The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-08-10
LET'S LEAN HOUSE IN ROOSEVELT COUNTY
CONTINUED From Page One)

anything that makes a hit with a farmer it is to pay take
to have some chap Classify" his land by running across
it about 20 miles an hour in a car. The classification worl
in this county was performed in a few months by two mer
and they are supposed to get SlS,OOO Tor the job. Sure i
is that somebody gets this amount and the taxpayers pay
the bill.
What sort of a county was this when the county board
took the affairs in hand? Was it a raw unsettled section
not. Roosevelt county was very fortunate in having a bic
railroad mileage with a trunk line through its more than
so miles of length besides branch lines. 1t had a string
of towns along that railroad; a portion Of its farm lands
were old settled and we'll improved. 1t had a start toward
roads, bridges and school buildings. Yet in three years
our debt hOvers around the million dollar mark, and is
increasing yearly. The full legal limit of Indebtedness has
almost been reached. You will have to hurry, you kind
hearted, patient people and increase your wealth so they
can assess you for more property or Jack" and Frank"
will be up against it for funds and a basis for more bonds
and warrants to run the county. So much for the countys
indebtedness.
Where The Money Went
A few pointers on the business methods that led to
such a condition should be of interest. 1t is<hard, these
years, to get the money to pay the heavy taxes our free
spending board levies. Is it not reasonable to expect that
the board and the treasurer would consider it as the
greatest of their responsibilities to safeguard the county
revenues and handle them with businesslike care and
method? Yet the county has lost during the past year
$39, 686.45 in two Poplar banks that have closed their
doors. The best information indicates that there is small
prospect of recovering more than a mere fraction of this
money. One of the banks had over $34, 900, far more than
it was entitled to under the law that says how county funds
shall be distributed in county repositories. The other
bank had q trife less than $4,000 when it was locked UP
and the money was deposited in it only a week before it
suspended. A kind favor to the hard-pushed bank but a
quick, dead loss to the taxpayers.
Interest No Object
Then again it is found that these custodians Of the
county cash, some Of who mare seeking reelection car
for three months as a special favor, to a Poplar bank
The Traders State) $4,000 in cashiers checks which
were unsecured and drawing no interest. The bank pulled
through 50 the county did not happen to lose this triaing
amount. The same bank last April had S87, 900 of county
money while it is entitled to but less than $4,000.
Another favored bank, (The Mondak State) at the
same time had S29, 600 county funds, and was entitled bvI
law to a little over $4,000. All banks having county
money are supposed to pay 213 per cent interest on aver
balances. In Roosevelt County most of them do, some
Of them don't. The Mondak State, which is located very
the home of one of the county commissioners, Mr..
Weinrich, was allowed to get by without paying interest
o the county until it owed on this account $4,000. The
authorities got busy and saw that it was paid. Now
would you believe it, you kindhearted, trl1stful voters who
voted for Patch and Wienrich at the last election, the
Board voted to refund 1912 of this county money to this
oank. The claim was 0 ked by w. L. Tidland, county
Did any Of you farmers, or anybody else, ever
Day interest to a bank, and then get it back
Two Aces Good as Three
An exceedingly economical, businesslike Board, don't
you think +? When the term Board is used it is naturally
that Patch and Wenrich are referred to, as
Commissioner Lesson constitutes a mere minority. This
S the same Board that allows claims of rs cents per mile
or auto expense to fellow officials. Twenty-Five dollars
or every 100 miles they ride to investigate" cases. The
ame Board that allowed $235 for guarding the ballots Of
he 1920 election so we'll that Sheriff Pat, the laboring
mans friend, failed to produce some Of them when re-
Iuired in district court.
Pats Chance
One man, John H. Anderson, was undoubtedly elected,
N the Farmer-Labor Ticket, and, unwittingly or other
was counted out in this election. The contest that.
OllOWed gave the efficient Sheriff Macy a tine oppOr-
unity to Go the farmers a real service, in the direct line of
The ballots Of a few precincts were required and a
go get EN- order was placed in the hands of the sheriff.
Did he get them? Not on your life. Friend Franks official
was at stake.
Once more, this is the same board that allows a county
ficial, Scott P. Hart, county Surveyor, to serve without
bond. These are but a few of the known ialirQunnciesI
rn.ol1A Il u. - e .Gc.J TNLomo; AEn 1nrA 80. 80. ~