Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1898-10-22

able to live upon the small salary OF
his contract: and, still worse, seeing
the commissioners trying to repudiate
such contracts, and knowing that
they would treat his contract the
same way whenever the political ne
cessity arose, it is no wonder if he
distrusted their honor and suddenly
left. His departure left several i'm
portant pauper cases in the care of
the regular county physician who,
upon orders of township trustees, has
treated them, so far, without pay, as
the commissioners at their July and
October meetings refused to allow his
salary according to contract. As
result the county is sued for the debt
and will eventually have to pay for
services as well as settle a large bill
of costs.
Some of the men who are response
BILE for this condition of county affairs
voted as they did with honest inten-
tions. 1t is hoped that they have
learned better Others wished to get
personal or political revenge. 1t is
hoped that they are now satisfied.
Still others sought private gain at
public expense and the doctor" talk
was only "a cloak for their real object.
They should be rebuked.
PRINTER VS.. DOCTOR
All this nullabaloo about the eXtor-
ton of the county physician was
merely scheme to get control of the
board of county commissioners and so
secure its patronage. The scheme
succeeded and subsequent events have
disclosed the real object. The new
board met and organized and among
other business transactions they re-
ceived bids for county printing for
the year 1898. They let the printing
to Cox & Olson who were the HIGHEST
bidders. They have done all the
county printing the law could posi-
bly, be strained to give them. Every
line has been stretched to its utmost
length. Every old obsolete section of
the law which could be construed to
more printing has been dug
up and pressed into service. They
have also done all the job work and
furnished the stationery for the coun-
ty officers and none of them has been
heard to complain about the quantity
of it. They have been well supplied.
By reference to the issues of The In
dependent of April %. July 81, and
October II, it will be seen that Cox &
Olson have taken from the county
S635.04 already this year for county
printing and stationery during the
first three quarters. Givler 81 Crooks
did this work in 1897. They were
given the contract because their bid
was the LOWEST. BY examining the
proceedings as pub
p, July Il, and October 10, 1897, it
will be seen that Givler 81 Crooks
were paid S405.43 for printing and sta
tionery in the first three quarters of
1897. Compared with the sum al
ready paid Cox & Olson this year they
have charged the county 5000 81 more
than was paid Givler & Crooks for the
of 1897 Givler & Crooks received
S479. 50 which is S155.42 less than Cox
y Olson have charged and received
for only three quarters of this year.
They will yet do the printing for the
current or last quarter of 1898. and
should the same rate of increase hold
good (which is very probable) they
will have received at least $3.50 or
$500 more than was paid for the same
service in 1897. Add this to the in
crease in county salaries and we have
$500 which is still only part of the
price we are paying for Populist econ
omy in this county. These figures on
printing were all published in
The Independent, the ''official county
paper over the signature of the
county clerk.
This $500 is a part of the penalty
we pay for deposing the county ply
stefan. DIR. Amis is not to blame for
this. On the contrary, when he dis
covered that he was brought here as
a blind for the county printers
it may be said to his credit
that he had sufficient sense and self
respect to get away before they starv-
emit of June 10 he located in county
which is in the control of a different
political party
Cox & Olson can not be criticised
for their prosperity They are only
doing what they started out to do as
was pointed out year ago Their
talk ABOUT county doctor and plead