St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-06
WHICH WAS GIVEN TO BURNS
Sensational Letter Charging
the Ex-Auditor With Be-
ing irresponsible.
BURNS ANSWERS DRISCOLL.
Great Northern Fence Matter
Comes Up Again--Bids for
Garbage Contract.

AT the regular meeting OIL inc DOaTu
Of aldermen last night the usual dull
ness of routine business was broken
early in the meeting and little diver
sion afforded the councilmeu and Wis
itorS by the reading Of communlea.
tod from the Pioneer Press company
protesting against the awarding of the
contract for the printing and binding OF
the reports of the city officers for the
year 1894 TO James II. Burns. This
communication was presented by Aid.
Markham. who stated that he was re-
quested by Mr.. Driscoll, OF the Pioneer
Press company, to bring before the
board the contents of the letter and GER
tain exhibits that accompanied it.
About month ago, the communica-
ton recited. in accordance with an adj
vertisement for bids for the printing
and binding OF the reports or city Off
bid Of S1,653.25. On the Workahere
was but one other bid. This was the
bid of James IL. Burns. whose offer was
to print and bind the reports according
to the conditions set forth in the adver-
tisement for Sl.335. Notwithstanding
the fact that Burns was all
Irresponsible bidder. said the letter,
and did not furnish bond that was
in accordance with legal requirements,
the contract was awarded him by the
ONT committee on printing. The COM
munication further set forth that Burns
HOO 1, 70
in the matter of similar contracts with
the city, and in support of this state
ment cited four Instances wherein he
failed to fulfill contracts to do city
printing.
The communication recited that the
Pioneer Press company was the only
responsible bidder in the premises;
that it paid city taxes amounting to
$4,000 per annum and gave employment
to hundreds Of men, While IL was fact
we'll known that Mr. Burns paid taxes
to no great amount. and was not an
employer of labor. II such irresponsi-
bic persons were allowed to bid upon
city printing, it would result in detri-
ment to legitimate companies i'll the
printing business in the city.
1t was stated in the four exhibits
made to
Show Burns Inability
to fulfill that his credit was not such as
justified dealers in trusting him for the
blank paper required for the work.
Mr.. Burns was present and was
allowed the privilege of the floor. He
said that he did not intend to enter into
personalities with MIR. Driscoll. whose
name was signed TO the communication.
He owned his own printing plant, and
his credit was fully as good as that of
Mr.. Driscoll. The bond that he bad
furnished with the bid was merely a
preliminary one; he said he was pre-
pared to furnish as good bond as the
Pioneer Press company. The $1,000
taxes paid by that company was moth
ing to boast about.
The Pioneer Press company for some
time past" said Mr.. Burns, "has been
robblng the city OF from $4,000 to
$4,000 year. L am the lowest bidder,
and l am just as responsible as MI.
Driscoll.'
Aid. Markham stated that representa-
tiveS of the Pioneer Press were present,
and asked that they be granted the
privilege of the floor. Mr.. Kalman,
president Of the company, said that he
did not care to talk.
Aid. Murphy said that he was a mem
Der of the printing committee, and had
10
because he was the lowest bidder, and
he believed him capable Of carrying out
his contract. :
Frederick Driscoll, secretary of the
Pioneer Press company, asked that he
be allowed to speak, and, rising, said:
II am surprised that Mr.. Burns has
the audacity, the boldness, to say that
the Pioneer Press company has robbed
the city of $50, 600, or any other amount.
But this statement is only on par with
the man. When made the statement
in the letter that signed that he was
irresponsible, made it with a thorough
knowledge of what was talking about.
The Pioneer Press company today has a
judgment against Mr.. Burns which it
cannot collect. | want to say that if
any irresponsible bidder can come in
and bid on city printing, there is no
protection for responsible printing cons
Germs, nor is there much for the city,"
Aid. Markham again stated that it
was solely at the request of the Pioneer
Press company that he presented the
communication not that he had any
desire to injure MI. Burns. lie did not
think that it was the duty of the city
council
To Personally AS sail
Mr.. Burns, to criticise his personal
character, but it was their duty to in
vestigate the responsibility of bidders.
For the mere matter of few hundred