Semi-weekly herald., 1909-12-09
r.Ms TO cALL a AAer.


ures showing where the taxpayers
money has been going the past year
or two. We simply give the printing
items Of 1908 as starter. We desire
e. state most emphaticslly that in
most every item graft appears. In
some Instances the council made fee
ble attempts TO cut the bills rendered
down. but not in accordance with
overcharges except In one or two in
stances The figures presented rep
resent wnat was paid the Democrat
by the Demo. ratio council of last year
and why The Herald insisted on the
council following the law this year
and letting the printing to lowest bid
der. The rates paid the Democrat
last year were higher than is charged
or paid any paper in the state of Colo
RADIO for legal printing-not accepting
Denver papers, and outrageous prices
were also paid for job printing. BY
adding the figures 1t will be found that
the Democrat was paid nearly $1,400
last year and this without election
printing, sum three to Ave times
greater than WAS ever paid before.
The legal printing Of the city should
not run over $500 outside OF election
years. Last year 1t seems that every
thing connected with the sewers was
run 10 the very limit. The law does
not require six publications a week
any more than It does seven-simply
reasonable notice to taxpayers. Is
there any taxpayer for moment who
believes II is necessary to have a
sewer notice run twenty-six times to
have him see 1t. Silverton installed
sewers on weekly publications and the
same is true of twenty-four out Of
twenty-five cities In the state. but the
organ had to be provided for. OF
course there Is no remedy for last
year, and 1t Is possible many alder
men did not know they were being
worked and overcharged. The Herald
is not going to enter into any personal
controversy over the matter of print
ing. but we stand ready to prove the
graft TO any set OF officials on earth.
The Herald started In the past year
to break up the graft. The city ordi-
nances require the mayor to appoint a
printing committee and to advertise
and let printing to the lowest respon.
sible bidder This law was ignored
until the council was really forced to
act. Then II run along for weeks
before the bids were acted on when
The Herald, the lowest bidder, was
turned down The Herald has applied
TO the courts for relief. but the mat
ter is dragging along. largely owing
TO the illness of Judge Pike who ruled
the council was bound to obey the
is hard to tell when the matter will
come up. In the meantime the graft.
Ing is on bigger scale than last year
according to amount of legal printing
for last year some OF the overcharges
were cut down, but this year the work
is given the morning paper and bills
paid without regard TO overcharee
And We state right here, emphatically
that the present council is paying out
rageous prices, far above the legal
rate. which is high, and the claim that
legal rates are charged is a willful
lie and the council Is permitting graf
and we make the direct charge thai
the rates being paid, not taking IN
consideration the city law governing
printing. are far In excess of the state
law and redress could be obtained, b,
going to law. We have not charged
the aldermen with being beneficiaries
OF graft, but we say they are per
hitting graft in allowing printing bill,
not in accord with state law, and Il
this is not true the mayor and alder
men have redress by nling crimina
libel against the editor Of The Herald
Geo. N. Raymond. In looking owe
the bills allowed for job PRINTING
prices are paid that not one Of tn,
members would stand II for them
selves. The council meets this even
ing and should call for an investiga
tion at once. The Leakage should b,
stopped. II no action is taken unde
this charge the people can only g,
on the supposition that they stand ii
with the deal. When The Herald sub
mitted its bid 1t was under the Law
governing legal notices.
The printing scandal will besmircl
every member who refuses to righ
the wrong.
Tomorrow we will commence tn
publication of the bills allowed by tn
present administration. not only prinl
Ing. but every bill allowed for whai
ever purpose. and this will be follow
ed by showing what IL is costing tn
county for printing this year over las
year when the law was followed an
legal rates charged.
In conclusion, the council and tn
people have been told The Herald wa
awarded county printing against lowe
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