The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-29
PRINTING CONTRACT
AGAIN PUT OFF
Commissioners Reject Bids for
1909 Delinquent Tax List
fer Second Time.
SET UP HOBBY THAT
TENDERS ARE AMBIGUOUS
NearneSS of Election, Though,
Is One of Real Reasons for
Unnecessary Delay.

i or lNe IHliu Ilut lulo Nt.'' W.
county commissioners on lhursdhS'
decided 10 advertise for bids for pub
fishing the delinquent tax list for 1909.
Although the bids submitted by the
Telegram and the Herald -RcpuOlcan
on the last advertisement were per"
fcctly clear 10 the mind of the average
individual, and the question as TO
which of those papers was the lowest
bidder could bc figured ont by any
school child in the city, the commits
siouers claim that the bids were am
biguous and hence ordered readvcr'
tjSemcnt.
1t is evident from their action OF
Thursday that they arc not going to
allow the Telegram, which so far has
been the lowest bidder, to have the
work, but intend to figure out some
way whereby they can award the TAI
printing plum 90 the Smoot organ,
even if it does cost = lew thousand
dollars more,
They awarded the contract for print
ing notices and general county adyer-
tiscmcnts TO the Herald Republican
Thursday, upon its bid of 10 cents an
inch. as against the Telegram bid or
the same price for seven insertions,
or 80 cents an inch for Il Insertions.
The Smool organ, in its bid, guaran-
tCcd that It's circulation during the
life of the contract viii bc greater
Than that of any other Salt Lake
laily.
Reasons for Delay.
For weeks the commissioners haVo
DELAYED action on the bids for printing
the tax list in the hope that something
would happen in the suit brought
against them by County Attorney Job
j. Lyon 10 recover the money paid by
them last year TO the Mouth with
4, 4 let,. e I,s.
bids at all Hut that case is still
hanging over them, and they do not
relish another suit against them on
the same proposition. They also want
10 wait until after election. Hence
they arc going to rcadvertlSc for bids
and give the Herald Republican an
other opportunity to get III on the
work,
In the meantime it is palpable they
hope 10 win their case upon some tech
uicality, and if they do. the Smoot
organ will get the contract at any
price. it is assured. With the suit
against them on one hand and on the
other the order from the Federal bunch
that all printing must 90 10 the " Hem
orrhagc, the commissioners arc deep
ly in The miro and are grasping at the
least sign OF straw to help them out
OF their dilemma.
ing upon the advice of Colonel Hiram
f. Booth, United States district attor-
ncv and member of the Federal bunch,
awarded the contract 10 the Inter
Mountain Republican without advcr-
tising for bids, AS provided by law.
by their action in that matter they
made a gift Of $5,725.j0 TO their organ
and incidentally to Colonel Booth and
other members Of the Federal bunch,
o.. e 4, h,
1906, when bids were called for in
the regular way, the Republican Sc
cured the same contract for the sum
of only $997.3l, which is in striking
contrast TO the amount paid III secret
lv and illegally last year.
Tempered With Records
Not only did they illegally award
the contract for the printing, but, in
order 10 clear their records, they in
serted in the minutes an order di-
recLug the county treasurer TO give
the work 10 the Republican, when, in
fact, no Such order or resolution was
ever made or introduced at The meeting
ut which they claim the action was
taken on the printing contract.
County Treasurer Groesbcck called
the attention of County Attorney Lyon
To The action Of the commissioners in
that matter and the attorney. after
making Il thorough investigation, de-
rided that the action was illegal and
Ihcrcupon 6lcd q suit against James h.
Clinton. John G. Mackay and Walter
j. Burton. the three commi ssioDcrs,
and also against their hoDdsmeu, to re-
cover into The county treasury So
727 30. the sum paid 10 the Republican
without warrant of law.
The commissioners fled Il demurrer
aud tried to have the complaint thrown
out of court. Failing in this they Put in
an Affirmative defense wherein they
weakly attempted TO Justify their ac-
ton. Comfy Attorney Lyon filed de-
murrrr 20 the answer and is now await
ing an opportunity 10 argue il before
District Judge George G. Armstrong. Il
is expected that the argument viii he
heard within a few days, rs Mr. Booth
viii he absent from the city after No.
YcmbeT 3.
When the case finally comes 10 trial
the county attorney Will not only at
tempt to show the ilcgality of the
action Of the commissioners in secret.
~ awarding the contract To the Repub-
lican, but Will cndeavor to prove that
they falSified the records of their
meeting IN relation 10 that matter
In view of conditions il is easy TO
see why the commissioners decided that
the bids Tor printing the lax list this
year were ambiguous. Por the bene-
fit of the taxpayers and the people
generally of the city who might be
able TO help the commissioners figure
which was the lowest bidder and which
was entitled 10 the contract this year,
the bids of The two papers are gwen
herewith: Herald Republican, 20 cents
an inch per Insertion; Telegram, 7ai
cents per inch per insertion for ten in
sertions.