The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-07-20
CONTRACT MUST BE
ABOVE SUSPICION
Acting Postmaster General
to Investigate Printing Bid
LAW WILL BE CONSULTED
Paul Herman VIII Have TO Demon
strate His Ability to Fulfill the
Terms of the Contract to
the Letter.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.


Washington, July 9.-(Special )-That
Acting Postmaster General Wynne will
insist that the new contract for printing
the money order blanks shall be free from
all suspicion Is proven by his action In
holding up the contract with Paul Her
man until he shall demonstrate to the sat
isfaction of the department his ability to
fulfill the contract IN all respects by being
In possession of a fully equipped plant,
and until the postoffice department shall
decide whether or not the law has been
fully complied with In the matter of
awarding the contract. Mr.. Wynne Is
considering certain phases of the failure
of the public printer and the chief of the
bureau of engraving and printing to sub
nit estimates for the work. That provi-
sion of the law which authorizes the post
master general to have the blanks print
ed by private contract distinctly and spe-
cifically provides that the public printer
and the chief of the bureau of engraving
and printing shall submit, respectively, +"
estimates of the cost of printing such
blanks and when their estimates are lower
than those of other bidders they shall
furnish such printed and engraved mat
ter"
Expected Estimates.
Mr.. Wynne expected estimates from
these officials and in the advertisement
asking for bids from outside parties he
inserted a clause directing their attention
to the fact that their bids would be in
competition with those from the govern
ment printing office and the bureau of
engraving and printing. In the specifca-
lions 1t was stated several times that the
estimates from these government estab-
lishments would "be treated exactly like
the proposals of bidders"
But the public printer and the chief OF
the bureau of engraving and printing
neglected or failed to submit any esti-
mates, 1t was represented by the public
printer that his office was not equipped
to do 'lthographing" and therefore he
could not estimate on such work 1t is
now contended by those who believe the
government should do this work itself,
that an examination of the law fails to
reveal any discretionary power lodged
In the postmaster general, the director of
the bureau OF engraving and printing,
the public printer, or any other official, to
waive the provision of the law requir-
Ing estimates from the proper official. 1t
is pointed out that the law Is manda-
tory, requiring such estimates, and that
congress evidently had good reasons for
inserting this section in the act, it being
presumed that previously the contractors
had been charging the government exces-
sive prices.
Law Not Compiled With.
AS far as known the law mas not been
compiled with during the twenty years
1t has been on the statute books. While
the postoffice department expects all
money orders to be Autographed It is
known that many millions of them have
been printed from steel plates, and the
bureau of engraving and printing is thor
oughly equipped to do this work
A parallel case is found In the bid of
the bureau of engraving and printing
some years ago to print postage stamps.
On that occasion the bureau put in a bid
many thousands of dollars lower than
that of the lowest private bidder, and the
director of the bureau of engraving and
printing did not consider he was handi-
capped because he did not have a fully
equipped plant.
On the contrary, he took the contract
without machinery, and since then the
saving to the government has more than
paid for the cost of the equipment.