The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-15
FRAUD rs ALLEGED.
Aldermen Restrained From
Awarding City Printing.
THE HIGHER LAW APPEALED TO.
sapsrisr Court, Upea Application % the
"Pssss- Tfnes." Knjains the city
Hearing Set for Tuesday.

The highhsnded action OF the board
OF aldermen In hsgranfiy violating the
spirit and the letter of the city charter
in order to reward political organ AZ the
expense of the taxpayers viii not pass un-
challenged. A meeting Of that body Was
called for last night, but Messrs. Sweeney.
Jordan and Miller did not appear. When
Messrs. Brewer, Ingram. Cram, earle.
Daulson and Stocks arrived they were
served with an order issuing OUT Of the
superior court and signed by Judge Osborn
restraining the board from designating the
Seattle Telegrapk As the official newspaper.
and setting Tuesday. December 19, IS the
time for hearing before Judge Langley.
The order was based upon . complaint
fled yesterday by the Seattle Publishing
Company, which owns the Press- Times.
against the city of Seattle and every men,
Der of the board of aldermen
The complaint recites the provisions Of
the city charter on the course to be pur-
sued by the board in selecting official
newspapers, - follows:
circulation, and published in the city. to
be styled city official papers, shall DO
designated IN the following manner: The
city clerk shall within thirty days next
after this charter becomes operative, and
on each first Monday Of November after
1890 cause TO he published for ten consecu-
tive days (excluding Sundays in some
newspaper OF general circulation In the
city, o call to the owners and managers of
newspapers for sealed proposals to do the
city printing until the close Of the next
ensuing fiscal year. each of which propos-
ais shall be accompanied by bond. with
not less than two sureties. in the suns Of
5000 approved by the comptroller and
corporation counsel, conditioned thatifth
proposal be accepted, the party proposing
will. during the period mentioned in the
proposal. well, seasonsbly and faithfully
cause to be accurately printed end pub
lished, according 10 law, in certain daily
newspaper (nxming it). of general circu!a-
ton in the city. all and singular the mat
tiers and things required by law to Be pub
lished in the city official newspapers of
the city OF Seattle. or either of them, and
shall with such bond be delivered into the
city clerks Office, sealed up In an envelope
Endorsed Sealed proposals and bond for
city printing on or before the twentieth
day next after the first subiication of such
cali, and shall be Endorsed by the city
clerk at the time Of such delivery with the
date of his reception thereof. and shall be
frat opened by the board OF aldermen as
early a. may oe in its next monthly
session thereafter. and thersupon said
board shall by resolution announce
the names OF all parties whose
proposals have been offered, and the
terms of their proposals respectively, and
designate as the city official newspaper
that newspaper whose manager or owners
have offered the lowest and best proposals.
with duly approved bond. and such news
paper shall forth with. or If not designated
until after 1880. then at the end of the then
current fiscal year, be such city official
newspaper. and the other city official
newspaper shall be whatever other news
paper having general circulation and pub
iished in the city and giving like bond and
agreeing TO do the city printing at rates
which in the Judgment OF the board are
substantially equivalent, shall be desig-
mated by resolution of the board provided,
that preference in designating the second
newspaper shall De given to q Newspaper of
. different political proclivity from the
first and, provided further, that whenever.
from any cause whatever. either city OIL
cial paper shall be lacking, the mayor
shall designate and employ q like news
paper TO serve a. such until designation
and qualification Ii made and had as above
under like bond and for reason able COM
pensation to be audited by the comp
troller. Bonds accompanying unsuccess.
full proposals shall be returned to the pro-
posers. and all other bonds shall be filed
him. All ordinances, resolutions, notices,
tax and assessment sales. and all other
proceedings, statements, matters and
thing of the mayor, city council or any de-
partment or board or other officer or
functionary Of the city which by this
charter are or shall be required to be pub
Hshed, except the statement prescribed in
the thirty-sixth section of this article,
shall be published in the city Official news
papers,"
The complaint goes on to relate the
facts as to the submission of bids, that of
the hess Times being 10 cents per inch for
one-tims insertions, and for all other
matter IS cents for the first insertion and
8 cents per inch for each subsequent in
sertion. and that the bid Of the TELEGRAPH
of all bids. 1t also claims that the Press
Times has larger circulation in the city
than the Telegraph
The plaintiff then declares that the
board of aldermen, colludinR and eonspir-
ing with the officers and stockholders of
the seattle Telegraph Company and in
tending to give said company q fraudulent
and unlawful profit at the expense of the
taxpayers of Seattle. will. unless re-
strained, award the contract to the Tsie-
graph. The action Is further declared to
he an abuse of the discretion placed by
law in the board.
The petition is for perpetual injunction
against the city accepting the Te,egraph's
bid. and . temporary restraining order
The restraining order wa. granted upon
the application of Carr & Preston, attor-
neys for the plaintiff. When the order
was served upon the aldermen, they de-
cided TO adjourn until Tuesday evening
next, by which time they expect decision
will be reached. Alderman Brewer soon
after left for waiia Waila. but will en-
deavor to return in time 10 vote upon the
question.