The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-09-06
sTATE PRINTING.


for the next two years, and have mott
Z fed all parties desiring 70 bid on same
: 10 have their figures submitted 10 the
board not later than September 18th
at which time the board will open the
7 BIDS and award the contracts.
The advertisement of the board statea
that a certified check for ten thousand
dollars must be submitted with bids for
one class Of the work, and a certified
} check for two thousand and FIVE hun.
t, dred dollars submitted with bids for the
other class.
In the opinion of the Evening News
the Board Of State Institutions has
made a mistake in this matter. We
have been watching for this notice for
some weeks but had hoped this objec-
tionaOle feature would not be found in
I the requirements this year. In fact,
50 MUCH has been said, in the public
prints and elsewhere against this clause
and 50 much dissatisfaction created
heretofore by II that we did not think
that the board would blunder again in
/ this respect.
IL has been charged heretofore that
these checks were made a condition of
the bid for the sole purpose Of shutting
out certlon bidders and giving the work
TO favored ones. We do not believe
these charges are true, but the refusal
Of the board 20 abolish this certified
check requirements, or lower the amount
Of the check, will not tend 10 do away
with he suspicious which have been
aroused by former actions Of the
board
IL is perhaps necessary 20 make the
bidders deposit something in the shape
oScollateral with Their bids. The board
ought TO have some assurance when
bid is accepted that the contractor will
carry out the work in a manner that
will be satisfactory to the board, but
we find on reading the advertisement
that the successful bidder is required
90 furnish a bond Of twenty thousand
dollars for one class Of the work, and
five thousand dollars FOR the other.
The real purpose for requiring de-
post with the bid 10 70 guarantee the
board that the successful bidder will
make the necessary bond, and not that
he will do the work satisfactorily, and
IN our opinion the sum Of ten thousand |
dollars required TO be deposited with /
the bid for this purpose is entirely dlt |
Of reason. There are Thousands Of good |
men in this State who could make a /
bond for hundred thousand dollars but |
who could not give a certified check for .
five thousand, and the members of the /
board Of state institutions know this as
well as we do.
The conditions under which the bids .
for the state printing are TO be receiv-
ed absolutely shuts out the little man,
and quite a number Of the big men in
the printing business IN this State, and
we predict these little men are 90
ing 10 be heard from in no uncertain
terms.
For fear some one may think we
have personal interest in the matter
it might not be out Of place to state
that the Evening News has no nten-
ton Of bidding on any oESihis printing
Pensacola News.
The disrespectful and disgusting feat
lres brought into the meeting that
awarded the contract in August two
years ago, when a member threatend
and came pretty near putting his fist
onto Hilson's nose while the Governor
waived his hand as a warning to Hill
son to be respectful and polite, will not
be u part Of the proceedings on this oc-
,asion, which will be refreshing, even
though bidders be frozen out again.
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Col Wales wants to tell what he
knows about tho management of the I
internal Improvement trust. The Colo
1el always talks interestingly and he is
, witness who can depose on person
Al knowledge" We hope members of
The old boards will be called TO testify. I
The showing of the present board as 10
superior wisdom and better business
should not pass without
comment. Times Union.
Col Wales went before the commits
sion and he did talk some, and to the
point, and we believe he convinced the
investigating commission that he was
iot what Ex-Governor Jennings few
lays before tried to make il appear he
vas We also think more people are
coming To the sensible belief every day
hat Col Wales has been outrageously
reated, in that he has not been paid
what is due him for collecting about {
million dollars for the State, and that
florida isaropudiator There are many, :
90, who think the Ex-Governor took {
'ig hand n having Colonel Wales SO 7
treated There will come
uuy IYt..yar t,5h ea mon pau h1 aI1,. . /,