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

quest that Home Products Furnished the
State Institutions be Accorded an Equal Op-
portunity to Compete with Eastern Manufac-
lures Says They Must Consult the Stewards
and Cooks Of State Institutions for Redress
of Grievances.
Post-Intelligencer
An open rupture has occurred be-
tween Gov. Rogers, as er o6icio repre-
sentative OF the Board of Audit and
Control, and the Seattle Manufacture
crs' Association. The members OF the
association charge that the Governor
has deliberately insulted the manufac-
turers, not only of this locality, but of
the whole State, by his tacit refusal to
intervene with the Board of Audit
and Control to induce that body to
grant to the manufactured products
of Washington equal consideration
with those from abroad.
Some weeks ago the Manufacturers
Association prepared set of resolu-
tions which were forwarded to Gov.
Rogers, III which his attention was
called to an apparent discrimination
by the purchasing board OF the State
in specifying in its advertisements for
bids for supplying State institutions
that samples of foreign made goods
should be submitted, thereby exclud-
ing from competition the products Of
local factories.
In his answer to the resolutions
Gov. Rogers has written letter, in
which he charges that the manufac-
turing concerns of Seattle are not
are guilty Of an attempt
to boost" a certain brand of baking
powder, and inviting them to confer
with tho cooks and stewards of the
different State institutions in any at
tempt which they may make to foster
the consumption of local products.
In its reply to the letter from Gov.
Rogers the Manufacturers Associa.
tion denies emphatically the motives
attributed to it by the Chief Execu-
tive, and goes at length into the mat.
ter OF awarding contracts by the Board
of Audit and Control. 1t cites from
the advertised call for bids for sup
plies. By the wording of the call,
their contention is, local products are
excluded completely from competition
with Eastern manufactures, which in
some instances are said to far exceed
in cost homemade goods OF an equally
good quality.
The following is a resume of the
which has been had
between the Governor and the manu-
facturers:
SEATTLE, May 5, 1900.
Hon. John r. Rogers, Governor
State Of Washington, Olympia: Dear
Sir-Answering your reply of recent
date TO the resolutions adopted and
sent you from the Manufacturer AS
sociation of Seattle.
As reference will be made herein to
both the resolutions and your reply, a
copy OF both is added hereto.
Following is the copy of the resolu-
tions:
At a meeting of the Manufacturers
Association of Seattle, State of Wash
ington, held in Seattle on March 8,
1900, the following resolutions were
adopted:
Whereas, 1t has been customary in
awarding contracts for supplies to va
rious State institutions in the State OF
Washington to distinctly specify East
ern instead of locally manufactured
goods; and,
Whereas, From time to time bids
have been submitted to the Board of
Audit and Control by the local manu-
Facturers; and,
Whereas, Such bids have not been
given the consideration due to the
said local manufacturers. whose enter
prise, capital and energy are large fac
tors in building up the State and pro-
noting its growth and prosperity; /;
and,
Whereas, 1t is felt that this system
Of awarding contracts is unjust and
calculated to retard the progress Of
local manufacturing and industrial
be it therefore
Resolved, That the Manufacturers
of Seattle, in regular
assembled, instruct the secre-
tary of the association to commune
cate with His Excellency, the Cover
nor Of Washington, respectfully direct
ing his excellency's attention to this
question and requesting
that steps be taken which will give
the manufacturers of Washington an
equal opportunity with Eastern man.
ufacturers to contract for supplies
used in the State institutions, and
where price and quality are equal, our
own manufacturers should receive
preference.
TO His Excellency the Governor,
John r. Rogers, and members of the
Board OF Audit and Control.
To these resolutions Gov. Rogers re-
piled as follows:
H. S. Schocken, Esq, Secretary
Association OF Seattle,
Seattle, WASH: Ny Dear Sir-I have