New-York tribune., 1910-09-19

that work for the Health Department but
never would underbid the Pratt company
There was collusive bidding all the way
through. Now we have from eight to
twenty bidders on every printing requisi-
ton that comes in here, and it is the hercest
kind of bidding. too. For instance. here is
an example: In August 1909, there was a
reduistion from the Health Department for
800 900 physical examination blanks The
Pratt company got the job for S1.S22. In
july this year there was a requisition from
the Health Department for the same num-
ber of blanks There was not a change IN
the nature of the order. had eight bidders
on that reuuisition The Pratt company
was the lowest bidder and its bid was $3.50
for the identical work for which 1t previ-
ously had charged 81. .S22 It merely goes TO
show the difference between collusive bid
ding and genuine bidding. and that the
Pratt company made eXtortionate profit
Of about 81 200 on the redUisition of 1909.
THAT is simply a typical case of the re-
suit of getting genuine competitive bid
ding when you figure that the printing
last year cost the city sSS200 exclusive Of
printing the City Revord. In this case
I have cited the price was 80 per cent
higher in August. 1909 than 1t was in July.
1910, with the same printers doing the
work But even If there were a saving or
80 per cent on printing amounting to $780,
600 in round figures. the saving would be
S270.0o0. and that is just about what the
saving resulting from the new order or
things will be on that line Of work In
other words. the printing this year, with
only six months of genuine competition
shows that under competitive bidding, less
than 100000 has been spent this year, as
against 1888 COO last year. on the printing
We also are getting genuine competitive
bidding on the blank books, and there will
be a substantial saving in that branch of
the work of this Office
Investigation convinces Supervisor Fer
guson that the waste heretofore was not
nearly so large in the buying Of blank
books as in the printing. Notwithstanding
that. where s184.Oo0 was spent for blank
books last year, there will be about sl45,WI
spent for blank books this year, with only
six months Of real competitive bidding ef-
fective to bring about that saving
Great saving also is being effected in
the grades of papers used" Supervisor
Ferguson added. Before steps were taken
to reform the Office and save money it was
the practice to print all manner of forms
use such expensive papers for printing
forms that had only fugitive value in
the departments and that were not per
nanent records. The great saving has
been effected by using cheaper paper for
all such fugitive forms OF course. any
permanent record deserves the best kind
of paper that can be given 70 II, and II
Fas been the policy of this administration
of the City Record Office TO give TO the de
partments the best papers for everything
that is 70 be q permanent record. But for
other forms. instead Of giving g 20-cent
paper We give a paper that costs 10 cents
pound, and it serves the purpose just as
well as q higher priced paper"
The work of reforming the department
is still going on along the lines of sug-
gestion made by the Mayors commission
and on other lines which have suggested
themselves TO Supervisor Ferguson, who is
being backed by the Mayor.