The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-03-14

At last the real reason is found for
the "paytriotism" and loyalty of the
Plentywood Pioneer Press.
At last the reason is found why
the editor of that organ has been so
worried for fear that the farmers of
Sheridan county was being tweed
led" out of their SIG dollar member
ship fee in the Nonpartisan League
and the money they were contfibut-
ing to the support of the Producers
News, and which worry and sympa-
thy brought such tears of sorrow to
the tender heart of little Joe Dolin
who has talked so much about trait
ors and pro-Germans and stabbing
the boys in the back.
There is reason!
It isn't the "red flag"
1t isn't the worry about Bolshe-
visits drowning farmers in cellars.
1t isn't the fear caused by the
"bunk" Bill Campbell of the lunatic
Montana Loyalty League sends out
and which is so eagerly reproduced
by the Paytriotic Pioneer Press and
the Medicine Lake Wave.
But it is and has been for the pur-
pose of hiding the graft that that
patriotic gentleman has been pulling
from the county through the medium
of the printing contract.
Carlyle says, patriotism is the last
refuge of the scoundrel and Sheridan
Countys experience proves the truth
of the statement.
Beware of the individual that
wraps himself in the folds of "old
glory;" he probably has a dirk or a
set of burglary tools in his pocket.
Now for the story:
The Pioneer Press made contract
with Sheridan county last spring to
print the ballots for the Primaries
at 80 per cent less than the legal
rates, which legal rates is $3.50 per
thousand per party for the first
thousand and $3.50 for each sue
ceeding thousand, which with 30 per
cent off means $15.75 per thousand
per party for the first thousand and
S8.75 for each succeeding thousand.
There were four party ballots 1T
tho primaries.
The number of ballots, both official
and sample, usually printed for each
precinct, is one and half times the
number of names on the registration
list, Or in reference to both the sam
pie and official, three lines the num-
ber Of names registered. At the pri-
marles there were TIT names reg
istered. Hence the number of ballots
should have been 1865 ballots for
each party and as there were four
parties, four times 1865 or 46,260
official ballots printed, and the same
number of sample ballots or about
$4,000 in all.
However there were two official
and two sample or four ballots print
ed for each registered voters for each
of the four parties, or a total of
$4,000 ballots printed in all.
Now at a rate of $15.75 for the
first 1000 ballots for each party
equals $63.00 Then there are 10000
ballots left to be printed at the rate
of $8.75 per 1000 or the sum of
$1050 plus 500 for the first four
thousand, totals a sum of S1113 in all
for ballots according to contract.
Let us see how the county was
billed. Each precinct was considered
as the first thousand, and fraction
of thousand was billed as a thous-
and if the number of ballots required
were less than a thousand and the
sample ballots were billed in the
same manner. And as there were not
1000 ballots, either official or sample
required for each party for any one
precinct the bill was put in like this |
for each of the 81 precincts.
Precinct No. 1, 1 m rep. ballots,
S15.75; 1 m dem., $15.75; 1 m soc.,
$15.75; 1 m nat, $15.75, or S63 per
precinct.
"a precincts or 64 times $63 totals
the sum of $4,032.
The sample ballots were billed the
same way and amounted to the same
sum, making just twice the sum of
$4,O32, or the sum of $8,064.
$8,064 less the sum of $1,113