, 1918-10-24
SHALL WE HAVE COMPETITION
IN STATE PRINTING?

IHiS stdIt HIS SulleTeu frequently
enough from having public officers
whose private business occupied their
time to the exclusion of their official
duties. State board were compelled
to fix their time of meeting so as not to
inconvenience them, and state affairs
were always secondary in their sched-
ules. One officer who could always
be depended upon to be at his place of
business in the capitol and to give his
whole time to the duties of his high
office is, Frank l.. Houx. Since he
took the oath of office, he has been
Secretary of State all the time,
not merely at convenient intervals.
And since the resignation of Governor
Kendrick, he has been equally diligent
lin his official duties. His personal
business matters, often to his finan-
, eial loss, We're mad to take the second
airy place.
Do you discharge a tried and trusted
foreman, or business manager, or gov
ernor, who has given you wisely and
effectively h service for which you
chose him. merely to give the place to
a man of wealth whose official record
shows his capacity for handling public
affairs is at the best very doubtful?
Under the administration of Frank
l.. Houx, the office of Secretary of
| oldlt HIS DetbUue one Ol tile important
revenue producing departments of the
state government. Prior to 1913 an
aggregate of SIS. 10000 i'm fees was
considered a very good business of the
office for Il year. In 1913 n bill drawn
up coached through the legislature
by the Secretary of. State, increased
the filing fees for incorporation papers.
and the receipts of the office jumped
to over 100000 a year. In the last
two years the state has received some
of the benefits of the oil developments
in the shape of greatly Increased fees
under this corporation law, and the
high record of S171 10000 for two years
has been established. In the same
period approximately $130,OO0.OO for
auto licenses vas received, making a
total of over $500. 100000 handled by
the office in u biennial period. Frank
l.. HouX can handle large business af-
fairs. and what is more important,
can help the small matters grow into
big business for the benefit of the state.
Do you honestly believe that a man
who has been so unqualifiedly success
full in the administration of the affairs
of the great office should be made, nay,
even allowed. to step aside for "A man
who has proved in the minor offices
he has held hat he possesses only
'tNNhA AhtS abllIl,
1t is a well established principle
that a public officer should have no
interest in "A contract which he may
award. The contract for public print
ing awarded by the Secretary of State
runs up in some years to $4,000 or
more. Under the open competitive bid
ding all but h smallest of jobs
have been let by Mr.. Houx. Will Chap
lin, in the event of his election as Sec
rotary of State, regard the above men
toned principles of law and turn over
all the printing to concerns with which
he has no financial connection?
Maurice erosion. the Democratic
candidate for Secretary of State has
made a record for answering honesty
and successful administration I'm his
work as Pure Food Commissioner. He
will be Secretary of State all the time,
not editor and publisher all the time
and Secretary of State at convenient
intervals.
TIN. public printing shall be done
under the general directions of the
Secretary of State. SO the Wyoming
statutes declare. The republican can
didate for that office wants to make
the law read, THE public printing
shall be done by the Laramie Republi-
can Company"
Under the old system In vogue under
the Republican Secretary of State, the
printing was parcelled out to n favored
few. on bids from which all elements of
competition had been eliminated. I'm
der the new law, drawn up under the
direction of Frank l.. Houx a few
weeks after he became Secretary of
state, open competition in the bidding
for state printing was assured, result
ing in a saving of over S2500.0O in the
first contracts awarded by Mr.. Houx.
That was a good start in the thorough
business-like administration of the Of
flee. and the high standard Of effici-
ency has been maintained through the
two terms Mr.. Houx has beer in office.
Mr.. erosion. the present democratic
candidate for Secretary OF State. has
no strings tying him to any printing
plant. and will be free to exercise the
same unbiased business Judgment that
has made his work as Pure Food Com
missioner so thoroughly successful.
I& n FnnrAlU IN nnfnrflonpn that flo