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B-130930, MAR. 7, 1957

B-130930 Mar 07, 1957
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PUBLIC PRINTER: REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 5. IT IS REPORTED THAT. THE LOWEST OF WHICH WAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $161. THE BID COULD NOT BE LOCATED BY THE TIME THE BIDS WERE OPENED OR DURING THAT DAY. A SEALED BID WAS RECEIVED FROM THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY. POSTMARK OF FEBRUARY 27 BUT THE HOUR OF MAILING IS NOT LEGIBLE. THE ENVELOPE WAS TIME STAMPED BY THE WASHINGTON POST OFFICE AT 9:30 P.M. POSTMARK DISCLOSED THAT THE HOUR OF MAILING WAS 10:00 A.M. YOU WERE ADVISED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF MAILS. THE ENVELOPE WOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY AIRMAIL IN THE WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE AT ABOUT 8:30 P.M. SINCE IT IS APPARENT THAT THE FAILURE OF THE BID SUBMITTED BY THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY TO ARRIVE AT THE SCHEDULED TIME OF OPENING CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANY DELAY IN THE MAILS.

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B-130930, MAR. 7, 1957

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 5, 1957, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE RETURNED UNOPENED A BID SUBMITTED BY THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY, MENTOR, OHIO, IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION TO BID, ISSUED FEBRUARY 12, 1957, ON THE PRODUCTION OF 21,000,001 SETS (PLUS OR MINUS 1 PERCENT) OF A SINGLE STUB CARBON INTER LEAVED FORM. THE INVITATION PROVIDED THAT SEALED BIDS WOULD BE RECEIVED UNTIL 11:00 A.M., FEBRUARY 27, 1957,"AND NO LATER.'

IT IS REPORTED THAT, AT THE SCHEDULED TIME OF OPENING, 12 PRINTING FIRMS HAD SUBMITTED BIDS, THE LOWEST OF WHICH WAS IN THE AMOUNT OF $161,490 FOR 21,000,000 SETS. ALTHOUGH A TELEGRAM HAD BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY REFERRING TO A BID WHICH IT PRESUMABLY HAD MAILED TO THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, THE BID COULD NOT BE LOCATED BY THE TIME THE BIDS WERE OPENED OR DURING THAT DAY. ON THE FOLLOWING DAY AT 8:20 A.M. A SEALED BID WAS RECEIVED FROM THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY. THE ENVELOPE SHOWS A MENTOR, OHIO, POSTMARK OF FEBRUARY 27 BUT THE HOUR OF MAILING IS NOT LEGIBLE. THE ENVELOPE WAS TIME STAMPED BY THE WASHINGTON POST OFFICE AT 9:30 P.M., FEBRUARY 27, AND A MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE MENTOR, OHIO, POSTMARK DISCLOSED THAT THE HOUR OF MAILING WAS 10:00 A.M., FEBRUARY 27. YOU WERE ADVISED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF MAILS, WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE, TO THE EFFECT THAT IF MAILED AT 10:00 A.M., FEBRUARY 27, THE ENVELOPE WOULD HAVE ARRIVED BY AIRMAIL IN THE WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE AT ABOUT 8:30 P.M. ON FEBRUARY 27, 1957.

SINCE IT IS APPARENT THAT THE FAILURE OF THE BID SUBMITTED BY THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY TO ARRIVE AT THE SCHEDULED TIME OF OPENING CANNOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO ANY DELAY IN THE MAILS, WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT THE BID SHOULD NOT BE OPENED AND CONSIDERED WITH THE OTHER BIDS RECEIVED BUT SHOULD BE RETURNED UNOPENED TO THE DUPLICATE FORMS COMPANY. AS REQUESTED IN YOUR LETTER, ITS ENCLOSURES ARE RETURNED HEREWITH.

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