The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-10-27
COUNTY AUDITOR
HOLDS UP DITCH
C0NTRACTAWARDS
FOR TEN DAYS FOR
INVESTIGATION
). L. George Postpones Action on.
Ditch Number Is; Questions
Brought Up.
RESIDENTS PROTEST
AGAINST BIG DITCH
Many Contractors Submit Bids:
Charges Made That Ditch is Too
Wide and Deep.

J. L. George, county auditor, today
opened bids for the construction of
Judicial Ditch No. Is, and although
the bids submitted were a reason
able charge, he decided to postpone
the awarding of the contracts until
he had investigated several questions
that arose at the contract letting.
1t was brought out at the contract
letting by prominent citizen that
the ditch was to be constructed too
| wide and too deep in several cases.
Other charges we're also made. Mr..
George will carefully investigate the
charges before he decides on a con-
tract award.
. The ditch is to be constructed
north Of Red Lake. It will be 324
miles in length. The cost was esti-
mated at $4o6,769.
Protest is Made.
When County Auditor George OPEN
ed the bids this morning a protest
was made by committee of citizens
OF the county.r+E. l.. Oberg, editor
of the Blackduck American, repre-
sented the committee. He read a
resolution urging that the letting Of
the ditch be postponed until after
the legislature meets when it is ex-
pected the ditch law will be amend
ed. The following composed the COM
mittee: E. l.. Oberg, S. w. Ellis, J.
G. Thompson, county commissioner,
James M. Reed, I. w. Lanyard of
Blackduck, l.. Lateral of Kelliher
and William Fellows Of Tenstrike.
The resolution presented to the
auditor this morning was unanimous
ly passed at mass meeting held at
Blackduck recently. It follows:
Whereas. the obnded indebted
ness of Beltrami county, in our
opinion, has already exceeded
the safety limit and can only be
increased by placing an exces-
sive valuation on property;
Whereas, grave doubt exists
as to whether the drained lands
will be taken up by actual set
tiers to insure the maintenance
of the bitches without taxing
the whole county for such main
tainance, and
Whereas, the outlet is INSULT
cient to carry off the water
from the bitches already built,
and lastly,
Whereas the tax rate of this
county is already the highest of
any in the state,
We respectfully request the
County Auditor and County En-
gineer to postpone the letting of
said Ditch No. rs until the
drainage problem shall have
come before the State Legisla-
ture.
Facing Litigation.
Mr.. Oberg explained that the citf-
Zens were not blaming anyone for the
condition of affairs but that they be-
lieved that the present ditch should
be halted until the present legisla-
ture convenes. He stated that the
county faces litigation as a result of
several bitches and that it had been
reported that damage suits were be-
ing started.
Mr.. George explained that he had
already opened and rejected bids on
the same ditch two times. He stated
that the bonds for the construction
of the ditch had been sold, but that
they had not been issued.
About 80 men, contractors and
men interested in the ditching, were
present at the bid opening this morn
ing. -..
The companies who submitted bids
were The American Drainage COM
pany, Northwestern Drainage e. COM
pany, Lawrence Construction COM
pany, J.. G. Parker & company, o. 81.
Dierks, w. J. Gleason Company, Koh-
Ter Construction company, Thomas &
Jones Of Warroad and e. A. Dahl e.
company Of Duluth.
Just the other day we received
some Of those handy bill file books
collectors use. They just At in your
pocket. Get one at the Pioneer Of
ice.