Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-24
IGNORANCE EXHIBITED BY AN
 "ORGAN"

The sta te printing is awarded to the paper which has the largest circulation, said circulation to be sworn to and filed before the contract is awarded. The State Herald was awarded this contract under oath made by it's pressman, who has been printing the paper for over ten years, and had several thousand as a margin over all competitors. Proof of the pudding is chewing the bag
 The above is from the Birmingham State Herald of Sunday last. It is strange that such a statement should be made by a paper that pretentiously claims to be the state organ" The con- stitution of the state prescribes that "all printing and the printing, bind ing and distribution of the laws. journals, department reports and all other printing and binding shall be performed under contract, to be given to the lowest responsible bidder below g. maximum price. and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by law and all such regulations as shall be prescribed by law and all such contracts shall be subject to the approval of the governor, state auditor and state treas- urer Consequently. any irresponsible" bidder who is the lowest bidder is en- titled to the contract. The Advertiser prior to adoption of the present constitu- tion, was several times elected by the legislature aS public printer, but it's last contract with the state as public printer
 
 time it has never even bid for the work. As to the publishing of the general laws under the contract now existing, the Ad- vertiser put in a bid. and as always here tofore, fixed the price allowed by law. The official circular asking for propas4ls required the papers bidding for the work to give their circulation. The cashier of the Advertiser who receives payment from its subscribers for their subscrip- tions verified by his oath the circulation of Nic T1,o Herald 1t appears. told the truth so far as his Knowledge went, but it could only go to the extent of giving the number of papers at a given time worked off by him. but whether fer bona fide subscribers, he could not know. There were many days near the date when the circulation of the Advertiser was given, on which its circulation was many thousands more than the number given in it's bid and while these additional papers were paid for. they were not gent to regular sub scribers and were not included in the cir culation. But, if the Advertiser had been the lowest bidder and had proffered A responsible" bond, it is doubtful wheth- CT the contract could have been awarded lawfully to any other bidder Tha Ad- vertiser, however, never thought of con- testing for the small job, on a technical point. It would have gladly done the work at living prices, and bid for it at such prices and that is all there is in the ihdtlCi. Stute Eer9lu, however, seems to think it has "the state printing'' while that work is being done in this city by "responsibe' owners of job office Montgomery Advertiser.
 AS was expected, the Advertiser wincss under the tatement that the State Her aid has standing on the record books at the capitol a sworn statement made by the pressman who has been prins ing the paper for over ten years which shows several thousand copies more per issue In comparison with a similar statement made by the bookkeeper (not the press man) of the Montgomery Advertiser. These statements were filed in compli- ance with circular issued as noted in the above extract asking for proposals and requiring pap:rs bidding for the work to give their circulation.
 Knowing this record to exist, the Ad- vertiser has been endeavoring to brace up it's patrons by publishing regularly at the head of its fist editorial column extracts from ''Prrters Ink" New York authority on the real merits and popularity of the Advertiser. It will be noticed. however. that the Advertiser