The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-03-20
County Officials
Should Look 0ut

Ono Publisher Thinks He Finds
Graft in Proceedings Of Ram
! sey County Officers
Devils Lake, N. D.. March II.
| Attacking the graft infected
system which has been alleged
Ramsey and other counties of the
state for several years by which
thousands of dollars have been
handed to Walker Bros. and
Handy and other printing con-
Germs, by county officials who
persistently refused to advertise
for competitive bids in accord
ance with Section 2421 Of the
revised code, an alternative writ
of mandamus was signed today
by Judge c. w. Buttz in an ar
ticle Of the. state of North Dako-
i ia ex rel. John H. Bloom against
the board of county commission
ers, D. D. McNaughton, chair
man, Joseph Kramer, county aud
itpr, and Earl Duell, county
treasurer. That the officials in
question have knowingly ignored
the provisions of the statute re-
ferred 70 which requires that
competitive bids be received for
the purchase of all county sup
plies costing over 800 has been a
matter of common knowledge in
Ramsey county, according to
Boon 3 allegations.
! In his affidavit on which the
writ was issued, the relator sets
forth in brief:
"That unless otherwise COM
manded by this court the said
board and said auditor and said
purchasing committee will procul
for the use Of said county cleo
tion supplies for the year 1914.
without advertising for bids f,e
furnishing same and will in viola
ton of law incur an indebted
ness against said county for such
supplies greatly in excess of
! what the same can be procured
; for ON competitive bids and also
F! in excess of one hundred dollars.
That the relator and other tax
payers of said county will be
damaged unless said defendants
advertise for bids for furnishing
said election supplies. 1"
(, The order signed by Judge
BUTTE commands the county COM
missioners to proceed to adver-
tise for bids for objection sup
pies for Ramsey county for the
en-uing year, to be opened at
the first meeting in April and
to award the contract to the low
est responsible bidder, or show
cause before the court at hear
ing March 16. In the meantime
the defendants are restrained
from entering into any contract
for furnishing such supplies un-
til further order from the court.
/ Section 2421 Of the code gives
the following on stationery:
!"The provisions of this section
shall apply to all contracts for
fuel, stationery and all other
articles for the use Of the county,
or. labor to be performed there
for, when the amount to be paid
/ for the same during any year
exceeds the sum of one hundred
dollars. and provided, also,
that all cantracts for the furnish
ing of stationery, blank books
and supplies generally for all
county officers shall be let at
the first regular meeting in
April to run for the period Of
one year.
Section 24OO Of the Code is as
follows: To furnish the neces-
sary blank books. blanks and
stationery for the clerk Of the
district court, county auditor,
rsgister Of deeds, county treasur-
er, county judge, sheriff, public
administrator, and states attor-
ney of it's county, to be paid out
Of the county treasury;
provided that the county auditor,
county tre asurer, and the chair
man Of the board of county com
missioners together shall consti-
tute a committee, empowered and
required to purchase and pro-
vide all necessary blanks, books
and other stationery for the use
Of all county offices in their Of
ficial capacity.
From the above can be seen
that the law is very plain and
each county has q board to baly