Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-03-09
iowa COUNTY BOARD.
The Proceedings Of the Special Session
Held Last Week.
County Clerks Office,
DOdgevilIe, Wis, Mar. I'd. 1899.

called. Members all present except
Messrs. p. p. Egan and A. +. Thomas.
The chairman stated the object of
calling the meeting was to hear the
report Of the printing committee.
The report was read by Mr.. John
G. Martin as follows:
TO the Honorable Board Of Supervi-
sors Of Iowa county Wisconsin,:
Gentlcmen:- Your committee on
county printing to whom was refer
red the matter of county printing, as
per resolution of your honorable
body at the adjourned session held
January Alto to 9Th, 1899, beg leave to
make the following report:
Pursuant to agreement your com
mittee met at the county clerks Of
| flee, in the city Of Dodgeville, on the
l4th day Of January, 1899, for the
purpose Of preparing schedule of
what printing the county would need
the next two years. In order to pre-
pare schedule that would contain
all the county printing (for your COM
mittee found that the schedule of
two years ago had only a part Of the
county printing, II large amount be-
ing omitted) your committee had to
examine all the printing bills for the
two years past, in order to ascertain
what the county had bought and
paid for. From that we could form
an idea OF what would be needed in
the next two years, also the number
of each kind of blank; by that
means we could order Il specified
number. BY comparing the bids of
the several printers of two years ago
your committee found 4 great differ
cnce. This led us to look for the
causes. We were not long in discov-
cring that the successful bidder, Mr..
A. :. Hearn, was exceedingly low on
those things which were not much
used, and very high on those things
that many are needed. Your COM
mittoe found it necessary that GER
tain number should be ordered at II
time, SO that number was put in the
schedule whenever we could deter
minc the amount needed. by so do
ing it would serve as II guide to de-
tcrminc which bid was the Lowest
and best.
Your committee also found, when
examining the printing bills of the
past two years, that Mr.. A. >. Hearn,
who was awarded the contract for
the county printing two years ago,
had deviatcd from the spirit Of the
contract in several instances, cspec-
tally on envelopes, there being quite
u difference between contract price
and what he rcccivcd-about $26OO.
Not being able to complete our
work we adjourned to meet on the
10Th Of January. We meet on that
date and continued our work; pre-
pared II schedule containing what, in
our Judgment, the county would need
and have to pay for, including the
publishing OF the notices of judicial
election, the list of nominations and
information, the publishing of Of
fetal canvass of votes, notices of tax
sales, etc, the right of which some
of the printers of the county question.
But your committee believes it,
comes under the scope of your reso-
luton.
Your committee, after completing
the schedule, had it carefully pre-
pared, by being written by a type
writer ca copy of which is here pre-
scented for your inspection). Had Il
copy sent by the county clerk to the
several printers of the county, ask
ing them to bid ON the same by the
9th of February, 1899, at o'clock in
the afternoon. Your committee met
ON that day, at the Office of the
county clerk, for the purpose of
opening bids and awarding the con-
tract to the lowest and best bidder,
but finding no bids had been filed
and no printer present, and believ-
ing, from the best information we
could obtain, that n conspiracy had
been formed by some of the princi-
pal printers of tho county against
the people of the county, represented
by your honorable body, by agreeing
between themselves to ignore your
committee and tho resolution which
you passed, thinking by that means
To compel the county to have its
printing done by them, they to get
whatever they may see fit to charge.
Not only did they conSpirc, but GER
tain of the number tried to have
some of tho county officers, if not
all, to disregard the schedule, and
order their printing of them as usual,
and ignore the wish of your honor-
able body, who have the desire to
which cost this county last year the
sum Of S2O63,9l for the last two
years, Notwithstanding it was let by
contract to the lowest bidder, $3,099.34,
according to the bills audited and
allowed, some of which were dis
counted 5oeo.
Your committee deeming the situ-
alton To be ono that needed the at
tention of your honorable body to
receive our report, discharge us, and |
determine VINO runs this county, |
whether 1t is HoH, the representatives
of the people, or Il few printers of
the county, or further instruct us to
procure bids from printers outside Of |
the county, as by your resolution we
were limited to this county. Your
committee called in Supervisors :.
w. Reese and Edward Bergman to
advise with us as to what was best
to be done, and with their advice
your committee circulated Il petition
Ia have your honorable body meet
Mt this time on this special occasion
for the purpose as above stated.
A .f 10 n l,.I