The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-10-13

bids for two classes of work, and
note again the city attorneys opinion
on it, he must conclude that the sen.
ator would have been a poor inter.
prefer of law at that time. One OF
the councilmen said the bid meant
that The Republican would not dc
any of their commercial printing un.
less it was given all of it. 1t was
read a third time and he still in
sisted that that was what 1t meant
After it was read the fourth time he
retracted and said it did not mean
that. The council then asked Mr..
Trego to explain what his bid meant,
and he stated that as he had given
no price relative to commercial print
ing, certainly there was nothing for
them to consider. That as they had
done him the courtesy to invite him
to bid on it, he had done them the
courtesy to say that if they ever came
to the Office and wanted printing
done they would be treated just like
anybody else and their orders filled
promptly. That the second paragraph
meant just what it said, that he
would publish their legal notices free
of charge If they placed them all
with him, that the two paragraphs
had nothing to do with each other.
The council could not believe it was
true. and dismissed the subject until
about II O'Clock in the evening when
it was brought up again. They want
ed to know why he was willing to
/ do that, and were told that he sup
posed some people subscribed for a
paper to keep track of the city bust
ness, and that when the publications
were placed first with one paper and
then with the other, they had to take
both papers and watch them both, to
be sure to keep track of it all That
| if he could announce that for the
period of one year, that they would
all appear in The Republican it
might increase the circulation of the
paper. 1t was suggested that at the
end of the first year it might be i'm
possible to renew such contract for
another year and the city might have
to pay an exorbitant price for the
second year. They asked Mr.. Trego
If he would consent to do the pub
| fishing free for two years on the
same conditions and for the same
reason and he said he would. They
were puzzled again and for a second
time dismissed the matter, and at
about l o'clock in the morning Mayor
Peck called the subject again, and
it was proposed that they leave it
till the next meeting two weeks later
and call for new bids. The mayor
refused to do this and stated that
as there were publications ready to
be made and business depending on
it he would decline to consider any
other business or consent to an ad-
journment until they had appointed
an official paper to publish their no.
tees; that they had agreed to let it
to the lowest bidder and they had
bids before them. Thus checkmated,
the council made an order appoint
ing The Idaho Republican the official
paper for two years from May 49,,
1915, to May 18, 1917, and stated
the conditions clearly in the minutes.
They asked Mr.. Trego if he agreed
to that and he stated that he did.
Bargain Closed, Work Began
The next day the city attorney
Mr.. Thomas, began drafting ordi-
nances and handing them in for pub
LEGATION. Each of them was publish
ed promptly and proof of publication
filed with the clerk to complete his
records. At the next meeting of the
council, the minutes were read and
approved, reiterating the appointment
of the official paper and the agree
ment regarding the city printing. The
minutes were read in the presence of
Mr.. Trego, and then after being ap-
proved by vote of the council the
mayor and clerk attached their sigma
lures completing the record of agree
ment. Mr.. Trego had in the mean
as stated, the work was in progress
and satisfactory deliveries made and
accepted without complaint or OBJ
lection. It was not costing the city
anything, and Mr.. Trego was not get
ting anything for it. The city seem
ed satisfied and Mr.. Trego was sat
isfied. The record of these trans
actions appear in the minute book
at pages 6S to 70, of May IS, 1915.
All Attacked Trego's Integrity
Several weeks later the city coun-
Gil sought to reopen the subject
with Mr.. Trego by drafting pecu-
liar contract regarding city printing,
and presented it to him to sign. He
took the view that the subject had
already been settled, and asked why
they wanted the contract and such
a peculiar one. The city attorney
said that the council wanted all their
contracts and agreements in writing,
and that this was mere matter of
form for that purpose. His Paper
had been frequently telling the public
that the council doubted Mr.. Tregos
honesty in the matter, and that they
did not consider his promise gilt edge
nor his word good; and that bond
would be the proper thing, to compel
him to carry out his agreement with
the city. All this time the work was
going on according to agreement.
Members of the council supported
the city attorneys statement that
they merely wanted a contract so
it would appear in black and white.
Acting upon this statement. Mr.. Ire
go had his attorneys draw up con-
tract covering exactly what was in
cIuded in the original agreement laid