The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-29
Delinquent Tax List Goes to the
Obscure Sheet.
CONTRACTOR UNDER BOND
BUT THE IMPRACTICABILITY OF
COMPLIANCE is MANIFEST.
County Commissioners Armstrong
and Hall Opposed Wide Publicity
and Assurance of Lower Rate
From Bona Eide Newspapers of
General Circulation.

County Commissioners Armstrong
and Hall, Commissioner Rawlins dis
senting, yesterday afternoon voted to
accept Warren Fosters private bid,
against which there was no compe-
tition, for publishing the delinquent tax
list in Living Issues at the rate of II
cents per name and description. A con-
tract and bond in the sum of 81 900 will
be drawn up for execution today. Mr..
Foster with the aid of the Western
Newspaper Union, will undertake to set
up the type in the slow old style and
have the matter ready to issue from
the press on Monday next, the date re-
quired by law. But it is extremely
doubtful if the Populist publisher can
even approach fulfillment of his con-
tract. There is not enough nonpariel
type in town available for the purpose,
and the Typographical union will pre-
vent the use of linotype machines or
stereotypes to come to Mr.. Fosters
rescue. Approximately the published
list of property and notice of delinquent
tax sale will occupy space of 10000
lines, wide measure
1t was not to be expected that Com
missioner Hall would be convinced of
the error of his pet proposition, but it
is inexplicable that Chairman Arm
to award the publication contract to
Living Issues. Had the real object
been to give wide publicity to the no
tice of delinquency and sale, and at the
same time to contract with the lowest
responsible bidder, new proposals would
have been called for without discrimi-
nation. Without question, the daily
papers would have offered, on a basis
of once a week publication, to fill the
~ frp Of of o- low or.
figure, than Commissioner Halls pro-
tege bid.
Commissioner Rawlins reiterated the
statements made by him on two former
occasions, to the effect that he could
not conscientiously be a party to a
scheme that proposed to give the pub
LEGATION of so important a matter to an
obscure sheet that made no pretentions
of being a newspaper of general circu-
iation in the county, such as the law,
by the strongest implication, required.
The danger of involving the county in
expensive litigation because of such a
palpable blunder as his colleagues were
railroading through, he deemed too i'm
minent for safety and official comfort.
He favored calling for new bids on a
definite basis from all publishers, be-
lieving that a much lower figure for
once a week publication and more eX-
tensive and thorough notice would be
secured thereby, and dangers of legal
complications from irregularities and
Inconsistencies would be avoided, but
the appeal fell on deaf ears. To him,
the security of the $780, 600 in delinquent
taxes for the state, city, county and
school funds was of that Importance
requiring legal and wise action in the
matter of publication.
Commissioner Rawlins directed at
tention to the law forbidding the let
ting of contract on a private bid after
regularly solicited proposals had been
rejected, but his colleagues evaded a
response.
What was commented upon as an
other strange part of yesterdays pro-
ceedings was County Attorney Van
Colts advice to the board that the law
will permit publication of the delin-
quent tax sale notice in paper that
has no general circulation in the coun-
ty even thous-- property-owners are
injured and tax sale sharks are favored
by such defective means of advertising
as Living Issues affords.
Without allowing any claims or trans
acting any other business of conse-
quence, the board adjourned till this
afternoon.