The Paper Trail of Patronage

Pursuant to notice published in the county by the County Auditor, bids for the official county printing were opened on May 6th. The bids were as follows: The Post offered lower rates than the Times, yet despite the Times' bid being at least $400 per year lower than the Post, the Board of Commissioners awarded the contract to the Post. When the President of the Times Company appeared before the Board to inquire why his firm was denied the contract, he was told it was because the Post had a larger circulation. However, the Board admitted that no testimony whatsoever had been taken concerning the circulation of the several journals. The Chairman of the Board then stated that the contract had been awarded to the Post because its bid was lower than that of the Post-Intelligencer, and as the Board assumed the two papers had equal circulation in King County, it was their duty to give the contract to the lower of the two. The Times' representative pointed out that if circulation was to be the deciding factor, the Post-Intelligencer, which bid lower than the Post, should have received it. The facts are clear: the Times was the lowest bidder, the Post-Intelligencer was the next lowest, and no opportunity was given to establish the true circulation. The award, as made, will take from the taxpayers of this county not less than $400, which they ought not to be compelled to pay. Is legitimate competition for public business to be destroyed and favoritism to take its place?