The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-11

The figures given in this interview were
verified from the commissioners records.
las a matter of fact" a member of the
firm OF Levey Brothers e. Co. says, "a cor
rect idea of what the printing is costing the
county cannot be obtained by the Sentinels
plan of item picking. For a good many
years what is known as the high and low
plan of bidding has been in vogue. Low
prices are made on supplies of which the
bidders have reason to believe but little will
be required. On articles that will be re-
quired in quantaties price high enough to
bring the total for the year up to a fair
average is bid This plan has always been
followed by the State Printing Board for
years past, as well as on county contracts
all over the State
"As an illustration of this same high and
low bidding, the contract of the State Print
ing Board might be taken as an example.
The item of State election ballots is the
high item and corresponds with the tax re-
ceipt item in the county contract. In 1895
the contract for the State printing was let.
It INCLUDED ballots for the election of 1895.
w. B. Burford, the successful bidder, bid
cents a hundred tickets and we bid cents
As there were printed in 1896 10577,000 tick
cts, this made difference in our favor of
because Mr.. Burfords bid, as a whole, was
lower than ours. While he was higher on
enough so to make his bid lower in total
than ours. 1t is stated that in the present
election there will be used 100000 ballots,
with five tickets on each ballot or $780, 900
tickets in all. which, at the present con-
tract price of cents a hundred tickets,
would be $500 These tickets be printed
at profit of cents a hundred, which
makes difference of $4,000. 1t is in this
high item that the equalization or averaging
- made on low items in the contract. In
the matter of the county tax receipts, while
that was the high item. the price on others
was low enough to make the work for the
year less in the total than for past years"
Continuing. he said. with reference n fho
county work:
The only accurate way to arrive at what
the printing and supplies are costing is to
deal with totals by years. In 1895 the total
paid for the work of that year, as shown by
toe books; was Sl4'oil;67. The contract for
contractors bidding by items upon the basis
of the amount of the supplies furnished the
previous year. The total paid under this
1895 by 81, $3.50 Bids under the usual plan
We're asked for the supplies and printing of
1897. When they were submitted they were
not satisfactory and the commissioners de-
cided to try the experiment of allowing the
county officers to purchase their own sup
plies en- schedule of prices which all the
printers agreed to accept. Portions of the
work went to six different firms. There is
law which permits this plan to be fol-
missioners, however, the stationery under it
costing too much, and when making the
contract for this current year they decided
to go back to the old PLAN Bids were asked.
The commissioners found that a number of
those submitted were what are known
fake" or jugged bids, and they according
~ threw these out and accepted the straight
bid CT the present contractors. We have
been paid this year sl4O6794, of which
total we have received for supplies
furnished this year of $ll.297.32. The addi-
for the remainder of this year will cost less
than $500. Estimating it at that figure the
b eta Hs do Of supplies for this year will have
last of December as against $14041.67 in
1885, the Democratic year. This shows
saving of 81 .9435. beside which we are
furnishing rs per cent. more supplies than
were furnished in 1895, owing to the in
creased POI ulation and consequent greater
"a bond of $4,000 was furnished with the
bid for this years work. with which we
submitted written guarantee to furnish
the supplies for the year at 10 to 80 per cent.
less than was paid for the same supplies
during. previous years. With the tax re-
ceipts included about which there has been
a good deal of talk. the supplies FOR the year
will he lower than for the three previous
years" This includes the Democratic year
1885
In it's efforts to make political capital the
Sentinel It is claimed, has been guilty of
pose, compiling them from the annual
ports which are made May 81 each year,
for the fiscal year ending at that date.
When trying to show what printing has
cost the county. under a given administra-
ton, LeVey Brothers say that the figures
should be given from Jan to Dec. 81. in
any given year, as that is the period of
time for which any one contract runs The
present contract was let last December. A
new one will be let this December. for the
year beginning Jan. l. 1899. and ending Dec
81, 1899. BY taking figures by fiscal years
instead OF current years. the acts of vari-
Gus adminstra tons have been badly mixed
up by the Democratic papers. For instance
when the report for the fiscal year ending
May 81 1896. was made il covered the last
seven months of the Democratic admins
tration of 1895 and the first five months of
their successors. In November. 1895, just
before they gave place TO the new Repub-
lican board. the Democratic commissioners
undertook 10 let the contract for the print
ing of 1896. Under the law the contract
could not be let until December and the
commissioners were prevented from loading
a contract with firm of printers of their
own party on their successors by an injunc-
ton suit. This very clearly shows. the firm
says that all printing and supply contracts
should be considered by current years in
stead Of fiscal years, and IL this course had