Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-30
CONTRACTORS COMPETE
Bids Opened Today 70, Furnishing Stamped
Envelopes and Wrappers.
Involves . Large Expenditure An
the hDwest Proposals.

Once again the big paper combine which
has controlled the making OF stamped en-
velopes and newspapers has been defeated.
The opening Of bids for furnishing the gov
eminent with these supplies took place to-
Gay, and resulted in a complete surprise
| the Purcell Envelope Company of Hol-
yoke, Mass, outbid the combine on all
| items. and will doubtless receive the con-
tract.
Four years ago when bids were opened
the combine struck the same snag. the
Purcell COmpany's proposal being s11O,00U
in round numbers lower than the bid Of
the combine. After a short time, and be-
fore the new contractor got to work, an
arrangement was made between him and
the combine whereby the latter carried on
the contract.
This is one of the most important con-
tracts let by the government, involving as
1t does yearly expenditure Of over a
million dollars. Heretofore the depart
ment has insisted upon the use of but one
kind of paper-that dried in lofts and
known to the trade as loft dried. lie
combine. it is alleged, controlled all the
paper of this class, and made 1t practf-
Cally impossible for any one else to plo.
The Purcell Company however, four years
ago made plans for building several large
buildings where paper Of this kind could
be manufactured. and submitted old.
which, as stated above, upon comparison
was $4,000 lower than the one the COM
bins put in. This was followed, as stated.
by the arrangement between the combine
and the Purcell Company.
1t is understood that there has peen
some dissatisfaction between the two
firms lately, which resulted In the Purceli
Company putting in a separate DID TINS
year and withdrawing from the COMBINE.
The contract is for four years, 1t may be
STATED, and calls for the manufacture OF
59S 554, $50 stamped envelopes and wrap
pers.
The opening of the bids took place In the
office OF the fourth assistant postmaster
general and attracted number of bidders
and those interested in the contract. Gen.
Merritt personally superintsnded the open
ing OF the bids.
There were two proposals ofIered oy the
department., one for loft dried paper, the
other for ordinary paper This distinction
was made to insure competition, ana there
as plenty Of 1t.
There were twelve bidders, and the ma
jority of them submitted proposals.
1t was known in advance that the con-
tract really hinged upon the bids submit
ted for four items-item No. 5. calling for
the first quality of extra-siZed letter
stamped envelopes. of which 3o5,9oI ,Ouo were
estimated to be necessary, item No. 3, call
ing for approximately, g., SS2OO of first
class commercial size envelopes; item No.
II, calling for 40 7lT,O0O newspaper wrap
pers, and item No. 49, calling for O,742,OO0
grmmed white amber envelopes.
These were the important items in the
bidding, and all Interest centered about the
prices for these
The current prices the government is pay
ing for these items is as follows: Item No.
), $l.3O per 1000: item No. 3, 1922 per 1000:
.ter, No. 1883 cents per 1000. and item No.
ID, $l.37 per 1000.
The lowest bids for these today. as sub
mittetl by the Purcell Company. were:
Itera No. 5. 81 o.. item No. 3, 50 cents: item
No IL 10 cents and item No. 13, 81. TO- So
it will be seen at a glance how much the
government profits by this bidding.
The following fms submitted bids: Wick
ham Bros, Hartford, Conn; w. A. Tober,
Hamilton, Ohio;s Connecticut River Paper
Company Holyoke, Mass: the Purcell En-
velcpe Company, Holyoke, Mass; Albert
Daggett, Piedmont. Nd; the White. Cor
bin Company. Rockville, Conn; Holyoke
Envelope Company. Holyoke. Mass: Wolf
Bros: Philadelphia, Pa: =. p. Kellogg &
Company. Holyoks,, Mass; the American
Envelope Company, West Carleton. Ohio.