The San Francisco call., 1908-08-29
PRINTERS COMBINE
ON CITY PRINTING
ExOrbitant Prices Made in Bids
by Members of Franklin
Association
City Council Threatens to Turn
Over Work to Concerns in
San Francisco

OAKLAND, Aug. % Exorbitant
prices in the bids submitted for the city
printing contracts, by reason of the
existence among the printers of Oak
land OF combine known as the Frank
lin association. was the charge made
before the auditing and finance COM
mittee OF the city council when the
municipal budget for this fiscal year
was being considered.
The result Of the high figures will be
that the city administration will take
steps TO allow printers outside Of Oak
land to submit bids for the contracts.
An investigation is being made as TO
the methods by which the Franklin as
sociation is said to operate.
This investigation is to ascertain
whether or not the Oakland printers
in fixing high prices by means of the
Franklin association are not in viola
tion OF the Cartwright antitrust law.
OUTSIDERS GIVEN CHANCE
The charges developed when Presi-
dent Ellsworth of the council suggested
that funds be provided in the budget
to defray the cost of printing the city
charter and ordinances. which was not
done last year because the city treasury
was TOO badly depleted. When in
formed that these costs usually We're
SO heavy that the finance committee
favored the deferring of the required
printing for another year, Ellsworth
made the suggestion of giving San
Francisco printers an opportunity to
bid.
I'VE can save one-half what is de-
manded in our own city" he said.
Walter 3. Fawcett, secretary of the
board Of public works. was asked to
show the proportions of the printers
overcharges. He and City Clerk Thomp-
son had in charge four years ago the
printing OF the charter and ordinances.
He said the cost was $1,000 for 100
copies bound in sheep and 400 bound in
paper.
Referring to more recent bids from
the printers in Oakland, all Of whom
were said to be members of the asso-
citation which fixes the prices, Fawcett
said he and City Auditor Gross had
gone over certain bids from several
printers, item by item. It was found
that to cover the uniformity of costs,
various items were underbid in the
printers offers. The result was that
no two bid low on the same items. but
all the totals were virtually identical.
That is probably q violation Of the
Cartwright law" said Councilman
Everhart.
PRINTERS FORM COMBINE
The first experience of the city off,
cials with the workings of the print-
ers' combination was over a year ago,
when the board of public works re-
ceived bids from five firms for print
ing. All were for the same amount.
There is collusion there" said City
Attorney McEiroy. The statement was
confirmed by one of the Franklin as
sociation, who explained the purpose
Of the combine. That was before the
enactment of the Cartwright law. A
call for new bids produced similar re-
suits on that occasion.
The prices of all printing jobs, as
explained to the council, are ostensibly
fixed by an auditor of the association.
Printers receiving orders for work COM
municate with the auditor, who fixes
the remuneration, it is alleged, accord
ing TO the prearranged scale OF the
association.