The record-union., 1896-08-21
PRINTING OF THE REGISTER.
More Bids Rejected by the Board Of
Supervisors.
Members Of the Federated Trades Ask
That the Work be
Done Here.

years ago it cost 80 cents per name to
have the work done, but the board had
got an inkling that the competition this
time was so strong that the county
would get the work done for about s
cents per name. But when bids were
received at the last session of the board
the lowest bid was II cents, by D. john
ston & Co. There were four others, as
follows: Day & JOY, 33 cents; Whitaker
& Ray of Calf, % cents; Pacific Printing
House Darlington & Anderson), 70
cents; H. S. Crocker & Co., 15 cents.
All of these bids were rejected and
new ones called for, to be submitted on
the 10th yesterday.
Johnston & Co., however, filed a pro-
test against the action of the board and
a demand that the contract be awarded
to them at II cents. The protest was
not needed, and new bids were received
yesterday. There were but three, and
| they were as follows: Day & Joy, 30
cents per name; Darlington & Anderson,
% cents; H. S. Crocker & Co., 2312 cents.
Chairman Morrison asked E. G.. Ely,
President of the Federated Trades, who
was present, If he desired to say any
thing on the subject
| Mr.. Ely said he merely wished to sug-
gest, on behalf of the labor organiza-
tions of the city, that it was generally
conceded that the board should require
the work to be done in Sacramento. In
| fact, they insisted on it. There was a
law that required it, when feasible.
Chairman Morrison-If the board
! awards the contract to a local firm it
has no power that know of to compel
| the contractors to have the work done
here.
Mr.. Ely-That can be accomplished.
think, by having a clause inserted in the
contract to that effect. Even though it
costs double as much to have the work
done here, it should be kept al home.
Chairman Morrison-Mr. Ely, this
board has been severely censured in the
past for paying more money to have
work done at home than it would cost
elsewhere. However,, the bidders for
this printing are all home firms, are re-
sponsible, and 1 believe fully able to do
the work here. The board prefers to
have the work done in Sacramento, but
if it should insert clause in the con-
tract to enforce that proposition 1 do
not see how it could compel contractor
to accept it.
Mr.. Ely-I but voice the sentiment of
all the labor organizations in the city
when I say I do not believe either the
taxpayers, the courts or the Grand Jury
would censure the board for requiring
the board to have the work done at
home by men who pay taxes here, even
though higher figure were paid.
The bids were then turned over to the
Committee on Contracts, who retired
for consultation. They returned in a
few minutes with a unanimous report
in favor of rejecting all the bids as being.
too high.
Chairman Morrison remarked that he
thought this was the proper thing to do
There is a difference" he said, be
tween the lowest bid received the last
time and the lowest one now of 81, $50.
George NJ. Mott Of H. S. Crocker &
Co., addressing the board, said that
when the former bids were submitted
he agreed to do the work at 10 cents per
name. He understood then that there
were to be bids from San Francisco, and
while there would be no profit in the
work at that price, he concluded that
if it was to go away from Sacramento
the San Francisco branch of the his
house might as well do it by machine
he had bid on the proposition Of doing
the work here by hand, and at the fig
ures he had submitted there would be
very little in it.
Chairman Morrison-Do you mean to
| say that the register cannot be printed
for a less figure than 231a cents per
name?
Mr.. Mott say this. If we did the
work here by hand we would be COM
PEELED to employ every available printer
at the very highest rates Of wages, and
they would have to work nights and
Sundaysin order to complete the job. We
would have to give bond of 81 900 as a
guarantee that there should be no er-
rors, and there would be usual risks of
loss by fire, etc. We couldn't do the
work by hand for any smaller figure and
make a reasonable profit
| S. E. Darlington, whose bid was the
lowest, said he indorsed all that Mr.
Mott had said on the subject There was
no profit in the job at % cents, and he
| had no tears to shed if he did not re-
ceive the contract at his figures. If
| his firm did receive 1t they would have
to employ a large force of men and pay
the highest prices for good printers.
that Placer County could get her regis
ter printed for S1a cents per name and
a gentleman in the room-a printer
| spoke up and replied that in Placer
| County printers are paid the lowest
wages of any place in the State. 1t
| simply meant that the work would be
sent to San Francisco, where it would
not be done by hand. Full union prices
/ are maid in Sacramento and fha work
could not be got out here at plate mat
| ter rates.
| Again addressing the board, Mr.. Mott
said he never had desired to have the
printing of the register done outside of
| Sacramento, but when he heard some
weeks ago that there was a proposition
| to have done in San Francisco by the
| cheapest methods he thought it best to
| fight the devil with fire, SO to speak, so
| he put in the low bid of 10 cents, which
meant that Crocker & Co.'s San Fran
cisco house would do it by machine
work, if they got the contract. If tlsere
was to be outside competition he
! thought it best to make one rally, but
was glad his firm didn't get the contract
| To put the matter off again and ask
for new bids would, said Mr.. Mott, be
an injustice to his neighbors, Messrs
Darlington e. Anderson, whose bid of
rs cents was the lowest. If awarded the
contract he knew they would have to
buy more type, and the time was getting
| short.
| Chairman Morrison said he was in
| favor of rejecting the bids and trying
again. If no lower bids should be re-
ceived, he would favor a clause in the