El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1896-12-22
THAT PRINTING CONTROVERSY.
A Statement of Facts which Explains
whv tha Time Failed TO Get it,

why the Time $ FaIleu 10 Get 1t.
As to that contract for furnishing
blanks and blank books etc. for the
county attorney, investigation develop
es the following facts:
The order was passed by the com
missioner'5 court empowering Judge
Harper and Mr.. Courchesne to pur-
chase blanks, and to have such blank
books made as the different offices
might require. After consultation it
was agreed that Judge Harper should
make duplicated lists of blanks and
other forms needed and give to each of
the two local houses, Mr.. Hull and the
Times, as they were the only ones pre-
pared to do the work, a copy, and ask
| bids for the whole lot, with an
estimate on each item separate.
On the day that these bids
were asked for. Mr.. Shock, representing
George d. Barnard & Co, of St Louis,
Harper, and asked that he be allowed
to bid, on those things which the local
| firms could not do, stating that he
could do it much cheaper. It was
decided to allow him to bid on the
whole Till. but he was informed that if
there was no great difference in the
| bids the local houses should have the
work, although Barnard's bid might
| be the lowest. The local houses were
y
bid on any one or more items, they
could have the work for those items;
all bids to be in cash, and all printing,
nothing being said about lithograph
ing. The committee was informed that
Mr.. Shock subsequently went to the
local houses and proposed that they
pool on the work; give him such as they
could not do, and such as of it as they
could not expect to make anything on:
they to do the bulk of the bill. This
they refused to do. and he then said he
could make the Job graveyard for
them. Hull only bid on part of the
items, and was higher on these than
the bid of Barnard & Co.
The Times refused to make an item
lied bid, and put in a bid for 1921
general fund scrip after cash bids were
asked for. Shock bid S414 cash for
letter heads. envelopes. jury certificates
and some other items, Autographed. |
a separate bid on the letter heads |
printed was received for about $40 less |
than S414, or S374. Then the question |
arose, what would be the Times bid in |
cash: The Times manager was sent |
for, while the court was waiting. Some |
one noticed that all the lists that had |
been handed out had the item, civil |
and criminal envelope, telling bidders |
to 90 to the officers and find out what |
was wanted. and that Mr.. Shock had |
bid. 800 On this item; and his bid stated |
patent manila wrappers for civil and
cases. The one item being so
large, it was suggested, that there
mi ght be a mistake on the part OF
Times. Their manager came before
the court and was asked what he BID
OF: envelopes or patent wrappers? and
he informed the court that he had bid
On envelopes printed, acknowledging
that he did not go to the clerks to find
out what was wanted. The envelopes
would not fill the bill and were very
much cheaper. The court then inform
ed him what Barnard's bill was on the
and what it was on the whole
bill, and asked what he could do the
" hole work for in cash, including the
patent wrappers.
The manager figured on it and in
formed the court that S4l6 in cash was
the best he could do. This being 81
more than the bid of Barnard q Co. on
and about $40 more on
all printing, the court could not do
otherwise than give the bill to Barnard
< Co This was after considering quite
/ mum Der of these things, such as that
the Times might have miSunder
about some other item, that
quite a number of blanks wanted were
blanks necessary to comply with new
statutes for which no form had been
that Barnard had employed
two ex-members of the Texas supreme
court to look after Texas forms, that
they had them already prepared and in
use in other parts of the state; and that
if these blanks were made by local
house some one must get up these
forms for them and they might turn up
wrong.
One of the commissioners remarked
1t the time the bids were all opened,
that if he was running the thing, such
as a bid as the one put in by the
Times would not be considered at all.
So it seems that the members of the
court did everything they could in
Justice to themselves and the county to
get the work done at home; and all
were anxious that it be done at home.