The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1902-07-12
Parish Printing.


The Clarion has been doing the
official printing of this parish for
about eight or nine years. AS it's
last years contract expires this
month, the following proposition
was submitted to the Police Jury
last Tuesday:
To the President and members of
the Police July of the Parish
of st. Landry
Gentlemen:-In view of your
giving out the contract for the
Parish printing for another year,
! would respectfully submit the
following proposition:
| offer to do the official printing
OF the Parish at the rates fixed by
law and guarantee that every
square charged 1vith contain one
hundred words, and that the work
viii be done promptly and cor
rectly. / will also give you sat
isfactory bond for the faithful
performance of the contract. If
| am given the contract [ hereby
pledge myself to donate three
fourths of the gross receipts de-
rived from the publication of the
official proceedings of the Police
Jury to the cause of public educa-
ton in this Parish-either toward
maintaining the St. Landry High
School or otherwise, as the jury
may select. Respectfully SUBJ
mitted, LEoNCE SANDoz,
Publisher Courier.
Here was a chance to secure
several hundred dollars year for
the High School or other public
schools in the parish which are so
much in need of funds, and at the
same time guaranteed prompt
and efficient execution of the
work, which we know from ex-
perience they have failed to get
for several years; in fact the slip
shod manner in which the official
printing has been done has fire.
quently called forth the protests
of the public, and even the Police
Jurors themselves have complain
ed about it in vain.
When this proposition was sub
nitted and read, what did that
distinguished body do?, After Il
whispered consultation between
some of its shining lights, some
one called for an executive ses-
sion and the room was cleared.
We are told that the Executive
session" consisted Of a caucus to
devise a plan to keep the printing
in the hands of the organ at all
/ hazards, and that Mr.. Breaux,
editor Of the Clarion, was called
in consultation for that purpose.
The idea never struck that body
that here was an opportunity to
secure several hundred dollars fol
public schools at no expense tc
the taxpayers, but all their ener.
gies were bent on deyising some
plan or excuse to give the print
ing to their pet.
/ We don't know the details o1
the confabulatiou between the
Ijury and the official printer, but
the so-called executive session re-
suited in an agreement to give
Breaux the contract on condition
that one-half the amount of hi
salary would be withheld unit
Ibis indebtedness to the parish fol
overcharges was paid. CAS- ht
has only paid $142.46 in two years
and is still owing $632.41, thu
beauty of this arrangement cal
!. be seen at glance; at this rat
it will take the parish betweel
four and FIVE years to get ever
with him-proyided there are NJ
more overcharges made by "mls
, take" in the meantime
When the executive session wa
raised and the doors opened, W
learned of the agreement wit
) Breaux, and Immediately sub
3 mitted the following proposltlo'
{ in writing:
$ I amend the above (my first
9 proposition TO make the amour
: donated to public schools one
T half instead Of three-fourths, an
: the balance Of proceeds OF put
: fishing Police Jury proceedings t
: be applied to liquidating the DEB
t Of Z. Breaux to the parish TO
!, overcharges on parish println
$ until same is extlnguished.
Subscription price of CouRIE
!, to be reduced to 81 year.
LEoNcE SANDoz,
Publisher Courier.
o While the official proceeding
8 of the Police Jury, which may 3
o published in the course OF tim,
R will doubtless show how the vol
. cfoo5 on this eueStiOn. we haN