The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-01-11
POPLAR STANDARD
CHARGES A PLENTY
Sl,337.40 FOR FIRST prJRJJcA-
iioN DELINQUENT TAX LIST
LOOKS RATHER LARGE

Inc Roosevelt County Tndanender
last week took slap at The PopIs
oeandtrd In regard to the charge
made by the Standard for the frs
insertion of the Roosevelt county dc
hnquent tax list. And the slap wa
well deserved as it is too apparan
that space was waited in the settin
of the list and that if the Standard ha
the good of the people at heart in
tead of thinking of keeping famil,
In California, it could have cut thu
cost to the county by big margin
The Independent says: oThe ole
board OF county commissioners, be-
fore Commissioner Patch stepped out
of office, allowed claim of the Pop
lar Standard, which had been assign
ed to the Traders State Bank amount
ing to $1,337.40 for the first inser-
ton of the 1922 tax list Billed as
1040 inches, or TAB folios, at $3.50
per folio.
Just why it was necessary to col
lect for the first publication and not
wait until the completion of the
three publications is not plain, un-
less it is the fact that the amount
is about double what it should be at
the code price if it had been set COM
pact as it should be, and the code
price is $1.50 per folio for first in
sertion and SO cents for subsequent
insertions; so the $1.80 charges
looks queer.
Ever since we saw the list in the
Standard we have been amazed, so
when we learned the first publication
had been paid for we asked Treasur-
er Tidland if he had ordered the list
set the double price style. He said
he did, but that it is paid by one
hundred counted words to the folio.
We say if it is computed in that way,
it will not bring thirteen hundred
dollars in three publications.
Neither the clerk and recorder or
his financial clerk saw the claim I'M
til after it was paid.
The clerk and recorders Office in
forms us that there is nothing in the
minutes to show how the commits
,ioners voted on this claim.
Mr.. County Attorney, do your
iuty. There am ''niggah" in dat
lar wood pile"
1t is debatable question whether
,r not this publication comes under
he old contract or whether it right
ully comes under the contract let
asst month. The printing contract
vas awarded to the Standard on
)ec. IL, 1922, some week or two af-
er the old contract had expired, so it
5 The Herald's belief that this publ
alton of the delinquent tax list
hould have come under the schedule
f rates set forth in the recently
warded contract The Herald has
ot seen copy of the bid submitted
Y the Standard for this class of ad-
ertising, but we have the action of
he board of county commissioners
1 not accepting the Herald's bid as
vidence that the Standards bid was
ne lowest. ,
The Herald proposed to furnish !
1e county with this delinquent tax :
st at $1.00 per folio for the first ]
lsertion and 80 cents per folio for !,
ach subsequent insertion. Taking r
ie Standards measurements as to :
le number of folios, 743, the three :
Indications in The Herald would
I'VE been made for $1188.80, which
$148.6O less than the Standard re-
lived for one publication. If the N
,andard's bid was lower than that Y
omitted by The Herald, how does u
come that Jerome can charge and "
llect more money for one publica- ie
IN of the delinquent tax list than q
le Herald would have charged for IL
e three insertions required by law 7"
lere is food for thought both for pl
e new board of county commission IN
) and the couny attorney.
The Standard has been silent on 81
IS subject, but an explanation is ye
e the taxpayers, and The Herald,
competitive bidder for the work, vi
entitled to know why Jerome can ev
arge more for this class of work ne
IN was bid by The Herald and still sh
intain that the contract was let ge
accordance with law. co
It must be rendered that the sh
nting contract was let before the fr'
v officials took Office and that the be
tchlW enrich combination bulled Sil
matter through over the head Of no
nmissioner Lesson, who proposed re'
advertise for bids and allow all pr
,ers in the county an opportunity
enter into competition for the
nty contract. tai
W.