The Delta independent., 1913-02-14

1nVeStlSaClOn-
The Tribune seems to be mildly
slapping the wrists of the board of
supervisors, County Clerk Shepherd
and County Treasurer Crawford for
alleged doings. What Independent OBJ
jects to in Shaping the boards
wrist" is the doing it in manner to
mislead readers into believing that
the alleged horrible things were
responsible to the present board, while
they were all under the acts of the
old board, of which the Tribune was
for four long years the official organ.
The complaints are of mild character
against Clerk Shepherd-that he sent
away from home for certain printed
forms. Treasurer Crawford is cited
as having accepted taxes in full from
the railroad company. minus $4,000
interest, but lin justice to Mr.. Craw-
ford,' is allowed his proof that he did
it over his own protest and upon the
advice of the old Democratic board
and its attorney. The boards wrist
was slapped with the question as to
whether there might be bridge build
er's trust to control competition for
bids in this state. All of these aues.
tions are of some public interest and
we have no objection to them be-
ing discussed; presumably neither the
board nor the two county officers
named, have any objection, though 1t
is doubtful if they regard the editor.
ials in the Tribune of sufficient i'm
portance to merit any diverting of
time from their busy office work. At
this particular time the editorial mat
ter in the Tribune is liable to be mis-
understood by many and attributed to
the fact that the paper was recently
discontinued as county official news
paper. and it is to be hoped that the
papers entire silence on all such sub
occupied that position. will not be
allowed to strengthen the belief that
its editors are sore" AS to Inde-
pendent's standing a word or two
ago. when the Democrats won and
installed a board of commissioners
for, four years, this management con-
cluded that the victors would probab-
ly get the spoils. whether belonging
to them or not. and for two years did
not bid for the county work. The
Tribune had the publishing during
those two years at "a cents an inch
legal rate for legal publications. The
Independent began to get in the hole
little deeper and thought 1t would
try for division. A proposition was.
submitted to the Tribune publishers
for both papers to do the county pub
fishing at the one legal rate; to di-
vide expenses and pay for same equal,
ly. thus giving the county the benefit
of double amount of publicity for
the same cost. Independent agreed
to stand by such an arrangement as
long as both papers were published.
under like management. without re-
gard to what party might be in power.
The proposition was promptly turn.
ed down by the Tribune owners.
Messrs. Watts and Uglow. Following
this Independent bid for the county
publishing at flat rate of about 55
cents an inch. The Tribune dropped
to 20 cents and inch. Is cents an inch
higher, and was given the work In
dependents bid for city printing was
the same, Notwithstanding the fact
that the Tribune bid 10 cents lower
for the city printing than 1t did for
the county printing. This year. with
two members of the county board
Republicans. Independent submitted
the same bid 1t did last year-when
1t realized that, for party reasons its
bid would probably not be considered
and got the job That is all there is
to that part of it. and there should not
be cause for soreness. and If soreness
exists, it should not be unloaded upon
the public. In mentioning these mat
ters Independent is not seeking to
throw blame on anybody The two
Delta papers have always been on the
most friendly terms Both. we he
lieve. have been regarded as high
/ types of country newspapers. and
| Independent expects to continue on
the same plane of blissful harmony
DITCH SUED FOR OVER
FLOW ROAD DAMAGES