The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-21
sxxrrIg. rHUasDxr. DEc. Ell.
THE CRY PRINTING.

The Tress- Tires. If current reports are
true. has passed under the crot-oi OF the
owners Of ths Seattle Telegraph In spite
Of this fact the paper last night contained
the following editorial:
.Iass evening the board OF aldermen, By
resolution, deyt1nated tbs Telegraph a. the
official Newspaper for the coming year.
The lowest anc best bid. rendered by the
Pgess- Tines was ignored. TIE selection OF
the second official newspaper was deferred.
The aldermen, in The selection OF an
official newspaper, hsve passed over the
lowest and best bid 10 give the printing
confrsc. TO a Newspaper Of the same posii-
zeal complexion as tbs members OF the
board. In the selection of the second Of
fetal newspaper. even partisanship can
not Be pleadsd 80 an excuse for passing
over the claims Of the Pess Times. There
IRE no other Democratic daily newspapers
tn he rewarded for partisan services. The
Tress- Tfnaes 10 Of decidedly different POI
iiticai complexion from the telegraph, j.
Il still the lowest and best bidder. is has
the largest circulation of any Newspaper in
the eisY, and in common decency the board
cannot well pass over It's Claims 10 Do Sc
Ieeied as the second offlEEa. newspaper. On
the terms presented in It's official bid.
II certainly seems that the board Of
aldermen should be able 10 take up this
matter OF the city printing snd settle IL in
a candid aud businessliks manner. We
spprehend that IL would not be difbcult
for the board TO obtain al Of the informs
the question at issue In . manner that
would be satisfactory to themselves and to
the public.
II it Is true that the Telegraph. the Ness-
Tsrass and the Herald are practically under
one management, then IL would certainly
not be proper for the board to select two
OF these papers as the first aud second Of
fetal paper of the city. Such = selection
would be . violation OF the spirit and let
ter of the charter. Whether or not these
three papers are to oil intents and pur-
poses under the same ownership 10 mat
ter that should be susceptible Of easy
proof.
Under the express terms of the charter
the board are compelled to designate as
FRS. official paper that paper whose own
ers or managers make the lowest and hes.
bid. This certainly can bc escertained
without difficulty. After the first selec-
ton is made then the hoard have the
power to designate second paper. giving
the preference to paper OF different poii,-
teal faith from tho one frat chosen.
We have always conteuded that the bid
OF tie Press Times. all things considered,
WAS the lowest and best The fact tina.
tie paper has changed owners does not
al p Ia - 4.
designated as first official paper. no ex-
ception under any circumstances could be
taken 10 the choice. If upon investiga-
ton, however. II should develop that the
Psss. Times has not passed under the con-
troll of the telegraph. then the board would
be justified in selecting the telegraph as
second official paper. provided it would
do the printing for substantially the same
price as the lress- Tises.
Here. however. Is where the difficulty
lies in selecting the telegraph hr.t. The
bid Of the paper iirss selected controls the
price paid 10 both papers. If the telegraph
Is First choice then the bid Of the second
paper chosen must be raised to correspond
with tho bid OF the Telegraph Ii on the
other hand the paper putting i'm lover
bid IL chosen first, then the telegraph. IL 1t
receives second piaee. must lower its price
60 correspond with the bid Of the paper
first selected.
Il - certainly to be hoped that the
beard OF aldermen when they take this
matter up Far ansi settlement will bear
al Of these facts in mind and do what
they know tn ne right The interests OF
the city and due regard fer the rights OF
all concerned demand H. A supposed
partisan advantage obtained st the cost Of
An illegal contract woasd Re dearly bought.