Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-04-11
COUNCIL GOT w0RkID.
This Time II Is Contractor LARSEN Who
Held 10 the AIdermea.


Held Up the Adermea.
At the meeting OF the council held
Wednesday evening OF last week n
bin OF W. w. LARSEN, town printer,
appeared and was referred TO the
finance committee, the mayor look
ing with suspicion upon the docu-
ment.
Monday evening another bill from
the same source appeared and the
first one appeared to have been lost
or destroyed. There are some inter-
esting features relative to those two
bills.
In the first place the total amount
alleged to be due on the first account
was SS6.75, but when the items were
added the total was ascertained to
be but S56.75-a little mistake OF $50.
that was all.
On the first bill was a charge for
tickets used ut the Democratic pri-
maries in the Second ward. This
was omitted from the second bill. as
was also an item for telephoning.
On the second bill was n charge for
publishing the call OF the Democratic
convention. This was stricken out
by the council, not being a town
charge. There was also charged "of-
ficiul and guide ballots" and when
Mr.. LARSEN vas informed that the
town had nothing to do with the
guide ballots, he blandly informed
the mayor that the charge made N
entirely for official ballots and that
he guessed he "had thrown in" the
guide ballots. His presence OF mind
and ready tongue saved him SO right
there.
On the second bill likewise on the
first was n charge Of S3 for publish
ing q notice OF election. The con-
tract under which he does the town
work calls for 40 per cent discount on
publications, but he had overlooked
that little matter and the sl.20 over
charge went through unnoticcd.
But the leading feature Of both
bills, and one which two ~ more re-
Visions did not change, was the fol-
lowing:
"To six poll-booksa and tally sheets,
$50"
That item stuck fast, and when the
finance committee tried To have the
charge shaved a little they were met
with such n tale Of woe that they
precipitately fled, hopping the tenrs
from their checks. The continued ex-
istencc OF the Democrat evidently de-
pended upon that item.
Thirty dollars for six little tally
books tabuut 81 by Z inches and con-
tuining twelve pagrs) seemed to the
council rather unreasonable, but new
crtheless it went. As Alderman Par
rent said, Charges for printing is
something | don't know anything
about" and not having taken any
trouble 70 inform himself. aud tho
other aldermen being In the same
condition, the bill went through and
before now the money il doubtless
"blown in"
In July. 1899, the ARGUS furnished
Fergus county with poll-books and
tally sheets fur The high school cleo
ton. and in February last again fur
nished the county with books for the
road supervisor election. The books
printed by LARSEN for the town
were exactly similnr to these-evi.
IDENTIFY he had used the ARGUS form
for copy, for an error which crcpt
into the former also appeared in the
town books. lie copied the form,
but he did not copy the price, oh. no.
The items In the bills against Fer.
gus county were M follows
July Is. to % poll -books and tally sheets,
4S-pp at sc, ~ i2-pp at BIC .,,.......$ Q o.
Feb. "a, to 10 poll books and tally sheets,
IL. PIP and cover. at iOc each ....... 80" s32 U
LARSEN charged:
To G poll. books and tally sheets mann. $50 q
Just to what extent LewistowH
was robbed on this item we leave
taxpayers to Judge.
After the meeting two aldermcneA
pressed the belief that Mr.. LARSEN
YVES irresponsible. Possibly that Il
go.