The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-10-22
Collin, P. A.
and BOOKS

paper published in this city gave
prominence to a charge OF graft
and exorbitant prices paid by the
taxpayers for supplies furnished the
county under the invited bid" sys-
tenn inaugurated by Purchasing
Agent Collin and his confrere Com
missioner Dean.
The charge implied extravaganza
on the part Of the purchasing power
and stated the fact to be that the
beneficiary of the purchase was the
Inland Printing company of this
city. The charge has never been
denied. Had there been any open
ing for even an evasive denial, 1t
would have been heard from.
A requisition from the county
clerks office came for five record
indexes and one judgment index.
Why five books should be needed
at one time, when it will take years
o fill them, does not appear OF
record.
The five record indexes were OBJ
tanned for $64.5O each, and the one
judgment index for STA total Of
$461.
In 1895 six journals were obtain
ed from a Topeka, Kansas, firm for
$118.65, and those were the days
when county warrants were worth
but 70 cents on the dollar.
Pursuing it's discussion, the in
dependent paper continued:
"In 1895 John w. Graham & Co.
supplied one record book at $11; in
1897 w. D. Knight received $111 for
six court journals, and in 1898 the
Piggott- Trench Greenberg company
manufactured one 6-qto. marriage
record at $685."
The publication charges that a
combination exists now between the
five largest book binding concerns
in this city, and that Messrs. Dean
and Collin, county commissioners,
are party to the depredatory alli-
ance."
Last springs invited bid"
brought the average per book up
to the price of over $66 per volume.
Eleven years ago one book cost
$11. Now the price has advanced
six times through the invited bid, !"
home industry" and purchasing
agent schemes. Rohwer and Spence
know 1t.
This reproduction of undenied
facts, unimpeached figures. unnotic-
ed charges, is made here because
the democratic county central COM
mittee desires to impress upon the
taxpayers of the county the manner
in which their money goes to fill
the Golfers of favored individuals.
The open charge was made in
that same Independent publication
that:
In this connection 1t might be
mentioned that Col. |. N. Peyton is
the president of the Inland Printing
company, and that little over one
year ago, he stated in the pres
ence of three witnesses that no
printing concern could obtain coun-
ty contracts without paying a lib
eral commission to the county's
purchasing agent"
The statement quoted has never
been denied by the man mentioned
by name as the suborner and cor
rupter or by the county official al
legged to have been suborned and
corrupted. The charge was open,
bare-faced, unequivocal-and it has
never been denied 1t has been
ignored, just as the purchasing
agent has ignored other charges of
like import, just as he and his COM
panion have ignored the criticisms
honestly made by the grand jury,
just as the protective advisor" in
his capacity as county prosecutor
has ignored and shifted at similar
charges.
The people and the taxpayers
should know these things in order
to understand what may be expect
ed Of the candidates for county
commissioner chosen by these same
commissioners and those with
whom they are in cahoots.
The democratic county committee
calls upon the sense of civic honor
which 1t believes is inherent in
every voter in this county to stop
this debauchery in public places.
1t asks the taxpayer to stop the
leak in his own private finances.
Democratic County Central
Committee.