The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-07-19
COUNTY. WASHINGTON FRIDAY July 10 sa3


The Post Intelligence has been
awarded the contract far the county
printing IN King county, Al slightly
higher price than another bidder. be-
csnse iIs bid Was regarded a. the bess.
IN view Of It's greater circulation the
law requiring the award 10 b. made 10
the Lowest and hest bidder" This !
something almost unusual in public
advertising awards IN this state.
Usually those who have the making of
these awards disregard entirely the
advertising vslne 10 be given by the
contractor, and insist upon awarding
20 the lowest bidder.
In most eAses where tine sward j
made IN this Way the advertising
might a. well not BE done al all.
Really nc advertising i done. Print
ing l. done and that l. all The print
ed matter Is not distributed among
the tex payers and cannOt be. and If
II could the public advertisements
would not come 30 their attention be-
cause there Is little or nothing else In
the papers printing them TO get them
readers, Al general advertisers know
that advertising in papers that are
distributed fres has 10 value, because
such par--1ave Nd higher value than
their makers are able 10 get fer them
that Is No value at all Nobody
viii read them because tney ace net
worth reading
Ii requires not only : large expendi-
ture for printing machiners, f0r -ews
and other entertaining matter. and
iO- labsr TO make s neRspager OF
value 10 advertisers, but it requires
also long, energetic and patient work
10 get for ii 3 circulation Il must
be established not only By being cir-
culated but by being read and when
il Is established and Rad iss advertis-
ing value Is measured not only by the
number OF people who read If, but ky
their character and the attention !.
commands frsn them Ten copies
read in homes OF Those who sutsscrite
for them have more advertising Eal1e
in them than a hundred that arv Rad
only al street corners or in lounging
places ky lOulgers-
This fact has been recognized IN i
very small way by the award 10 the
Psst-Inielligenoer- Il ought To b.
more generally recognized than il L
The design and purpose OF public
printing i 10 inform the people who
pay taxes o. what their servants IN
efsce are doing Il L not = conn
pliaDoe with the spirit al the law 10
print what l. required 10 tss printed In
papers Of no circulation. OE 0i small
circulation, or that 60 only In the
hands OF those who pay No taxes Al
alL The money paid t0r such print
i0g-it l. not advertising-is thrOEn
AWAY 1t i the best bid e well a the
lowest bid that should have attention.
and the best bid csn te made only by
papers that can ulake = good bid
thst can give advertising f0r tke
money paid them
The law requiring public advertis- $
ing 10 be done ought either 10 be am
ended Sd as to require ii TO tse done In
papers of the wi64t circulation, at
their regular rates, or else be repealed
entirely. The best bid now too rarely
receives sny consideration, because Of
necessity ii must he the highest, un-
less the bidder l., for some reason cf
his oWn, willing 10 do the work at 2
sacrifice. or rs : matter OF public
spirit II the peoples rights can be
invaded, OF their property taken for
public Use by notice that they are not
likely 10 see, il nl&y a. well Dc taken
without notice al slL-Ladger-