The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-07-11
Public Examiners Report Divulges Graft In Seed Grain

rants was made under authority |
conveyed upon the Board of County
Commissioners by Chapter 13, Session
Laws of 1915, but we fail to find
wherein any authority is conferred
to deliver warrants drawn against a
county fund into the hands Of any
individual county official to be used
for the payment of claims as yet
not contracted. We find that Claim
No. 1861, reading:
January 3, 1918-Seed grain
emergency petty fund to obtain
funds to option grain and hold the
same in the elevators if possible &C
count food administration order to
ship all wheat stored in elevators
$25, 100000 (all warrants cancelled)."
is on file in the Auditors office, but
the claim is not signed although it
bears, undated, the approval sigma
ture of F. A. Weinrich, Chairman.
These warrants were registered IN
the Office of the County Treasurer
but were subsequently cancelled
without payment, and did not pass
through the funds of the County.
Special Seed Grain Warrants Nos.
1 to 10, inclusive, payable to Fed
eral Reserve Bank of Minneapolis"
and Nos. 20 to 81, inclusive, pay
able to 81. F. Redmond, Disbursing
Agent, Seed Grain Account" amount
ing to the total sum of $325, 900
were drawn on February 26th and
9th, 1918. We are informed that
these warrants were taken to Mime
apolis in an attempt to provide cash
for the purchase of seed before
money from sale of bonds was avail
able, but the attempt was unsuc-
eessful. Said warrants were also
subsequently cancelled without pass
ing through funds of County.
Errors in drawing warrants were
made as follows:
No. Z Claim s25 ,e3s.5O, Warrant
SEE, ,934.22, difference $.72; No. 9
Claim $66,162.50, warrant $66,162.8O,
difference $50; total errors in war
rants (See Page u $1.02.
/ In arriving at the figures shown
on page 1 of this report, we checked
only the claims now on file and on
which warrants were drawn, the re-
cord of liens as shown by the Couil-
ty Treasurer, and the borrowers or
ders filed by the elecators and dis
tributors to show delivery. The mum.
Der of bushels of seed actually pur,
chased was taken from the paid
claims now on file. In arriving at
the number of bushels of seed Gov
| cred by the contracts, or liens, il
was necessary to check the orders
FLED by the different distributors
owing to the fact that only the gross
number of bushels was stated in the
liens. The figures given showing
the number of bushels distributed
are approximate, owing to the fact
that between the date of the filing
of these liens and November 80
: 1918, partial cancellations and salts
factions to correct errors were made
7 amounting to $1,349.59. None Of
/ these cancellations or satisfactions
5 stated the number of bushels of any
kind of seed that the cancellation
covered. Likewise, in the entry o.
direct sales the number of bushel!
/ was not given except in the case o.
Treasurer's Receipt No. 63, cover
ing 64.45 bushels of wheat and 1925
!, bushels of fax and Treasurer's Re
ceipt No. SO, covering 13 bushels O
wheat
r Following is a list of the receipt
issued by the County Treasurer fo
monies deposited to the credit of tn
| o+1 no
ceived to apply on contracts, wit
4 name amount and date:
d 13 Sheridan County Bank, S3,371
: SO, July 81, 1913.
0 II James F. Redmond, $2,690.3(
- Aug. II, 1918.
f IS Peter Brenteson, $3.50, Aug
r Is, 1918.
f 63 James F. Redmond, $253.4i
Sept. %, 1918.
e So James F. Redmond, $9O.5;
Sept. 80, 1918.
166 N. D. Nelson, $233.65, Oct. L
D 1918.
% 459 Farmers Elevator, Bainvill
10 S235.64, Feb. "a, 1919.
O 46O International Elevator, Pler
% tywood, $2424, Feb. "a, 1919.
IS 461 Peter Miller, Agent, $35O.5'
Le Feb. "a, 1919.
/ 462 Atlantic Elevator Co., Dale
r view, $4,000, Feb. "a, 1919.
:. 463 Equity Elevator Compan,
d S238.00, Feb. %, 1919.
AGA Farmers Elevators, Outloo
S3,711.56, Feb. %, 1919.
10 465 Montana-Dakota Grain &c
10 S18,42S.98, Feb. %, 1919.
10 466 James F. Redmond, $31.2
10 Feb. %, 1919.
20 Receipt No. IT. /. F. Redmon
10 covers payments from Hoven Grai
10 Company, Antelope; Farmers Eleva
70 or, Plentywood; Farmers Elevate
10 Medicine Lake, Montana; and Oak
lg ia Grain of Reserve and Froid; ar
le the Farmers Elevator Company
a Archer and Redstone.
ID Receipt No. 18, Peter Brenteso
r covers the amount turned in to tt
e, treasury by Brentenson. owing to Il
O. fact that he was overpaid by Il
,h County for grain purchased fro
ne him.
A. Roca;pt No. SO, ]. F. Redmond co
r ers the following: 64.45 bushe