The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-19
IA QUESTION OF THE LAW Government Departments In DiscOrd. THE HERMAN BID AGAIN Washington Bureaus Did Not
 Make Estimates. Failed to Bid for the Contract of Sup plying the Postoface Depart
 msnt With Money
 Order Blanks.
THE HERMAN BID AGAIN

Washington, July IS.-(Special.)-A divergence of opinion between the Post- office Department and the public printer and the chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has apparently developed over the question of whether the law has been fully complied with in the matter of the estimates from the Government Printing once and the Bureau of En- graving and Printing for the engraving and printing of money order blanks.
 The law requires that these bureaua shall submit estimates on this work, but Acting Postmaster-Genera Wynne stated some time ago that they had not done so. the officials in charge stating that their offices were not equipped to do ''litho- graphing" The point is raised that as the law provides such bids shall be sub mitted and they were not. the bids under the recent advertisements should all ba thrown out.
 Tobb Is Iuvestigating.
 Assistant Attorney General Robb ia considering the question as to whether the requirements of the law would not properly be met if the Director of tho Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Public Printer should submit bids be- tween now and the signing of the contract with Herman. the lowest bidder. There is naturally some doubt as to just how far such estimates, submitted more than a month after the bids were opened, would be fin competition with those from other bidders.
 Whatever attitude the department may finally assume on this point, the Public Printer and the Government Printing Office and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing hold that they have already fully complied with the law
 At the Bureau of Engraving and Print ing considerable reluctance was exhibited in discussing the matter, the only expia-i nation advanced being that the law had been complied with" At the government printing office they were not SO reticent. Here 1t was stated that the public printer had submitted estimates or bids in Q for- nal manner on a1l work that can Do done at the government printing ofiace which. according to all information procurable. includes all the work except the printing of the money orders forms" The spec i1cations state that these are to be print ed from stone" and on this schedule 1t Is stated at the government printing of- fice,,tha the public printer merely re- marked: This is llthographing." and gave no explanation to the effect that the government printing office was mot equipped to do lithographing."
 As far as can be learned the Postomco Department has not yet made public the estimates of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing or of the government printing office and the reason for not making pulp lie these estimates does not appear clear in view of the statements from the heads of these offices and the understanding that they may now be called upon to submit formal bids.
 Debates on the Bill.
 The intention of Congress that the gov- ernment printing office and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing should submit bids in formal manner in actual com petition with private parties, seems to bs denoted by the course of the debates on this subject The act of March 3. 1883. re-codifying the postal statutes. was passed after the star route trials had convulsed the country.
 MT Bingham of PennsylvaAia, the 'fa- ther of the House." then, as now, mem Der of the House Committee on Postofiics and Postroads. explained the point In question by stating that at that time the public printer prints for the Money Order Department all their blanks. cerr tiflcates forms, etc, annually amounting to about $64,000 which Is paid out of the money order fund"
 Representative Robinson of Massachu- setts, was curious to know how 1t was proposed to save money to the Govern- ment by letting the contract to a privata bidder, when the Government Printing Office was already doing "at cost" Rep resentative Lacey stated that the provis- ion was designed to place this matter up- on the same footing as the printing of postage stamps. then supplied by compete itive bids, and it stated that ''the bill as first submitted by the Department left that clause out"
 Referring to the clause relating to es- inmates on the printing of money order blanks and added. sbut It was thought best to let the Public Printer, and the Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing come in as bidders and if they bid lower than private parties, then they should take the work" Mir. Lacy cons cluded: Ut is to be let to the lowest bidders, especially as these are to be steel engravings."
 It has further been noted that the orig inal bill as presented to the House merely stated land the Public Printer and the Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury Department hereby authorized to submit proposals" etc, which language was finally changed to read Provided" that the Public Print CT and the Chief of the Bureau of En- graving and Printing of the Treasury De- partment shall submit respectively esti-. mates of the cost" etc.
 R. H. Watkins.