Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-22
STATE CONTRACT NO SOFT SNAP
The Successful Bidder is Afforded No
Opportunity to Work OFF inferior
Goods at Top Notch Prices-Must
Submit Samples Of All Articles Of
fered For saIe-Iowa News.
to Times-Republican.

Ast1A
situations, we would slaughter our own
/ beef" Hon. John Cownie, a member
OF the board made this statement in
explanation Of the fact that the state
| is able to buy its meats at figure con-
siderably under the ordinary butcher.
| 1.-THE state already has slaughter
! houses at nearly all of it's institutions
under our CONTROL. We now prepare
| considerable OF our fresh pork at the
| institutions and could easily go into the
neighboring country and buy all the
cattle wanted il necessary. The pack
| ers know that we can and would do
this If they did not give us satisfactory
prices and consequently we are able
to get quotations under the regular
| market"
When asked If the board had MOTTO
| ed any evidences Of a combine among
the packers in making their bids for the
state meat contracts, Mr.. Cownie re-
piled:
| Il have often told the packers that
they divide the state into districts
among themselves. One firm will be
the lowest bidder generally in a certain
section of the state and another firm
in another part OF the state. The $70,-
600 OF yearly meat contracts are pref
ty evenly divided among the packers.
OF course the big firms present COM
petitive bids to us, but it looks as if
they divided the territory between
Chicago, Kansas City and South Oma-
ha plants. Some of the Independent
Iowa packers are able to outbid the big
packers OH some of the meats and Des
Moines and Ottumwa houses have good
contracts ALSO"
Board Buying Provisions.
The state board of control is now
busy buying provisions for the twelve
large institutions under it's manage
ment. The rooms of the board at the
state house are accordingly filled with
an elaborate display of groceries, dry
goods, clothing, meats and all kinds of
provisions. There is not a store in Des
Moines dealing in any of these COM
modities that annually buys a greater
quantity than the state board of cons
troll, and consequently many of the
turers of the country eagerly compete
lOT llle. StdtS COtilIdClo.
A state contract, however, under the
watchful eyes of the board of control
does not mean any 'f1tft snap" for
the successful bidder nor afford him
an opportunity to work off inferior
goods on the state at top notch prices.
There is not a business house In the
state that is more careful in it's award
of contracts than the board of control
nor do they obtain any better terms
or quality of provisions purchased. The
supplies of the state institutions are
now secured in the most business-like
and economical manner and are of a
far superior quality to provisions for
merly secured. This is not any rehec-
ton either on the old system of each
institution buying its own supplies,
but is largely due to the fact that the
board of control has been able by it's
thorough business-lille methods to buy
cheaper and better for all of the in
stitutions together.
Submit Samples.
Every competitor for state contracts
Unjust submit with his bids samples Of
all the articles on which he offers
prices, These samples Of provisions
are now on display at the state house.
They are retained by the board in Its
sample rooms for reference. After the
provisions are purchased and forward
ed to the various state institutions.
each superintendent sends to the board
of control samples Of the supplies fur
nished him. These are compared with
the samples submitted by the contrac-
tor in bidding and must be fully up
to that standard or the goods are re-
iected. Thus the board knows just
what it is buying and is always watch
full to see that it gets what it pur-
chases'
Those articles Of which the board has
not full knowledge, experts are called
in to make the necessary tests. In bid
ding on coffee, the competing firms
must submit samples Of green coffee.
These samples the board has roasted
here in Des Moines and tested by an
expert coffee faster The samples are
retained and the coffee purchased must
undergo the same test and show the
same standard according to the flnd-
ings of the expert. Tea Is tested In a
similar manner.
Tho the board Of control buys far
more economically than the average
private institution or home, its proyis-
ions are almost universally of far SUI
perior quality. It's foodstuffs are the
best obtaluable and the meats would
be feast on any table. 1t is not to be
taken that the board is extravagant, for
an inspection of the contracts would
quickly refute any such statement.
The theory on which the board has
successfully worked out its system is
to obtain maximum of quality at
minimum of price. Buying in such i'm
mense quantities as are necessary to
supply the state institutions, the board
is able to obtain prices considerably
under the ordinary purchaser. Its
careful inspection of all supplies as
sures the quality
Even in clothing provided the prison.
ers at the penitentiaries, the same
care is exercised. The suits now fur
nished the convicts are all wool OF ex-
cellent quality and are purchased by
the state at a price less than is usually
asked for suit OF shoddy clothing.
An iowan in Trouble.
Springfield, H., March, 22.-William
Davenport is in the Sangamon county
Jail on q charge of having robbed the
home OF Mrs Edith LaCoste 700 North