The Columbus journal., 1894-12-19
County Printing.


The JOURNAL is one of the four news
papers of the county selected by tn
present county board Of supervisors t.
publish for them.
One county board is not constituted
like another, always. party considera
tons vary, chairmen vary, members o
committees are not uniform in theil
knowledge of affairs, and thus it hap
pens that what constitutes publishing
for the county varies along with the res
OF the variations.
Sometimes, at the first annual meeting
of the board in January, publishers arr
requested to present bids for such lega
notices as are required by law to be pub
lished in a newspaper Of general circula
ton in the county," and this would in
clude supervisors proceedings, road
notices. ~tax-list, the county treasurer
%semi-annual statements, the estimate o.
expenses, the notice for supplies to bt
furnished the county.
Sometimes publishers are requested tC
place bids for Publishing such legaI
notices required to be published in a
newspaper. and which are 'at the dis
posal of the board" And it has several
times been contended that the road
notices, the county t%reasurer's semi-an'
nual statements land perhaps some 9th
ers that we do not just recalD, are not
Eat the disposal of the supervisors" but
are "at the disposal Of the officer III
charge. whoever he may he.
The past year four newspapers have
been publishing the supervisors pro.
ceedings, and the t~ax-list, THE COLUMBUS
JOURNAL, the Columbus Telegram, the
Columbus Wochenblatt and the Humph.
rey Democrat. each being allowed one,
third legal rate, making a cost to the
county of fOur-thirds Of one full legal
rate.
The legal Tor statute) rate for the pro-
ceedings is three and One-third cents a
line, which gives one and one-ninth cents
a line to each of the papers mentioned.
The statute rate for the delinquent tax
list Is 20 cents for each description of
land and 10 for each town lot. and the
rate to each paper is six and two-third
cents for land, three and One-third for
town lots.
Outside of II item, We believe, THE
JOURNAL (though one Of the contract
papersl, has: been given none Of the
printing at the one-third rate except
supervisors proceedings and t~ax-list.
The road notices, etc, have been placed
elsewhere, as not at the disposal of the
board, whether at the one-third rate or
not We have not ascertained, but we
most respectfully insist, not only as a
taxpayer but as a contract publisher for
the county, and a business manager of a
business institution, that the county,
which pays the bills, ought to have any
benefits there are in competition, and
that public work is not a private clutch.
OFFICIAL PRINTING.
People who observe business matters
in a business way and give any further,
penetrating thought to it will have
noticed that almost all the legal notices
%emanating from the county judges Office
are placed with the papers of the county
judges particular brand Of political
faith. We would infer from appearances
that Judge Hensley is ademOcrat, which
Of course he has a right to be, bnt, not
rithstcnding, aerer the less, parties in
interest, widows, orphans, debtors, who
have hard work to meet their obligations
and can't meet them, and must submit
to he sued, sometimes having little or
nothing left, and they, above all others,
should have the right g%raciously accord
ed to them of making the best terms
| they can, at the lowest rates they can.
We presume that Judge Hensley wonld
say lie didn't care Il continental where
notices are printed, just SO the work is
done right, and we propose to see to it,
SO far as lies in Onr power, that at least
widows and orphans, especially of the
poor. shall have a cut rate, just as we'll
as the county or the city. and then let ii
be understood that the party in interest,
those who pay the bills, themselves direct
where tue publishing shall be done.
Certainly, an official land these remarks
apply to the county sheriff as well as the
county judge and all the rest of them
has no right to compel the tax-paying
public, or expense-paying heirs or
orphans to pay the highest rate that can
he by law exacted, when a low rate can
he secured that will be just as ~efectual.
Now We do not understand and do not
say that these officials fix the fees, but.
let them alone, and let the matter 90
through the channels fixed by them,
and the bills will come in at the full
legal rate, Zoe a line for the first time
and &c a line for each subsequent time,
with DC for each affidavit attached.
Here is a sample of what a little com
petition does-for the city, and if it is
good for a wealthy city like Columbus
(Which makes no deduction for a pub
lisher's occupation tax or his other
taxes and makes him pay az much for
water as do other people which is all
right. why competition ought to be
good for the lowering of expenses to the
widows and orphans of the poor. Last
year THE JOURNAL printed the ordi-
c and notices of the city for &c a
line, and n of our force attended very
nearly every meeting of the council, |
almost as certainly Is did any member
OF the council, took notes of the prC-
ceedings. wrote them up, after which the
men of the Office set them up in type and
they were published, all of which was
done without a cent Of expense to the
city. This year, the Telegram, on a
competitive bid with THE Journal cut |