The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-18
cERNING BOOK CONTRACTS.
HINT OF A DEAL
Relates Happenings at Chicago in
Which Montana Man and
Companies Figure.

III the attorney general thought that
he had squelched the state superin-
tendent of public instruction when he
submitted to that official his opinion
in the matter of the complaint made
by Mr.. WEIGH that the book companies
supplying the state with books for
the public schools were constantly
violating their contract by o~vercharg-
ing he was sadly mistaken. The SUI
perintendent refuses to be awed by
the decision of the attorney general
that the entire matter is trivial and
not worthy Of serious consideration,
neither will he acknowledge that he
has been in the wrong and that Don
ovan is right.
Mr.. Welch is out with a long state
ment giving his side of the contro-
versy and to convince the people that
Mr.. Donovan is taking a wrong view
of the matter when he declares the
whole thing to be trivial" draws from
the information he has in his posses
sion and which he submitted to the
attorney general when he appealed
to that gentleman to enforce the con
tracts the state holds with the con
Germs by instituting suits against
them on their bonds. After admitting
that neither he nor his Office is in
fallible he declares his willingness to
let the people be the judges and de-
| eide whether after all, the thing is
trivial"
"Is it trivial" he asks, when Mr..
G.. T. Paul of Dillon, and others, were
required to pay 1925 for books that
under the agreement with the book
companies should have been retailed
at 81? The local dealer was not to
blame from the fact that he had no
contract with anyone to furnish
books.
SIS it trivial that j. H. Calderhead
and other were required to pay $1.65
FOR books that should have been re-
tailed at 81? The A. P. Curtin Book
company should not be c%ensured, as
they were not under contract with
the book companies at the contract
prices.
'Is it a trivial matter that the Chap
pei Drug company of Billings, are
charged nor for books thar they are
expected to retail them for?
Prices in Other States.
SIS it trivial when we are informed
that the same books were sold to the
state of Tennessee at exactly thirty
three and one-third per cent less thar
Montana is required to pay, when at
the same time the contracts state
plainly that should a reduction be
made to any state or territory that the
same reduction should accrue in the
state of Montana?
81 suppose that it is a very trivial
matter when we take into considera
ton that all healthy competition has
been prevented by these contracts
and when the contract plainly states
that the companies were to maintain
a distributing point in at least one
place in each county of the state
where these books could be purchased
at the regular retail price agreed up
on. and that up to two months ago not
a dealer in the state was handling all
the books at the prices agreed upon
"Trivial is it, when in at least one
fourth of the counties of Montana thu
people are asked to pay 10 per cent
more for some of the books for theil
children than the companies agreed
to have the books sold for, and yet The
investigation showed conclusively tina
no dealer in these counties handled
any of the books?
''The representatives Of the bool
companies regarded this matter as
very trivial when some of them ask
ed if in our judgement they would
he able to extricate themselves from
this predicament by paying the
amount of their bonds.
Extremely trivial when Rev. D. B
Price and myself were in Chicago las
February and certain of the book com
panies stated that they had plenty o
money and transportation, and insist
ed that my friend, Rev. Price, ant
myself, could take a southern or east
ern trip OF means furnished by them
Hints at a "Deal."
Exceedingly trivial when we take
into consideration that one OF Nor
tana's honorable citizens CD called
upon the book concerns in Chicago
last summer, and stated that he coult
handle the text books business il
Montana and would be proud to max
a deal with them. A certain sun
was mentioned, and l am informed
by one book company that they dir
make a trade with the gentleman
from Montana, but that he mad al
extended trip through the east. (
representative of this concern state'
to me that they had letters from thl'
party, and in case they were not fail
ly treated in the next adoption the.
would nave fac smile copies of tn
letters published.
sIn conclusion, | desire to say tina
} l am trying to protect the interest o
the whole people of Montana, and un
less these companies make good TO
the violation of their contracts, as
/, member of the text book commission
ers, whose duty it will be to make
similar contract or contracts, positive
ly no consideration will be given D.
7 me to any of the ten companies VIII
now have contracts with the state
and that no COMPANY 4 contrac
with the state, by my consent. VIII