The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-03-01
THE VERMONT STATUTE NATTER
(St. JohnsburY Caledonian.l

(St. Johnsbury Caledonian.)
Really, Gentlemen, do you think the
Vermont press can work for Great
er Vermont" quite as enthusiastically
when the largest printing contract in
sight for years is sent outside the state
to save a few hundred dollars. Is
there, after all, no sentiment in busi
ness, and are all our supplies for the
least three of the Vermont firms who
bid on this contract have added thou
sands of dollars to their plant the past
year that they might be thoroughly
equipped for state work and other
large contracts, and we cannot blame
them for feeling keenly disappointed at
the outcome. We do not believe the
commissioners would have received
half as much criticism as they vii.
now if they had left the printing in
Vermont. Vermont for Vermonters'
is our motto and we believe it is a good
one.
This establishment undoubtedly
is one Of the Vermont firms referred
to in the above editorial comment
from the ST. Johnsbury Caledonian.
That paper is right in saying that
these firms have equipped especially
to take care Of such work. The
Opinion plant has been increased
Systematically for several years,
and thousands of dollars have been
spent to make it a complete, model
printing office, which it now is. We
admit such rebuffs as the present
are somewhat discouraging, since
equipment, apparently, is not the
prime essential in the minds of those
who award this States work. Were
it not for the fact that the State has
within its borders progressive, saga
cious and critical men at the head of
it's largest industrial interests, a
progressive printing plant would be
as useful and profitable as mosquito
netting to Esquimos. We should |
be thankful that we have men with |
the interests of the State really at |
heart, who welcome the opportunity |
to give their finest and most partic-
ular and difficult work to firms
within the state confines, being as
sured that it will be promptly de-
livered and skillfuly executed other
wise it would be the part of business
acumen to move outside the state
to get any large work from Vermont. |
The facts are these: Had the
Commission let the contract, as
they had an undoubted right to do,
divided, the paper furnished by the
state, the printed sheets by the
Opinion Pub. Co., the binding to
Wynkoop, Hallenbeck & Crawford |
Co., of Albany, one of the largest
printing and binding establishments
in the whole country, it would have
saved the state over $1400.00 over
the Rumford bid.
This was shown to the Commits
sion by the manager of the Opinion
Press, and an arrangement made |
with the Commission that they
would visit and inspect the Opinion |
plant before the contract was a.
warded, and the matter thoroughly |
sifted, To our amazement the |
Commission ignored the arrange
ment, but on their return from Con-
cord and Boston they held meet
ing, without giving us any notice of
the same, (although we were the
lowest bidder by several hundred |
dollars on the printing! n a.
warded the contract to the Concord, |
n. H., firm.
The manager of the Opinion Press
showed the Commission that the
Statute Law of New Hampshire
protected its own printers on state
printing, by not allowing the work
to be done out of the state, and |
plead with them to have the laws
printed here, so as to insure the i'm
print of a Vermont establishment |
on the laws for the next II years.
This they could conscientiously |
have done as our bid was the lowest |
on the important part of the work. |