The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-15

sioners of Marshall County, and on
the county attorney, IN the year 1905
as ii was when the contract for the
repair of the Court House was enter
eel into.
Mr.. Harley A. Logan, Mr.. Ness s
chief attorney in these cases, was
the county attorney in the year 1906
when the Board of commissioners of
Marshall County entered into a con-
tract with f.. b. Swift, tax-ferret, to
make search for omitted property
subject to taxation in this county
and when the county, without any
appropriation having been previously
made TO pay for the services OF the
aforesaid tax-ferret, paid out to
that gentleman of the peoples money
the large sum of S2127.5S.
That action was taken when Mr..
Logan was the legal adviser of the
| Board. Not one dollar of that large
sum was lawfully or legally expend-
ed. yet, neither Mr.. Ness or any
other taxpayer of Marshall county
raised his voice against the transac-
| tiOn.
There was the time and opportuni-
iry for some public spirited taxpayer
to distinguish himself by preventing
by injunction, or otherwise, this il
legal ard unlawful expenditure of
the peoples money. Why was it not
donel Judging the past from the pre-
sent we may assume that was the
cause the aforesaid tax-ferrett had
no enemy in the county laying for
him. or that his father had no enemy
laying for him, and possibly it was
because persons in fluence might
have had an ak to grind in, the mat
ter.
| We find some more of this sort of
thing. In August 1907, when Mr.. Lo-
gan was still the county attorney,
that the Board of Commissioners of
Marshall County entered upon the
work of letting a contract for eight
bridges in this county, and invited
proposals for the work, namely:
| Six bridges over wolf creek, four
of these being 40 foot bridges, and
the other two being 33 foot and 30
foot bridges respectively.
| And, also two 30 foot bridges over
yellow River, or Dausman Ditch,
| At that bidding Miller and son
bid on the four 40 foot bridges $2796
The Rochester Bridge Co., bid $243O
On the 33 foot and 80 foot bridges,
Miller and Son bid, $393.0O and
$4,000 respectively.
The Rochester Bridge Co., bid on
the same $4lS.00 and $4,000, re-
spectively.
On the two Dausman 30 foot brid-
ges, Miller and Son bid $4,000 and
$4,000, respectively The Rochester
Bridge Co. bid on these $6lS00 and
$4,000 respectively.
But the contract was not let to
the lowest bidder on each bridges
separately, for We find that notwlth-
standing Miller and Son were $1l6.-
90 lower on four Of the bridges, the
entire contract was let tothe Roches
ter Bridge Co.
1t thus appears that if the Boart
had left the contract for each bridge
separately as they were bid on. tina
the county would have saved the sun
of $1,000.
This, and much more might b,
truthfully said in reference to tn,
usage, practice, and mistakes AM
irregularities OF former Boards o
commissioners and county attorney
i'm this county, but enough has beel
$ pointed out to show that | am beini
y perscuted for mistakes and irregu
: larities that | am not responsible TO
S and far less mistakes and Irregular
: ties than have passed unnoticed Il
> the past.
Now in regard TO Mr.. Ness prop
ositiOn for settlement. which appear
e on its face to he so indefinite an
l. uncertain as TO make It dOubtfu
a whether he really intended it as
: GOOD faith effort to obtain sci
$ Element of the controversy, or an ei
e fort To manufacture sentiment fO
himself or hackers. The terms he pro
: poses are so uncertain, and even
l. they were certain, so humiliating i
v character, that they are impossible
But. in view of the deplorable cor
n dition of the Court House and TIL
Ie Fact that the public is being punlshe
m and injured as well as myself by tE
y unwarranted and determined condu'
le of Mr.. Ness. | will submit a definii
m proposition for the settlement OF Il
< controversy. proposition which | r.
E. gard as liberal as any reasonable ma
ii could ask of me under the circumsta
ces.
ID / would be willing to pay all coul
is costs in the injunction suit, includir
e. the costs of the appeal taken therei