The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-21

let us know in time to be presen
at the board meeting.
The next day, May 20, the contrac
was given to Joseph F. Dolin.
Mr.. Weinrich did not even call u.
up on the telephone to notify us thai
the contract was to be let that aft
ernoon. Furthermore, the board die
not notify the papers that have
plants right in Plentywood of the
action they proposed to take.
When the writer was in Plenty.
wood on Monday of this week we
put up the MATTER OF A SECRET
SESSION to Messrs. Watkins and
Simmons in an informal manner
Mr.. Watkins denied that it was a
SECRET SESSION, but when asked
why he did not notify the Plenty
wood publishers, as it was matter
in which they were vitality interest
ed in, he replied that the board had
decided to let the contract to Mr..
Dolin, without asking for competitive
bids, and that the board did not care
to have a lot of other printers there
hollering their heads off. This is the
substance of what Mr.. Watkins said.
Well, there you are.
Now, as to it's being an expensive
deal to the county and the taxpay-
ers, we will say that C. S. Nelson,
publisher of the Plentywood Herald
and A. T. Vollum, an attorney of
Plentywood, appeared before the
board of county commissioners on
Tuesday of this week. In view of
the fact that the board had not ap-
proved of their minutes of the meet
ing of May 20, and that the contract
to Mr.. Dolin had not been officially
ratified. Editor Nelson made an Of
fer of 1919 below the bid submitted
by Joe Dolin on everything there
would be furnished in connection
with the printing. Mr.. Nelson Of
fered also to give bond in the sum
of $4,000, which is three times as
much as is asked from Mr. Dolin.
The commissioners, however, stood
pat on the propositin to let the
to Mr.. Dolin and refused
to consider Mr.. Nelson's bid. TAX
ing as a basis that the county print
ing will amount to $4,000 during
the next two years, the acceptance
Of Mr.. Nelson's bid would have been
4 saving to the county of $4,000.
However, this is not all that would
nave been saved to the county if the
county printing had been let by bids
n the usual manner. Mr. Dolin
would not have had the nerve to
charge the prices he did in this con
;ract if he had been bidding against
firms.
Dolin's bid for the commissioners
proceedings and other legal publica-
ions for the ensuing two years is
800 of the legal rate. The Search
light bid for the same two years ago
vas $3.50 of the legal rate, which is
ess than half of the rate now paid
o Joe Dolin. This item alone would
lave saved the county several hun
lred dollars.
But the main items of expense to
he county under the new contract
will be the election supplies for the
oming primary and general cleo
ions. The new law known as "Chap
1" fixes the prices at not to exceed
22.50 per thousand, per party, for
Urinary ballots and not to exceed
5000 per thousand for general cleo
ion ballots, additional thousands not
0 exceed $4,000 per thousand These
rices are quite high when it is
AIKEN into consideration the Search
ght bid of two years ago was not
D exceed $1,000 per thousand. /.
Doiin's contract this year is 30%
ess than the new legal rates. The
Inference between Dolin's prices un- |
er the present contract and the
rices given in our bid Of two years |
go, would mean saving to the
ounty of many hundreds of dollars.
Under competitive bid Dolin
'ould not have had the nerve to |
harge any. thing near the prices he
being allowed under the contract {
gently handed to him. |e
We cannot give exact figures at
lie present time of just how much {
he county could have saved to the {
lxpayers, by submitting the coun- {
7 printing to competitive bids in t
lie usual manned, but we are safe t
| making the assertion that the G
aving would have been several t
lousand dollars. lii
In behalf of Commissioner Vein c
CHI We wish to say that he inform n
us, and we believe. the records will b
low, that he was in favor of adj t