The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-24
THE PAP IN THE JOB WORK
BOOK PRINTING TO GO TO THE
LOWEST BIDDER.
COUNCIL OF STATE SO DECIDES
A Sort of Political Bunec Game by
Which II Is Proposed to Film
FIam and Fool the

As predicted by the News and Observer
more than week ago would be done,
the Council of State yesterday met and
awarded the public printing as follows:
The job work to Guy V. Barnes, of this
city, and the book work to the lowest bid
der.
The Council was in session from 4 to
O'Clock, and the public printing was the
only matter discussed. And in this dis
cussion the expose of the Stewart deal
in yesterdays News and Observer came
in for a good share of attention. At
the conclusion of the session the fol-
lowing order was given out:
1T is ordered by the Council of State
under the provisions of chapter AGA,
Laws Of 1897, that all job work of the
character of printing, ruling, binding,
numbering, enclosing and lettering shall
be delivered to Guy Y. Barnes, in the city
of Raleigh for execution. All public re-
ports, bulletins, statements, etc, in pam
phlet form,-of less than $50 pages, shall
be job work within the meaning of this
order. This order is to be effective on
condition of the acceptance of a contract
and agreement by Guy Y. Barnes, to be
submitted by the Council of State to him.
''All other printing and binding shall
be given out to the lowest bidder after
due notice. with the reserved right of the
Council to reject any bid in the interest
of economy. Such bids are to be invit-
ed upon specifications. accurately describ-
ing each job for which bids are asked.
Whenever any job may be ready for
printing, announcement will be made
and specifications named. Bids from
North Carolina printers will be preferred.
All orders for printing shall be approx
ed by the Secretary of State or the
Council Of State before being executed
by the printer"
This contract with Barnes has already
been drawn up and was yesterday sub
mitted to the Council 1t has not, howev
er, yet been submitted to and approved
by Barnes. As soon as this is done,
it will be made public.
In the discussion in the Council the
idea seemed to prevail, in the light OF the
Stewart transaction, that there ought
to be some restriction on the public print
ing business.
Now it is we'll known-to all who
know anything of the printing business
that all the money in the public printing
be it honestly or dishonesty managed,
is LII the JOD WOTks NO matter WIFI Lle
system under which the book work is
given out, there can be but little loss
to the State and small pHaft to the print
er. In the job work the case is exactly
the opposite,
And yet here is political favorite Sc
1ected for the job work, and the book
work is TO be given to the lowest bidder.
Why this favoritism? Why give one
out as political job and the other to the
lowest bidder?
There can be but one answer to these
questions. 1t is an attempt to ride the
horse in both directions-an effort to
make pie for a political favorite and man
ufacture campaign thunder for the next
election. In short a fusionist must get
all the pap out of the public printing,
but it must be said at the same time
that the printing-all the big and impor-
tant printing, such as books-was given
out to the lowest bidder, in order to save
the money Of the tax payers.
God save the mark and the poor people
who may be too blind to s2e through this
little political bunco game
A committee consisting of Mr.. J. w.
Bailey, Commissioner Mewborne and
Secretary Ramsey appeared before the
Council ON behalf of the Board of Agri-
culture and asked that the printing for
the Department be put directly under it's
control This was granted