Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-07-29

put in lot of time in looking up the
copy, and never got even an expression
of appreciation.
When the city attorney, Chas. Kr-
wan, brought the copy to the News
Budget for a price and told us he was
instructed to get only a lump-sum bid,
we knew we were at serious disad-
vantage. The condition of the copy
made the size of the book difficult 10
estimate and we will frankly admit
that the city houses, handling such
jobs ali the time, could estimate the
size closer than we could. We also
knew that the city concerns would
handle the. job on a cylinder press.
while either local printer would have
| to handle it on a small job press. OF
course. it is our fault we haven't
more modern press, but cooperation
such as the local newspapers get from
the city council if general here,
wouldn't bring such a machine to the
city in a hundred years.
We knew what we were up against
when we didn't submit price quick
en- The Journal furnished a price.
| 1t was fair enough price, too, based
on the way the local printers would
have had to handle the job. And the
Journal furnished the price in zone
hour - But it didn't stand a ghost of
a show Of landing the job. Did any
one notice the Journals price men,
toned? Yes, we did take more time.
When we submitted the price to the
city attorney, we Informed him that
we were at a disadvantage in figui-
ing on that job as compared with the
large city concerns, and we asked OF
him that, if our price was higher, we
be given the opportunity to meet the
city price. Before submitting our bid,
the writer had gone to Mr.. Richard
SON and told him tat the job was
likely to go to the city. We had been
told by the city attorney that when
all the estimates were in the matter
would go to the council. The writer
so informed Mr.. Richardson. We
agreed to go before the council at its
next meeting and when the matter
came up, if our bid was too high and
the city price was not too low for il
to be possible for us to break even on,
take the job and divide up the work,
the one who was awarded the job do
ing. say, the presSwOrk and the other
the composition. or vice versa.
The printers appeared before the
council and found the job had already
!, been ordered, by the city attorney. We
were told by the council that they
would have been pleased to have let
either of the local printers had the
Job, if we were willing to take it at
as low price as the lowest of the
} outside printers. Il. j. Coon Informed
the writer that he thought the matter
was put through the council too hasti-
ly. No member of the council so much
as intimated that giving the local
printers the preference to that extent
wouldn't do at all. as we would have
two chances to one for the Milwaukee
printer WHY shouldn't we have q
little preference than the Milwaukee
) printer on Ladysmith job if we car
: meet their price?
The News-Budget believes the print
ers of Ladysmith were double
crossed and we think the double
crossing in this instance lays between
the city clerk and the city attorney
We may be wrong but if so would like
to be shown. We do not believe that
if the city attorney had informed the
council that the local printers wanted
to meet the city shops prices, if pos
sible, that that job would have got
; out of Ladysmith. If Mr.. Kirwan sc
informed the clerk the council was
not informed.
AS the city attorney, i'll the article
over the names of the members of the
council, says, the copy was sent to the
man for estimate who for years was
the NewsBudget's foreman, up to
within very few months of the time
this job was let, the man who had fig
ured our prices for years and knew
them and our costs better than any
other living man. His house got the
Job and we hold the same feeling of
high regard for Mr. Johnson we have
ever held, for a mans loyalty should
be with his employing firm, as it was
with the NewsBudget during all his
years of efficient and faithful service
here.
That house knew we were figuring
on the job. The other bid, just 500
higher, we would class on lOng-dis-
lance guess as courtesy bid con
sidering that the request for it came
to them through another printing con-
ing in the craft do not pull any rough