Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-01
BUYING At HOME
POLICY BOOSTED
District Council Cites Ex-
ample to Back Plea for
Washington Business.

Inability of a Baltimore firm to de-
liver to the District government large
printing order on scheduled time, after
having obtained the work by submitting
contract bid just $2574 lower than
the lowest local bid. was cited today by
the Buy-in-Washingto Council as
another reason" why the local govern
ment should be permitted by law to
use discretion in awarding government
contracts.
Under existing law, the District gov
eminent must award bids for public
works to the lowest responsible bidder,
provided specifications are met.
Object of Campaign.
The Washington Council is
an association of local business leaders
who are conducting campaign to have
local work. both public and private,
placed in the hands of local establish
menss and local labor, so far as possible.
While granting that the District gov
eminent in this case was required by
law to let the contract to the Balti-
more firm as the lowest bidder, the
Buy -in- Washington Council today made
public q letter from G.. A. Walsh, eX-
ecutive secretary of the Typothetae of
Washington, which declares:
Another case has come to our atten-
ton which again points out the advis-
ability of Congress enacting such legis-
lation as may be necessary to permit
our District government to accept bids
for their work when such bids are in
the public interest even though not the
lowest"
June Transaction Cited.
Early in June, the letter recites, the
purchasing department advertised for
bids on 80 copies of a 288-page book,
Fire Alarm Stations" for the local Fire
Department. Delivery of the printed
matter was to be made in so days. A
Baltimore firm submitted the lowest bid,
$8724 which was $25.74 lower than
the lowest Washington bid. Having no
alternative the District let the contract
to the Baltimore firm.
The Buy-in-W Washington Council now
reports that despite the fact that de-
livery was to be made not later than
August IL, "the purchasing agents
Office advised us on September 26 that
they had not as yet received the books
and had been unable to ascertain as
to when delivery would be made"
The books had not been received this
morning, the Fire Department reported.
Probably Used as "FiIIer."
Declaring that the Baltimore firm
apparently was using this contract as
filler" work among its other contract
Jobs, the local typothetae cited as an
example of the "unfairness" of the
present contract system that the money
for this work is going out of Wash
ington where local printing contractors
must pay rent, taxes and other over
head.
Had the work been given to Wash
ington firm, the typothetae declared, SO
of the contract price would have been
paid for local taxes, $22.50 for rent,
1855 for materials from local supply
houses, $414 for wages for local resi-
dents and STA in other overhead costs.
ut is obvious" the typothetae con-
cludes, that money which will be spent
in Baltimore viii never return to the
District"
1t is the contention of the Buy-in-
Washington Council that local tax
funds, so far as practicable, should be
spent so that such public funds will re-
main in circulation in Washington.