The daily sentinel., 1914-02-21
ON
THE PRINTING


The following was taken from the
last issue of the Palisade Tribune:
The publication OF all the official
affairs of the county has been award
ed under different conditions this
year than ever before attempted in
Mesa county-with the idea OF Civ
ing all matters as wide publicity as
1t is possible to secure for the amount
expended. This is a decided innova-
ton and is somewhat along the lines
adopted in Fremont county, to which
the Tribune called attention a few
weeks ago. except the cost here will
be about half as much as there.
The Daily and Weekly Sentinel,
the Tribune, Clifton Success and Pla-
teau Voice. with a combined circula-
tion of nearly 500, together with an
extra mailing list for the lower valley
of 400 more will handle all the COM
missioners' proceedings, tax list, ed-
vertising for bids, etc 1t is estimat-
ed that this viii reach fully $4,000
people, or nearly the entire popula-
ton of the county. The estimated
cost as against the price paid last
year will be about 5000 less than paid
then, and the proceedings then reach
ed only about $50 persons.
For some time past this paper has
called attention to the obvious lack
of publicity OF the county affairs. es-
pecially with regard to the tax list,
copy Of which IL has been almost i'm
possible to secure by those most vi
tally interested. For years these
matters have been given out as pat
ronage to the paper most likely to do
the bidding of the party in power,
which. of course, has been the Re
publican party. The matter of pub
licity and a desire to let the people
know how their affairs were being
conducted was evidently not even
considered. The present move seems
to be another awakening to the fact
that the people are greater than the
parties. which means the bosses who
control them.
For a long period of years all the
public printing went to the Daily
News at Grand Junction because it
supported the party in power. the AZ
fairs being printed in the weekly edi-
ton, an obscure publication that was
seldom seen outside of its own office.
a copy OF the tax list was a curiosity
in Mesa county.
Some two years ago the News
FLEW the coop" politically and went
over body and breeches" to- the
Progressises, but In the combine that
followed for the fall election IL was
hoped by its then manager that the
county patronage would continue to
stick. When bids were asked for
year ago the Tribune submitted
reasonable one, with n written guar
antoe that II IL failed to establish its
claim to a larger circulation than that
OF any competitors the contract could
be Cancelled. The dominating influ-
ence of the commissioner from this
district-who has since left the
country when the grand jury asked
for him--was too much. however. and
again the narrow publicity and pub
lie pap" effect followed.
Bids for the printing In 1914 were
opened at the first January meeting
OF the board and 1t was found that
the papers of the county had all
agreed TO handle the county's mat
ters at the established legal rates,
but the commissioners declined TO
accept the proposition on the ground
that the expense was too great, al
though the law limits it to $4,000 per
year. Then bids were again adver-
tised for with the above result.
Commissioners Snyder and Kluge
supported the innovation simply on
the ground of a recognized desire
from the people for a wider publicity
of public affairs, and we believe they
will be amply sustained by sentiment
throughout the county. 1t is well
worth a years trial and the people
can Judge for themselves.