Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-01-04
THE Difference IS much
MEN WHO PAY THE BILL ARE
SOAKED ABOUT SIX TIMES
OVER LAST YEAR.
IS A STRANGE PROCEDURE
Mr.. North Has the Omnibus Bill In
His Pocket and No Competitive
Bidding Is Called For.

The watch dogs" OF the county
treasury, as the board of county com
missoners is sometimes designated.
slipped a cog at Tuesdays meeting OF
the board, and as a result the tax pay
ers of Tulsa county will have to pay
several hundred dollars more for
county printing than they did a year
previous. -.
A year ago when 1t came time for
the letting Of the county printing,
which amounts to many hundreds Of
dollars to the taxpayers in the course
Of year. the board of county com.
missioners, composed OF the same
men that now make up the personnel
OF the board, advertised that at a
certain time, sealed bids for the county
printing would be opened. Several
publishing concerns in the county put
in bids. and as a result the taxpayers
procured the lowest rate for their
printing that had ever been received
In Tulsa county.
4 A Costly Change Made.
This year, just started. witnessed
an entirely different procedure. and
one that will prove costly to the tax
payers. Instead Of advertising for
bids, or making an announcement
that bids would be received. the
board Of county commissioners quiet
ly proceeded to hand out the rich
plum" and one much richer than
heretofore. to a fellow patriot Of the
democratic ranks, one William Stry-
ker editor of the Tulsa Democrat.
The procedure was unique and un.
less a certain cog had slipped would
probably have been put over with
out the taxpayers discovering where
the leak was.
Had 1t In His Pocket.
Tuesday afternoon when the COM
missloners were in session. Commits
sioner Lou North calmly pulled a
communication from his pocket, ad-
dressed to the county commissioner
and signed by the Democrat Publish
ing company, by Stryker. This piece
Of paper offered to do the county
printing at a price treble what the
county paid last year. 1t offered to
publish the commissioners proceed
! ings at the rate Of 10 cents per square
| Ca square is n single column 5-6 OF
one inch); all printing that the county
paid for. excepting the commission
ers proceedings, at one-fourth the
/ legal rate or IS "a cents per square,
and all other printing and the delin
quent tax list, C1ich is really the
big plum" of the year, at the full
legal rate of s1.25 per inch.
How the Difference Figures.
Last year, under the competitive
bidding, the printing, all punched in
one class, cost the county about 9
cents per square. This year 1t will
average about 40 cents per square.
Under competitive bidding, the price
would Jiehstly Rave teen Eb III
about 10 ceiits per square.
After reading the communication
from the Democrat. the commission
ers let the contract to the Democrat,
and thus heaps more taxes on the
county taxpayers
Go ~ Sleep at the Switch.
In all other contracts where as inuch
money is involved. the commissioners
have been very diligeut IN receiving
and advertising for competitive bids
but in this case II seemed rs thoIsi,
the watch dogs must surely have
gone to sleep.
Commissioner North stated yester-
day that there was no law providing