The morning times., 1896-02-18
BILL HAS MANY SUPPORTERS
Big Saving Yearly Is Effected by Com
petitiTe Bidding on All Municipal
PrintinG-Otlier Cities Do SO and
Congressman * now No X eason w ny
Washington Should Not

! able sentiment as the measure now pending
| at both ends OF the Capitol
| This bill was yesterday introduced in the
House by Mr. Curtis, OF Iowa. and in the
| Senate by Mr.. Gailinger, both gentlcmen
beng members or the respective District
| Committees, and both expressing the opin-
! ion that the end sought to be attained WAS
! Just and equitable and the bill should become
law.
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
| The bill provides that ''fronl and after
sixty days after the passage OF this act,
| all official advertising required by law
| TO lie published or displayed in tic District
| OF Columbia for any department or bureau
| OF the United States government aud the
! District government and ali legal notices
| or orders issued by the United States courts
| In said District required by law or rue of
| court 10 he advertised, shall be pub
| lished III one Gaiiy newspaper IssucG ia the
| District of Columbia.
''Jhe Secretary OF The Treasury, the At
| torney General and The president OF the
Beard OF commissioners OF tie District CT
| Columbia, are constituted GoaId whoec
! duty IL sl.ali bc to invite proposals and
| award tire contract for such publication 10
| the lowest responsible bidder IN no case,
| however, shan any bid bc considered IN
| less 1t is accompanied 10y sworn state
| Dient OF thc puDhsher or the newspaper
making the Dld that The actual cremation
| Of said newspaper 10 tie six months next
preceding has not tcen Tess than $4,000
/ copies daily.
said i3oard shalt on the first Monday
| in June OF each year advertise for proposals
! for publishing such Official and legal no
] tees FOR the fiscal year next en.ulng, and
| shall before the commencement OF the fiscal
year designate the 1t wsnaper in winch said
Official and legal notices shall lie printed
III at The date of approval more ltan six
months of tie current fiscal year have
| elapsed said board shall iwar rd the contract
! for Ike balance or the current fiscal year
| and all OF tie fiscal year next ensuing
HAS MANY SUPPORTERS
Practically every member OF Congress
| who represents an urban constituency
! believes that the principle involved in the
bill is correct. lie Knows that similar
| law is operative in the municipality where
he resides and sees upon the surface no
adequate reason why the same provisions
| should not. be made applicable TO the
| city of Washington.
! Many members are already investigating
| the subject on their own responsibility
| and viii strongly support tn ebiii when
il comes up for action before either OF
the committees. They will also do mis-
1 sionary work in enlightening their col
| leagues who represent country Constituen-
| cieS.
AS a result Of tie investigation already
| made il Is shown that all cities OF n size
| corresponding TO that of Washington have
| either local or State statutes requiring
that official advertising he awarded
| by contract to the lowest bidder.
In Ohio there is a State law entitled An
| act to amend an act providing more
efficient system of government for cities
| OF the first class, second grade which
applies to Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo,
and all large cities outside or Cincinnati,
/ which has It's own municipal oftliian ce,
MA king it compulsory that all official
advertising be let TO TIE lowest bidder.
LAW IN OTHER CITIES.
.Pt tl,i tarx in,
land sealed proposals are submitted TO cover
tue work for IA period OF one year. In
referring to the operat ions 0fthe Ia " Samuel
q. Mcclure. secretary of the board OF con-
troll, says
THE plan OF securing competition and
letting TO the lowest bidder has not only
placed the advertising in one OF the best
daily napers in the city, but saves Cleveland
$4,000 annually"
In Baffa.o official advertising is awarded
to thcloweSt bidder raftercompetitionamon
the local dailies. The city statute on the
subject is as follows
The city Clerk, under the direction oG the
! coEruon council, prior TO the 10th day
DAY of December OF each year, shall give
notice to the publishers OF the daily papers
published In the English language IN the
| city, that scaled proposals viii be received
b. the corhfnon Council at its next session
after TIE giving Of st;ch notice for publish
| ing all mttters required by law or the
ordinances to be published in the official
paper.
contract to the lowest responsible bidder,
and the paper in which publication Is made
shall be designated the official paper.
SHALL not exceed the rates allowed by law,
at any time, Tor the publication OF legal
| notices."
PITTSBURG DOES IT ALSO.
In Pittsburg a contract is made with
the lowest bidder to publish all official
advertising at so much per line, coInpen-
sation being based upon the circula ton OF
the paper, computed by a sworn statement
made before the city comptroller. Each
contract is made for the the period Of
three months.
Similar laws to those above entinned
! are enforced in all the large nlunicipali-
| ties, and in each instance there is shown
material saving to the taxpayers.
! In Washington the delinquent tax list
was last year awarded for publication TO
the two newspapers making the 10 owest bids.
TIE result was sufficient to silence all
opposition to the contract system OF official
| advertising, and resulted in u saving OF
, | from $4,000 to $4,000.
! The delinquent tax list for 1896, un.
der competition, was printed for 81 =
S5S rs. During the three preceding
; years, when there was no competitive
1 | hiding the cost of advertising the tax
, list was as follows: In 1894, S22. .996 4;
In 1898, $40, ,2S7.65; in 1892, S9,7S7.24
A comparison of these figures clearly
2 | shows that the claim OF economy is wei
l founded.
\ The total cost of general advertising fol
the three preceding years, as shown by tn;
report of the District Auditor is as fol
lows: For 1898. $1S,766.72; for 1894
S12.524.56; for 1896, $20.29o .64.
. Those sums would by competition be re
E | duced by at least one-fourth, showing
. saving OF from $4,000 to Sc 900 per year
: In addition to the classes of advertising
: above mentioned, large sums are annual.
expended and charged against the con
. tingent funds OF the various executive de
q partments of the general government.
e All contracts for coal ice. wood ant
other local supplies OF a similar characte
are let by contract after due advertise
ment. From an economical standpoint tn
| saving on this class of matter would equal
\ il not surpass. that given out by the DiStric
. government.
: The opinion generally expressed by mem
:, bers of Congress is that the proposed lay
3 | is broad enough TO cover every species O
governmental advertising that must of no
cessity find its way into the columns OF
Washington newspaper.
Under the system Eow prevailing govern
n.fnt officials who are required by law {
II offer Official advertisements are in 10 man
g rer limited as 10 the selection of an oFga
= or the rate of compeusat ticn. They cbcos
II | of their own option the paper in which tn
notice shall be inserted and pay thereto
the regular rates charged By the PAPER the
select.
{; Inthc event of competitive bidding ther
| ha nSrto-ip1 rnlupiinp in the