The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-03-23
POOL
Indignant Public Giving
Us Fits.

| Whlcn 40 the business OF the elec-
tions. And one Of their duties is
| to advertise for bids for printing
the election tickets, and then the
several printing companies (and
there are always II surplus) jump
in aud cut each others throats bv
bidding at losing prices each to
beat the other, aud in the long run
get eloriously beat themselves;
like the battle of Blenheim-''i
was u glorious victory, but, alas!
no spoils."
Such is the case in Old ocking.
Probably ever since the Board OF
Elections existed, the printing
companies here have been fighting
each other, and printing the tick cts
at a loss OF actual cash. Last year
the Journal sought a victory in Sc.
curing contract, and paid out sew
eral dollars more for the job than
the contract called for, besides the
$500 worth of worry and bother and
time lost. I he Board Of Elections
smiled and said he was fool for
taking it so low. They didn't of
fer him $25 to cover his loss. This
spring there is near $4,000 tickets
to print in 80 separate books of diff
ferent names and precincts, and it
stared the printers in the face as a
big b and n very undesirable one.
a job that the Board would want
to get done for about what they
usually paid, which would bring
the bidder out about 80 or 100 dol
lars loser
Now here is that awful pool: Al.
though the editors are very antag-
onistic, and are busy trying TO run
each other out Of town, yet the low
down printers got together once
and consuIteJ;a thing that ought
to have been done ten years ago, in
order TO protect themselves They
/ got down TO work with pencil aud
paper, and figured just what he
work would actually cost to do it at
home.
Setting type on 80 form a $500,
$4,000; press work $4,000 a. $3.50,
$500; paper 10 reams a $3.50,
$1,000; pprforaling and padding,
$4,000. Total actual cost, $4,000.
Says the Sentinel man, 81 never
work for less than 50% profit, and
my bid will be $3G0n
Says the JomnU5 man, al got
stuck last year and don't want any
more of ii in mine, but will risk it
at 1919"
Says the DEMOCRAT man, 1--WE
are little hard up, and go on small
profits, and will try it IL whirl at
| S2GSO0."
Lastly the Gazette man spoke,
"Rather than have any Kick about
an eXorbitant price, | will cut il
down to $3.50"
The other three said they had
not the capacity for working that
cheap, and the Gozette could have
it, but in order to be presented
we would all bid.
Now We VIII say to the board 4:
"The Gazette has the contract, and
are welcome to il; we don't want
it at That price. And if they don't
spend many sleepless nights get
ting $4,000 thirty-tWo form tickets
printed in ten days, there will! be
some disappointed precincts when
they come TO vote on election day.
| And this is the dWJui pool that
some pt opie are kicking about. a
pool that says, eve will now dis
conlinue cutting our own throatS."
We heard it said az an objection.
that the tickets could be printed
by foreign parties for So per 900.
! This is very true, aud on the
same principle We could take job
for ! less if we had six months to
do it, than we could if we had but
IA few days.
The price liststhat we have nj.
ways received from foreign houses
read something like this: Copy in
Office 20 days prior to election, sS
per 1000; copy in Office Is days pri-
or to election, SO per 1000; copy in
Office 10 days prior to election, $40
per 1000; copy In Office 3 days pri-
or to election, SO per 1000.
And ms it is Impossible for the
copy to be put in foreign Office in
shorter time than the contract is
let, which is 10 days prior to elec-
ton here, then the printer
must pay triple price. Then an
other thing; foreign house fakes
no responsibility. 1t Is we that
have to give bond for double the
amount OF the bid, and our bond il
stuck if the foreign house irpak n