American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1915-08-07
Our Answer TO Provo Post
Provo Post Does Not Deny its Graft of County Funds But
Gives Excuse That Provo Herald Grated Last Year.

The Provo Post, to whom the County
Commissioners made a present Of sew
eral hundred dollars of the peoples
taxes when they awarded them the
contract for county printing at price
fifty per cent higher than the bid OF q
company who guaranteed double the
circulation of the Post, comes out In
its last issue with four column scut-
tie fish answer to our article Of two
weeks ago. 1t makes one think of the
Germans answer regarding the Lusi-
tania. wherein they mention every
thing but the ship.
The Alpine Pub. Co, bid IL cents
per description for printing the de-
delinquent tax list. The Post bid Is
cents. And We also offered to mail,
free of charge. n copy of one of our
papers to each delinquent; something
we think the Provo papers have never
done, for in the past, II has been q
hard matter in this end of the county
to get copy of the Provo paper con-
tanning the delinquent list. Our bid
for legal notices was 3 cents per line
and the Posts was cents. Yet In
the Posts four column TRADE against
this paper, because we dared to show
the tax payers that their taxes were
being given to Provo grafters. con-
trary to the spirit and meaning of the
law, the beneficiary of this graft new
er used one line in denying our
charge; or In attempting an answer
TO this main question.
The Post says that accepting our
bid would not be legal: but quotes
neither law nor lawyer Certainly the
editor OF the Post is one OF the last
men In the county to whom one would
20 for legal opinion. The law In the
case Is that the commissioners should
advertise for the lowest bids, implying
that the low bidder should get H.
whether he lives in Provo or not We
have consulted eminent legal counsel,
who advise that our bid was perfectly
legal, but that the awarding of the
contract to the Post was an illegal
act, besides wanton waste OF the
peoples money.
We guaranteed to the commissioners
that our papers had double the cir.
culation OF any other paper In the
county and offered to submit our
books. The Post manager, on the day
that the bids were let. refused to CON-
pare subscription accounts and said
that any one could pad their lists
Now, however. after the contract has
been awarded, the Post In It's article
says:
There is no doubt that the statement
is nothing more nor less than a plain
falsehood. otherwise the manager
would have given the circulation and
put the issue to test. The Post for
its part. while not inclined to boast
will make show down against the
combined circulation of the three pap
ers at any time the Alpine Publishing
company desires to show its hand and
publish its actual circulation over af-
fidavits furnished by responsible par
ties not connected with that paper"
We hereby accept this bluff Of the
Post on condition that the Post sign
an agreement with us and the Com
missioners that the losers pay the ex-
penses of a Salt Lake expert, and
that II our contention be true, the
Post will return its contract to the
county and consent to the county ad-
vertising being awarded to the c,m-
pany that offered to save the taxpay.
ers hundreds of dollars OF hard earned
money. besides giving the county
double the circulation for its official
business. Come now. Mr.. Post, isn't
this fair? We know your subscription
list. and we know you are bluffing.
The Post says that our charges
against Treasurer Nelson saying this
paper could not get out the delinuuen,
tax list on time Is untrue and q libel
and then proceeds to prove that Cur
CHARGE is TRUE, by backing up the
treasurer's statement. Their denial
is like the darkey's denial in hen
roost case, wherein the darkey said;
II didn't take dem chickens, besides
dey was too tough TO eat and took
EN- back next day anyhow FOR the
benefit OF those who think we have nc
better Office or equipment than some
offices in Provo, we will stlir that
there is no bett"r linotype machine
In the state .hau our machine, lnd
that, besides setting up our three pa
pers oh this machine; at the time this
bid was let, We ,Ie also settin.S type