The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-12
THE TAX RECEIPTS USED
THE SENTINEL's CLAIMS SHOWN TO
BE GREATLY EXAGGERATED
County Saved $4,000 This Year in
Printing Over the Cost In DEM
Ocratic Year.

The interview in the Journal yesterday
with Levey Bros. & Co. was regarded by
those who read 1t as completely refuting
the charge of the Indianapolis Sentinel that
the county government is paying more for
county printing this year than ever before
in the history of the county" 1t was shown
in the interview by figures that are verified
by the records, that the printing is costing
less this year by nearly $2.O0O--to be exact.
$l,994. S5-than it did when it was controlled
by the Democratic officials in 1895. Allusion
was made in the interview to the claim that
the Sentinel had been guilty of juggling the
figures to bolster up its charges. Some adj
ditional facts have been obtained along this
line from the files of the Sentinel itself.
Last Sunday the paper said that il seems
as though the county officials have started
out to span the world with tax receipts.
AS stated in the Sentinel yesterday morning,
the county paid during 1897, and up to date
in 1898. for 1851, 1884 tax receipts" On the
day before, it had attempted to show that
in 1897 the county had bought $3.50 As quires
of receipts, and during 1895 1883 2-5 quires.
On the information of one of those Demo-
cratic printers who. 1t is charged, has been
promised the county printing when it is let
tor next year, If the party is successful, the
paper declared that quire contains 100 re-
ceipts. The name of the printer who said
this was not given. According to the Sem
tinel Printers say" etc. In the Journal
interview with Levey Bros & Co. it was
shown that quire is twenty receipts. This
was corroborated in the News yesterday in
an interview with o.. Fl. Hasselman THE
trade custom is said he. that twenty re-
ceipts make quire, whether bound or UNI
bound" In order to show that there had
been an enormous quantity used, the Sem
lnel used the figures of it's anonymous in
former and figured that when the county
got 6,169 40 quires OF receipts in 1897 and
1883 20 Quires in 1898, it paid for 5Si 1884 re-
ceipts as quoted above On last Saturday
the paper said that the contractor in 1887.
through the Republican county officers, re-
ceived pay for 1861 1916 tax receipts" Fur
tner along In the same article this appeared:
LeVey Bros. have so far this year charged
the county and obtained pay through the
county officers for furnishing 4S33 rs quires
OF tax receipts. This, multiplied by 100.
received pay for 520.OOS receipts AS a
matter of fact on the statement of printers
co When the eo1fy na anS for LeSsy Bros 4
It paid for 1886 receipts in 1884, and when
1t paid for 4. 1873 2-5 quires it paid for S6.66S
receipts in 1898. Assuming that the Sentinels
figures as to the number of quires is cor
two years would be 262.cs4, instead of i.5Si'-
1884. This makes the Sentinel's story long
on receipts l,3l9,320. and equally short on
facts. The Sentinel published wards of AL
hosa laGtS and snres TO prove how many
Divided by the exact truth the number of
its miles dwindled out OF sight. One might
string out from South Africa to the Klon-
dyke, The truth disproves the idea.
Un1er the mead Mr.. Hasselman Speaks
the News yesterday contained statement
that corroborated the interview with Levey
Bros; q Co., wherein 1t was shown that in
stead OF paying more than ever before in
the history of the county for printing sup
piles TINS year. they were being furnished
much below what similar supplies cost un-
der the Democrats in 1885, Mr.. Hasseman,
like Levey Bros. g. Co., asserts that the fair
way to Judge what the county is paying is
to consider the totals paid for the year, not
specific items. Following is the Interview
that the News published:
o. n. Hasselman. proprietor of the Jour
nal job Printing Company, on being asked
IN regard to charges made N the daily press
OF overcharging for county printing, says
that 1t is impossible to follow even half OF
the vagaries of the published figures that
In public, as in private business, the net re-
suits are. what count, and are what are to
be considered; that during the only year in
which he had the contract for printing.
binding, repairing and the furnishing of all
stationery for the use or the various OH
county was $l2 AS q. and that this was less
a year than previous years under Demo-
was awarded to him under severe competi-
riOn and that he was, in fact, the lowest
bidder out of six.
told that the skIllful surgeon cuts beyond
theswound to make the cure complete. and
the unskillful writer goes beyond the truth
to make the lie complete. The fact is that
the county treasurer's Office was supplied
by me with all the tax receipts ordered by
that officer or paid for by the commission
ers, and amounted to 247057 in full two
years, 1896 and 1897, for instalments. in
Guiding ALL delinquent and corporation re-
ceiptS. The trade custom is that twenty
receipts make a quire. whether bound or
unbound. and many receipts are not bound,
and II is by the aid OF fiighty Imagination
only, or obtuse ignorance, that rules apply
ing to blank books. such as ledgers, cash
books and journals. can be applied to a lot
of tax receipts. My bid was made in ac-.
cordance with the rule and custom in Indi-
ana. and so was that of Mesrs Levey, and
in so far as l have been able TO discover all
Of their bills are fair and right and lust,
and believe that In the end the total cost
present contract will in no way be excess
sive for this full year The great part OF
the stun that has been published i'm this
of printing for Marion county will prove
this. II is true that the 1897 printing cost
more than II should. warned the commits.
sioners In advance that 1t might so result
under their then proposed and finally con-
cuded arrangement but they nevertheless
concluded 10 try the experiment. in over
jealous desire to do better for the county
than they had In 1896. From four TO five
thousand dollars OF the 1897 printing was
done by pemocrats-the Sentinel Company,