Year: 1877

here.


On the election of the present board
we requested them to ascertain in q
similar manner what were current rates
then to reduce everything to II basis oi
contract, so there could be no cause Ot
complaint on either side; each would
know what was to be paid and what To
be received. The members of the board
refused this; but authorized various
County officers to contract for necessary
printing, which they would pay, yet
when the bills were presented in accord
ance with such specific contracts without
knowledge of the value of such services
on their part, but controlled hy the bit
terest personal enmity of this insignif.
cant specimen Of fallen humanity, they
in violation of the contracts OF their au.
thOrzed agents cut down the bills on a
certain rate proposed by this man and
adopted without any knowledge Of its
justice in single particular but with
personal knowledge of its being in vl0-
htion of agreements already made.


Then 10y II record, absolutely false ms
any disnterested one who was present
at the proceedings will testify, they fixed
the price of public printing at less than
one sixth the price King county pays
Tor her public printing, and ouly about
one-thrd current Sound rates. To he
sure, we could have appealed from their
decision, done the work, and obtained
full pay fer our services by order of the
District Court, yet this requires time and
money. The same amount of time and
application would procure us thrice the
business from honest men, who would
honestly pay us iair reward foT honest
labor


Instead of appealing from their deci.
sion, we took the amount they allowed
US, but then and there notified them, that
they had dealt unfIirly, uniustly, and IN
violation OF common business honesty
with US. That having so lar violated
their engagements, and leaving no Sc
curity that they would keep them bet,
ter in the future, we refused to do any
more printing for Snohomish county,
until what was already due should he
paid, and there should he definite con-
tract for the future over which there
could be neither equivocation or evasion
as long as this present board of Com
missioners should exIst, and we refusing
to take the printing at'any rates, until,
what was already due should be paid ac.
cording to the contracts already made
with their authorized agents.


We never refused to take the county
printing at any specific price, but in
sisted that after such patent evidences of
bad faith, past contracts should be first
kept before, We would extend credit to
them at any price, for work to be done
and materials to be furnished. Theu,
when the wrong was once righ.ed, they
would doubtless find US as liberal as a
decent regard for our own interest would
allow in contracting for the future.


The value of the work done IS not suf.
ticient for the trouble or djsagreeablencss
of doing business where 80 much little
ness would be manifested We should
willingly enough furnish short abstract
of all of their proceedings of public in
terest gratuitously were it not, that the
whole of their proceedings was he work
of two or three bitter personal enemies
to compel us to advertise their proceed
ings, gratuitously where the law requir-
ed the Board to allow us full compensa-
ton. We do not propose to allow such
men to bully us into anything.


We do not accuse Messrs. Hartman
and IRVINE of any intentional wrong in
the premises, but only allowing them
selves to be used to carry out the schemes
of personal hatred and jealousy of the
Sheriff's Deputy and his hackers, and be-
lieve that these gentlemen are honorable
enough to right these wrongs, when they
see how they have been imposed upon by
Others. Whenever we see the proper
spirit manifested by our public officials
we shall not hesitate to publish a reason
able account of public proceedings of
County officers, whether we are paid Tor