Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-05-18

/ Auult anu CUntrOl made the selections
from the samples offered. Your letter
is enlightening on this point, and
hereafter such blunderas submitting
samples to the board in the hope of
! securing a contract, may be avoided,
and the surer method suggested by
you of seeing the cooks, stewards, ETC.,
and submitting them the samples
adopted, as by this method you "have
no doubt the change asked for could
be made very readily and easily"
Fancy the manufacturers who may
be inclined to bid for supplies running
over the country seeing cooks and
stewards and presenting them with
samples in order to get their good
will and valued opinion on matters
that the State officers are supposed to
be cOnversant with!
Is it to be inferred from this that
the submitting of samples to the
board is simply farce? 1t is not to
be wondered at that some of our most
prominent home manufacturers de.
cline to bid for State supplies. From
the general tone of your letter it must
be taken that you either read the res
olutions carelessly or that in an at
| ton,,t ot n IofopSa Of tho ,,,ot tbo,Js ,,o,,,
in vogue with the Board of Audit and
Control you deliberately misstate the
facts.
| If you will take the trouble to
glance over the list of supplies called
for recently you will find that in
nearly every case where manufactured
goods are wanted some Eastern brand
is particularly specified. If this is
not antagonistic to local manufacture
ers, We would ask, what is it? Is it
possible for State manufacturers to
bid for an article that is plainly dcsig-
mated in your call by its brand name,
which brand is the property OF an
Eastern manufacturer?
We find among some of the goods
called for in the list articles that are
made in foreign States called for
under the brand name. and ut the
same time it is we'll known fact that
similar goods are manufactured in
this State and are offered at lower
price than the foreign brand, but on
account of the system now in vogue
the home goods are not acceptable for
the reason that the local manufac-
turer "seems to lack the business en-
ergy" of chasing around the country
looking for cooks and stewards to pre-
sent them with samples, whose su-
perior knowledge is such an important
matter with the Board.
Under the past administration the
heads of departments generally made
up the list of wants, and calls were is
sued in accordance Herewith, but the
| selection OF samples and the determi-
nation of their quality was a matter
that the Board looked after, and was
not left to the employees of any of the
institutions, and it is q matter of rec
ord that when goods on the list were
known to be manufactured in the
State the call specified "Washington.
made goods" thus giving all home
manufacturers O chance to bid. The
same is true OF other States. On look
ing into this matter we find that pref
erence is invariably given to the home
factory. 1t is only fair that this
spirit is shown, as the local manufac-
turers and their army of employees
contribute in no small degree to the
maintenance of those State institu.
tions.
Must we infer that the cooks and
stewards are the proper authorities to
dictate whose make of shoes, blankets,
woolens, coffee, soap and large vari-
ETY. of other manufactured goods are
the best adapted for use in the several
State institutions?
On the face of your call for bids
this is wrong, for in nearly every case
your honorable Board of Audit and
Control ask for samples to be submit
ted. What is the use of submitting
samples if the Board has already ac-
cepted the brands as ordered by the
cooks, stewards and accountants9
If the position you take is a proper
one, then the great army OF citizens
aud merchants should take their ad-
vice in the purchase OF goods, which
advice could be had for the asking,
and on the presumption that the
cooks, stewards. etc, are authorities
on the prices and quality of necessi-
ties, such rs are used In the State IN
stitutions, the merchants and citizens
would be greatly benefited.
The State is to be congratulated on
the wise selections made by its officers
Of employees whose knowledge is SO SUI
perior that their advice is necessary
in matters of this kind.
In conclusion, the Manufacturers
Association has passed resolutions de-
nouncing the tone OF your reply to
the communication addressed to you
and the State Board of Audit and
Control, as a deliberate and personal
insult to every manufacturer in the
State OF Washington.
Respectfully yours,
The Manufacturers Association oil
Seattle. H. Schocken, Secretary.