The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-06-30

presence; "No ody hiss legal contract
for doing the work of reindexing or for
furnishing the books for such reindexlng.
So far as l am concerned nobody will get
one" After moment he added:
Understand say no on has o legal
contract" AMI he accented the word
legal.
Commissioners Johnson was sought.
He said in answer to inquiries that there
had been some talk about such a thing
and that paper was drawn up.
"The thing will not be DONE" he said.
but it Yves the intention to do some
thing of that sort was it notS'
1T will not be done" reasserted Mr..
johnson.
"But q contract was drawn up and
signed by the commissioners was it not,
giving Joe Reed the privilege at four
cents a lineg'
well, there will be nothing done in
that line," said Mr.. johnson.
"You mean to say then that whatever
has been done about it and whatever
contracts have been signed have been
withdrawn"
"Yes, sir.
Were the books orderedY"
Yes, but the order has been counter
manded"
when was the contract made with Mr..
ReedY'
"A week or so ago"
when was it withdrawn"
"A day or so ago"
"The books have to be made do they
not?"
"Yes, believe they do"
Cant the company hold the county
to its order if it has gone ahead and made
the books?"
Il don't know how that is. "
This ended the interview with Mr..
johnson. 1t was learned subsequently
that the books come at 1925 set and
that two sets being required the amount
that the county may be held liable for in
this one instance is $3.50.
Commissioner Crawford was much
worried about the thing when the
reporter approached him. HI
freely acknowledged that such
contract was in existence and that il
was signed by all the commissioners
"See the other fellows about it, said he
They know more about it than I do. d
"But you signed the contract did yor
not, Mr.. CrawfordP"
on yes, signed it. The thing wa
in my pigeon hole here for q couple o
days and had not wanted to have any
thing to do with It, The other fellJw
wanted to have me sign it and INTENDED
to take counsel about it, but just sign
ed it, l just thought, well let the thinl
go and signed 1t and that was all ther
was of it,"
Is the work, then, to go on?"
THE contract is not legal in m,
opinion" said Mr.. Crawford.
what about it is there that is no
legalY'
There was no money in the furd a
the time it was made, he ans Sered
'B, sides, do not think a contract
legal tnat does not appear on the minute
of the boards proceedings.
"Then this contract was not spread OF
the minutes Of the bOard'"
"Now, you see those other fellow
/ don't know as much about this thin
as they do. They can tell you all abou
It,"
1t was found that the minutes did no
show the contract, the affair probably be
ing too palpable violation OF publ
confidence to appear in the records. 49,.
Mr.. Crawford at this late date says h
was opposed to the scheme but did no
take the public into his confidence, bu
rather signed the contract, that woul
mean, II carried out, matter, at tn
very lowest estimate Of sa5, 900 to $40, 90
out of the taxpayers Of this county.
It has since been learned that tn
county funds have been managed by th
present board In such manner that MI
Crawford Is entirely correct when h
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