from this contract, aud that the oity-snd
through il our citizens-hsve been wrouged, 10
use mild term. The books are under the con-
troll OF the court. but are accessible to you OF
any proper committee for full examination and
the receiver VIII be ordered to show them to
yon and give you any information he can upon
request.
We do not desire to call grand jury tas it is
az expensive and cumbersome BODY TO iuvesti-
gate this matter If it can be avoided and public
rights protected wrongs righted otherwise
i Ior that reason we call upon. you as mayor of
the city of Tacoma, and Preside Hill, to whom
Ike no ice has been sent to investigate III ly
these charges, feeling sure that If proven, You
viii at once adopt the proper remedy, ana II un-
true, do prompt justice TO the persons wrongly
charged. Public officials should no, be charged
in this way if innocent, and sho uId BE- quick to
court investigation.
The only question is: May we expect you TO
do this. or shall We?
In placing the books of the Cal before the
court Receiver Christie pointed out that in sew
eral instances ordinances had been charged for
at double the amount allowed by the charter
Mr.. Christie says Mr.. Partridge's wife copied
the bills, aud in all but one instance rendered
them for approximately twice the amount le-
gally allowed. To the correspondent of the
PosTINTELLIsENcER Mr.. Partridge stated
that the bills had been made
out for the current amounts prior
to the decision of the supreme court
confirming the Cdtrs contract with the city to do
the printing. When the decision had been rem
dered, Mr.. Partridge says his partner berry
changed the amounts to twice the original
Do rfrtI Irof tool lie
says his wife, noting how badly they were
marked with erasures, etc, said she would re-
write them, to which her husband agreed Mr..
Partridge states that an attempt has been made
to freeze him out of the Caa and that he will
yet come out on top
To secure the other side of the charges the
correspondent of the Posi- INTELLIGENeEg saw
City Clerk Haskins. "Whst does this signify?'
Mr.. Haskins was asked, reference being made to
the letter of Judge Allyn and Receiver christies
statements. de replied
IL means that there is fool in the case The
ordinances referred to involved s6a, ,433. 30, and
were published in the evening Call the week
ending September 26 1891 After the bid of w.
A. Berry had been accepted for the city print
ing, by advice OF the city attorney they were
again ordered to be published during the week
beginning October 3,as the ciIy attorney thought
a possible claim might be made that the first
publication might be declared Illegal for the
reason that the Cal had not been declared the
vestigation would have shown just how the
matter stood. Besides these ordinances, num-
bering from SD to 537, which cost the city $50
TO insure amounts involving over s64,000 a tax
roll was also published twice Besides these no
other city printing was duplicated or paid for
at double prices"
1t is charged that the official paper published
some of the ordinances twenty times.
That 10 none of my business, so long as the
city only pays for three insertions. | suppose
the Cdu ran the ordinances TO fill up wita. Ordi-
nances are to run three times, while notices
may run five and in some instances more times.
Mayor HANDLE has written reply to the supe-
rior court, based upon the above statement of
City Clerk Haskins.
Among the papers fled in the superior court
this afternoon was one, Partridge vs. Berry,
that their litigation shall cease, by mutual con-
sent and without prejudice.
Mayor Handle will order an investigation and
assist the prosecution OF taxpayers. As for the
expense OF assembling the grand jury. Re re-
marks that the expense OF the city printing
matter has been so great already that he does
not believe that the costs would have much
weight in calling the grand Jury