Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-01-23
The Public Printing In Meade Coun-
fy for the Past IL Years.

ers Ignore Right of People. y
"Squander Many Dollars of Tax
Payers to Serve Wehrle Ring" we
read as follows:
SIT is now in order for the Editor of the
News, the mouth piece of this ring, to write
up the Commissioners as the most honorable,
honest and efficient Board ever convened in
Meade County.
Never in the history of Meade county did
a board of commissioners ever refuse to con-
slider bids for public printing until the pres
ent board came into power.
The Globe put in bid for the public print
ing which would have saved the county many
dollars. The bid was wholly ignored and
the printing handed over to the News, the
organ of the ring, at legal rates.
If the present Board will so ignore the
rights of the people in one instance what can
we expectf Can we expect faithful and
economical administration of county afairs1
Remember the enormous allowance for bills
last year. Have the commissioners shown
good business judgment and faithfulness to
the peoples interests?"
1t would certainly be right and
proper to "write up the Commits
sioners as the most honorable, hon
est and efficient board ever conven-
ed in Meade county" and only do
them justice. The people of Meade
county need have no worry over
''the enormous allowance of bills. I"
The reduction in the actual running
expenses of the county during the
past two years, has been in round
numbers, nearly $500; of this
amount there has been a saving of
more than S4oo on the item of print
ing and stationery alone and this in
the face of the fact that much ofthe
printing done in the past two years,
was neglected and undone in former
years, thus adding to the expense of
these two years just past. Yet the
county was saved more than $500.
1t is true that the county has been
to considerable expense on account
of litigation in fighting railroad
bonds, ETC., but three-fourths ofthis
expense was contracted in the pros
ecution of George w. Wiley. Are
you going to condemn the Commis
sioners for these acts? Why don't
Mr.. Fuhr raise a cry against the
amounts that have been paid for
prosecuting larceny cases9 All the
toIfest taxpayers of this comfy, ex-
pect and demand that their money
be spent for the suppression of
crime.
In reference to the second para
graph, we invite your closest atten-
ton, as Mr.. Fuhr never made more
erroneous statement, which we pro-
pose to prove by the Commission
ers' record. On January ~, 1890,
T. ]. Palmer submitted a bid to do
the public printing. Chas. Plymell,
John Randolph and E. D. Smith
constituted the Board. We refer to
Page IS, Com. Journal B, and find
as follows, under date of Jan. ~,
1890:
Plymell moYed to make the Globe
the official paper for ensuing year.
Plymell and Randolph voting yea,
Smith, nay,
Palmer's bid not considered.
Page 154 of same record dated
Jan. 6, 1891: Plymell moved that
the rules of procedure be suspend
ed for the consideration of letting
printing contracts for ensuing year.
Smith moved to amend by calling
for bids for same.
No second to motion.
The original motion was consid-
cred for letting contract at same
figures as previous year to Fuhr, of
the Globe and Sam Lawrence, of
the Democrat.
Motion carried. Smith voting
nay.
This is a second instance where
bids were ignored.
Page leI, same record, date May
II, 1891:
w. H. Newhouse elected to fill
vacancy caused by the Supreme
Court ousting Plymell.
Motion by Smith that printing
bonds given by Fuhr and Sam Law
renee be rejected. Motion carried.
Smith moved to consider Palmer's
bid filed Jan. ~, 1890 in the Coun-
ty Clerks office, and that Palmer
be awarded contract to begin from
date. Motion prevailed.
This contract was made over the
previous contract in January with
Fuhr and Lawrence. Both papers
were doing the printing and both
received pay for same.
Jan. II, 1892 a new board COM
posed of VIM. Beatty, Frank Lohr,