The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-05-16


had already said and published the
statement that there was to be nc
road dragging this season excepting
as 1t was donated. We stated that
the rumors were more or less con.
firmed on the streets and that the
county records showed that Ave men
at Pingree had been receiving pay
for dragging roads when others were
donating that same kind Of service
We stated also that Mr.. Snyder ad.
mitted that he was displeased about
It.
Road Worker Writes
Now comes a letter from l.. Shell
man, one Of the men who dragged
the road for pay, and apparently
the man who went down with the
order and took the road grader away
from Snyder, and he admits that
the statement published was true,
but says that Mr.. Snyder's Fordson
could not do good work where the
roads were wet and needed it most.
He was doing fine work where they
were dry enough for the Fordson
to work.
Both Received Pay
Mr.. Shelman also states that Mr..
Snyder has his pay for his share of
the work now, and could have had
1t sooner If he had called. for it.
He, Shelman, paid Snyder for his
part of the work, altho Shelman
states that the work done by the
horses was better than that done by
the Fordson. Mr.. Shelman uses this
language, "He (Snyder) has his
county warrant for same and could
have had it in April If he had called
for 1t. ! paid him the same that we
get for man and six horses" 1--WE
will examine the records and see If
a warrant was issued to Snyder.)
Situation Grows Funny
Readers can draw their own con-
illusions about this Pingree-Spring-
field arrangement for road dragging
Here are some of the questions that
arise; "Did the commissioner for
that district plan to slip some favors
to his friends thinking nobody would
examine the vouchers?"
did the rumors that reached The
Republican office also reach some OF
the favorites and did they conclude
to whack up with others to keep
peace in the neighborhood?"
Having rendered part of the
money to Snyder and having gotten
him to accept 1t at belated date,
is that the reason Snyder regards it
as a disagreeable subject that he
does not want to talk about?"
Does the fact that Snyder &C
cepted what was rendered him; justly
the commissioner in issuing orders
to certain men to go out and drag
roads for pay when others were be-
ing told that there was no money for
that purpose?"
Does the mere act of Shelman's
passing part of the money to Snyder,
and thus drawing him into an en-
barrassing situation, make the origi-
nal plan any more honorable on the |
part of the commissioner and the
when these expense bills, or
vouchers, came before the board for
and Commissioner Miller
and Chairman England saw them
and saw that they were for dragging
roads at the same time that men in
their districts were donating their
work, what did they say to Commits
sioner Williams, who O.K.'d them
For payment? Why would they al
low their statements to the press and
% their constituents over the county
% be nullified to benefit these fell
Tvs in a community that fought the
Dad construction program and then
.tter a state highway was built right
'ast their farms where they wanted
t, refused to donate any work to
Keep 1t from going to pieces?"
Violating Pledge
This method of conducting the
government is merely placing pre-
mum on selfishness and poor citizen
hip, and placing a penalty on patri-
tic conduct end generosity and in
lnstry, for most of the road drag
ing was done when people were
likely to be idle just after storms.
The> natural impulse in mems
minds will be to demand that these !
i've or six men who received county
money for that work shall refund
very cent of it to make good the
word and the pledge of the commits
toner's that no money was to be !
rent this season for road dragging. I
Until that is done, the commissioner
n that district stands in the light t
# going back on his own proposal /
nd statement, and the other two
commissioners stand in the light of {
the breaking of this ar q
angement and pledge which the
ress of the county was authorized t
0 publish in their advertisements {
vhich they donated to the county in
he sum of about $25 each. /
His Own Proposal
Commissioner Williams was one of
he first to advocate this plan to s
observe what money there was in :
he road fund, and to say that we
'ould just be obliged to cut out road 4
Raging or we should not have
nough money to fix the washouts, r
ne culverts and bridges where =
tanks were broken and other re- y
airs that were absolutely necessary.
very time the matter was men r
oned at the January sessions, when q
AL T. = 4