The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-04-23
THE COUNTY PRINTING.

How the Award Was Made and
Wherefore and Why.
The board of county commission
ers awarded the county printing to
Moore & Houtz, publishers of the
Herald-Jo of Kalispell, for the
term of two years from and after
April %, 1902, to the 22nd of April,
1904, and said Moore & Houtz were
ordered to file a good and sufficient
bond for the sum of $1,000"
Thus appear the minutes of the
special session of the board of coun-
ty commissioners, having under dis
cussion the letting of the contract of
county printing for the ensuing two
years.
The consideration of the matter
had been delayed since the March
meeting and continued from Monday
Although no bids had been invited
before the final award of the con-
tract written proposal from the Bee
and one also from the Herald-Journal
was on file. The republican paper
made no pretensions.
After uselessly postponing the mat
ter from time to time during the day,
probably to evade the presence of
the Bee representative, it had at last
to be preached.
Some time prior to the noon hour,
committees had waited on the COM
missioners representing the Western
Labor union and the Clerks union,
and presented memorials from each
of those organizations in relation to
placing of the contract for printing
with a known union establishment
employing union labor at union
prices. The Bee being the only es-
tablishment of the kind in Flathead
county and fully equipped and capa-
BILE of producing all the county work
at home, was Endorsed by the labor
unions in these sets of resolutions,
and the committee spoke in their be-
half
But the commissioners wanted fur
tner time or privacy, and proceeded
to take it, They finally moved in a
body, as if with one accord, out of
the commissioners public room to
torney, and there truly held a star
chamber session.
The written proposal of the Bee
publishing company was to perform
all the printing and publishing legal
ly chargeable to the county of FLAT
mead, for the next two years, at a
fiat rate of 65 per cent of the statu-
tory rate. The Herald-Journal had
presented bid to perform the work
at rs per cent OF the statutory rates.
L mis- did not settle the matter, how
ever, the chairman of the county
commissioners deciding that the Her
ald-Journal should have another show
| for their white alley, returned to
them by special messenger their rs
per cent bid for amendment, at the
same time continuing their star cham
! Der session. The messenger returned
in due time, with a supplementary
| bid, in which the Herald-Journal
agreed to- do all the county printing
for One-half the statutory rates, and
upon this basis the contract was
awarded. The Bee Publishing com.
Ipany had a representative within
call, but he was not invited to make
any reductions in the unwelcome fig
ures presented to the county commits
sioners by that concern.
Note: The powers of the county
commissioners are absolute in such
matters, and had they so desired
could have awarded the printing al
full statutory rates to the Inter-Lake
but they didn't.
The method employed by the com
missioners was rather unfair to the
Bee Publishing company, which was
the first and best bidder, and it was
in questionable taste for the officials
to urge a reduction in the figures Of
fered by the contestant after the
rates had been compared, but they
did it, and the legality of the printing
contract is unquestioned.