Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-05-07

business sense and judgment the
commissioners of Whitman county
let the contract for the printing for
the county for the year beginning
July |, 1909, to the Colfax Gazette,
the official organ of the republican
party, at a bid of 25 per cent. higher
than the lowest bid offered, and upon
a circulation more than SO per cent.
less than the rejected bid. The bid
of the ColfaX Gazette, the republi-
can organ, was 25 cents per inch, non
pareil measurement, per insertion,
upon guaranteed circulation of l.
100 copies, in Whitman county.
The Pacific Farmers Union submit
ted a bid for the Pullman Herald and
the papers of Whitman County News
paper Union, with a guaranteed cir
culation of $500 copies in Whitman
county, for 20 cents per iDcn per
insertion. There were but two bids
submitted. The lowest bid with the
highest circulation, was rejected and
the highest bid, with the lowest cir
culation was accepted by the board of
commissioners, composed Of j. r.
Rupley, of Pullman w. c. Mccoy, OF
Oakesdale; and Samuel Ellis of Col
fax. The tax payers will pay the
difference for the higher rate and
smallest service. The extra cost to
the county win be a considerable
sum. while the service will not be
. nearly so satisfactory as if the lower
bid had been accepted.
That there was no legitimate rea-
Son, but simply desire to reward
the party organ, or to pay political
debts with the county's money, is
shown by the fact that each of the
three commissioners gave a different
reason for rejecting the bid of the
Pacific Farmers Union, for the larg-
er circulation at the lower price.
Had there been a legitimate reason
and this had been discussed and the
bid rejected after due consideration,
the commissioners would all have
given the same reason for rejecting
the lower bid.
To make it clear to tie readers,
VINO are interested in this matter,
as it. is their money which goes to
pay this political debt of the com
missioners, a little history should be
given. For many years the ColfaX
Commoner, democratic organ, and
the ColfaX Gazette, the organ of the
republican machine, have had the
county printing alternately. One year
one would bid and the next year the
other paper would bid on the print
ing. Two years ago the Pullman
Herald submitted the lowest bid, but
II was rejected by the board and
one of the Colfax twins got the
u%intlng at a rate much higher than
the Pullman paper had offered TO 40
Il The excuse made was that the
circulation of the Colfax paper was
the larger.
But the politicians became fright
ened at the prospect of an outside
paper, getting the county printing
and last year, with the sole purpose
of nreyenting this, the commissioners
ftbe same three men who rejected
tho lowest bid last Tnseday) sought
70 shu ut out papers outside OF ColtaH
nv recurring that statement OF the
circulation of the paper bidding De
srhmitted Wilford Allen, then pub
Usher of the Pullman Herald ar
ranged to furnish ready prints OF
.natent insides'' for a plumber OF
whitman county papers and to pub
lIsh the county proceedings in THESE
&c we'll as the Herald. He made a
hid Of 20 cents per inch, against a
hid of the Colfax Commoner OF 20
cents per inch Qt being the Com
moner's year to get the printihg
ond Submitted a statement ot the
circulation of the fpapers in when
the proceedings would be publlsheo
He got the contract, for he had COM
n,,ad with the terms of the call ior
bids ami last year was an eleetion
vear and two of the three commits
s,oners were up for reelection. They
evidently dared not face the people
and ask for reelection after having
raised their own salaries and the sal
aries of every county officer in the
face of bitter protests from the
grange and the farmers generally
with the added injustice of giving