The Public Business

New York, 1895

PRINTING BY CONTRACT SAVES MONEY FOR THE TOWN.

The Standard Was a Dummy Bidder and Asked the Highest Prices — No Contagious Diseases Anywhere — Electric Railroad Matters Before the Highway Commissioners.

The town board held a meeting at the Town Hall on Friday. Supervisor Everitt presided. Justice Lott was absent. Three bids were received for furnishing four assessment books and two index books for the assessors, as follows: Jamaica Standard (for Austin and McGill), $66.50; Roberts & Bokee, $65; THE FARMER, $60.50. THE FARMER being the lowest bidder was awarded the contract.

THE FARMER representative called the attention of the board to the fact that the books must be delivered on February 1, and if that was a positive condition, he would have to withdraw his bid, as the work could not be done within the time stipulated. He said he made the statement as a matter of good faith. The board did not think a little delay objectionable and THE FARMER will do the work.

The bids for supplying printed letter heads and envelopes to the assessors were next opened. The Standard bid $5, Roberts & Bokee $4.50, THE FARMER $2.88. The contract was awarded to THE FARMER.

The bids for supplying the Assessors with ink, pens, erasers, lead pencils, memoranda books, etc., were next opened. Roberts & Bokee were the lowest bidder, and the Standard the highest bidder. THE FARMER is not in that line of business. The Standard withdrew its bid.

Mr. Wood, of the Standard, left the board room in a savage state of mind. The Standard was merely a dummy in bidding for the work of making the assessment rolls and indexes, and for the job to furnish stationary supplies. The way in which the Standard was beaten in the bidding, not only by THE FARMER, but also by Roberts & Bokee, shows that it cannot compete successfully for contract work because it has hardly any facilities, and this explains why, for several weeks, it has been demanding that the town board rescind the resolution to have all work done by contract. The people now see the benefit that accrues to the town by competition.

The following bills were ordered paid: Henry Wade, inspector of election, $14; John F. Baker, poll clerk, $6; Frederick W. Wolff, highway commissioner, $39; L. E. Decker, highway commissioner, $147.

Mr. Waldron and Mr. Davison, of Brooklyn Hills, appeared with a map of the lighting district. Mr. Waldron stated that William Zimmerman refused to allow lamps to be put on the corner of Atlantic and Ocean avenues, and the corner of Ocean and Wyckoff avenues.

Town Clerk McCook said that Mr. Zimmerman keeps a light burning all night on the corner of Ocean and Atlantic avenues at his own expense.

Mr. Davison said Mr. Zimmerman thinks if he does not have the lights he will not be taxed for them.

Supervisor Everitt said that if the streets are private streets the town cannot make Mr. Zimmerman let the lamp go up. The matter was left in the hands of the committee to ascertain if the streets are private property.

Justice Lester called attention to the necessity of providing a safe in which to keep all maps filed with the town clerk. Justice Lester and Town Clerk McCook were appointed a committee to ascertain the cost of such a safe.

On motion Justice Lester, Messrs. Kissam and Hendrickson were appointed a committee to ascertain the cost of desks to be placed in the town board room.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, N.Y., Jan. 18, 1895, p. 1.

Comment: The Farmer had a couple of nasty things to say on page 1 about The Standard, their competition.