The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-23
The CITY'S ADVERTISING.
1t Goes to the Evening News" for
the Ensuing Year.
Mr.. McClatchy Contends That the
Bees" Bid Was the Lowest-The
Record Union's'' Was Plain.

Record Union's'' Was Plain.
There was a special meeting Of the City
! Trustees yesterday, the chief purpose
thereof being to award contract for
doing the city advertising for the ensuing
year, bids for which had been submitted
on Monday. Mayor Comstock presided,
and Trustees Conklin and Green were
/ both present
/ The bidders were the RECORD-U UNION,
4 Bee and NetUS, and each paper had a
( representative present. The RECORD
/ UNIONS bid was for one square of six
solid lines of nonpareiI 81, second time
/ % cents, third time 70 cents; each subse-
quent time, 80 cents. The -Nc3rs offered
TO do the city printing for nothing for
! four months, commencing on January |,
1898. After that it would charge 81 per
square Of 1856 ems for the first insertion;
4 70 cents for the second insertion, and 80
cents for each subsequent insertion. The
/ BCe offered to do tie work at the rate Of
( 80 cents per square for the first insertion,
and - cents Tor each subsequent inser-
ton; but stipulated that il case any city
( advertising should tie given to any paper
other than the Bee it would charge the
I city for such advertising at full rates; or
( the Bee was willing to enter into a con-
/ tract similar to the one it had with the
city last year.
] I. w. Sheehan of the RECORD-U L IoT
suggested at that time that the board
should take the question of circulation
anA value of q paper as an advertising
medium before awarding the contract.
lie Was ready to make a sworn statement
regarding the circulation Of the RECORD
! UNION.
Alter reading the proposal published
I by the board, Mayor Const0ck remarked
that the bid OF the RECORD UNION was
perfectly plain, while he considered that
I OF the Bee as dodging the issue 10 some
( extent. That of the NeirS was also not
as plain Is he would like.
Trustee Conklin remarked that he re
garded the bids much III the same light rs
did the Mayor-to him the bets bid
! seemed indefinite.
Y. >. Met latchy. business Manager OF
tho 2 e., was accorded a hearing. After
/ expressing the belief That the Trustees
desired to do what was right in the prem
ises. he said there were two classes OF adj
/ vertisers to be cousidered-the city and
the titizens OF Sacramento, The bid Sub
. United By the Bee was absolutely the
I lowest 1t was the lowest Tor the city
proper and the lowest for he citizens
who had advertising to do OF an official
character. lie wished To know if it was
contract to the lowest bidder.
Being informed that such was their de-
4 sire, Mi. McCiatchy said that the city
had at its disposal two kinds of adyertis-
+, ing. that which the city must pay for and
the other which must be met by indiyid-
uals. That portion of the city advertising
which directly concerned the city treas
ury could be best done by the Bee, for
/ under its contract it would ne the cheap
est to the city. The Bee offered the low
est rate TO citizens. AS regards the adj
vertising by the city proper, the Ne10S
offered TO do it the first four months free,
the Bee the entire year without charge.
! y ext, as regards the official advertising
/ paid for by individuals, the two bids, fig
Gred out for The entire year, showed the
BcGa to be the lowest in the proportion Of
! two to two and half
/ Mr. McClatchy having referred to the
/ y - present contract, Mayor CoMstock
remarked that the bid under considera-
! ton was not so explicit as the former: il
/ contained too many Ifs"
| J. \. Sheehan Of the Ne}rS said the Bees
bid was exceedingly vague, and he was
/ not surprised that the board did not I'M
derstand ii clearly. 1t could make but
little difference to the city il it saved
/ few dollars which was made up from
some of her citizens. If the bid of the
/ BE is accepted the board gives away its
own discretion. We viii nave two cleo
the Washington annexation is seriously
| considered. The board cannot discount
the future. 1t has no means Of knowing
/ what complications may arise or what or
dinances it will pass during the coming
/ year. The NeJcS IS the lowest bidder, and
it should be awarded the contract. 1t pro-
posed to do the same by the citizens
as by the city. The board awarded the
| contract to the Bee last year, and their bid
was as ambiguous then as now. They
were there intending to act squarely with
the city and the citizens, and consider
| that they had the lowest and best bid.
Mr.. McClatchy again took the floor,
and argued that the city would ray no
more for election advertising if the bid
was given to the Bee than 10 the Ne1CS,
and for all other advertising a great deal
less. He asked the board if it fully I'M
derstood the meaning of his bid. and the
members replied that they did.
Mir. CATCHY said that he was there to ex-
plain away the ''ifs referred to by the
Mayor" In this matter the Bee was
either right or wrong. He was there to
explain the bid and show that it was the
lowest, as he already had done.
Mayor Comstock said he thought the
board had heard sufficient argument, and
called for vote on the bids, saying that
each Trustee as his name was called
should designate the paper for which he
desired to vote.
me result Ol the IOll-cdII was unanl-
4 mously in iavor Of the NelcS.
But Mr.. McClatchy had still another
shot in his locker. lie said he hoped the
board, in justice to all parties, would see
that the minutes Of the proceedings stated
that the contract was awarded to the
lowest bidder; and Mr.. Sheehan rounded
of the sentence by suggesting land tho
best"
Mayor Comstock said he had no obicc-
ton to having the record read as re-
quested, but Trustee Conklin remarked
thai he believed the board was capable of
attending to its own minutes.