The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1924-03-20
COMMISSIONERS
Proceedings

PROCEEDINGS-
An underhanded attack on the
board OF commissioners OF this count,
was made last week when a weekly
newspaper OF Twin Falls likened the
commissioners actions In paying the
legal price set for the publication OF
the official proceedings OF the board
TO the Tea Pot Dome scandal now be
ing exposed at Washington.
Because The Record is one OF the
three papers in the county which now
publishes abe commissioners pro
ceedings and is therefor familiar
with the facts in the case. It takes II
upon itself to set the public mind
straight In tho matter. and to con-
clusively prove to any who might
have placed credence in the charges.
that the commissioners are not dis
Euised Falls, Sinclair's and Doh
eny's.
Simply stated the facts are these:
Publication OF the proceedings OF
the board OF commissioners is now
00lhk nldQC III III &C ttbo4 az =" So
pers in the county. This has been
the case ever since the present board
took office. The papers are The
Twin Falls Times. the official paper,
The Bull Herald and The Filler Re
cord. For the publications in these
three papers the county pays total
cost OF 80 cents column incl, fig
ure prescribed by state statute, and
one which is ordinarily paid for lega,
publications In only one newspaper
instead OF three as in this instance.
This 80 cents is divided as follows:
The official paper sets the type and
runs the matter and is paid SO cents
a column inch, while the other Two
papers split between them the re-
naming 80 cents.
Thus, publication is made IN the
three population centers CT the
county at a cost ordinarily paid tor
publication in one medium; the COM
bined circulation of the three papers
is. of course much greater than that
of any other single medium in the
county.
Following their taking office, the
county board reached an agreement
with these three papers substantially
as set out here. AS the county board
has only the power officially, TO
name one official county paper, the
record of the action appearing in the
minutes says in effect that The
Twin Falls Times be and is hereby
designated the official paper, during
the pleasure of the board" The ar
engagements with the two weekly pa
psrs was necessarily unofficial but
gave the county increased benefits
without increased costs.
See anything rotten about that?
Any extravaganza, or breaking of
economy pledges?
Yet, a weekly paper in Twin Falls
last week announced II had made an
offer to the county board TO publish |
the proceedings for so cents an inch |
1.-THE exact amount now paid for pub
LEGATION in the official paper) and |
challenged the board TO reject it's Of
fer. 1t charged that the present
price now paid was excessive; an
nounced Il was determined to save
the taxpayers money now being
'wasted"i
Through action taken by the com
missioners Saturday afternoon the
offer OF the weekly was definitely
rejected. The Record wishes to COM
mend the decision of the board TO its
by not permitting Itself
TO be blackmailed into an action
prompted by selfish and personal
II the county officials would place
themselves at the mercy at every fly
by-night newspaper that comes along
they could continually be naming
new official organs. and thus taciuy
IN ling the support and endorse
.'ssif of the county to the founding
Of numerous such enterprises which
would be only to glad to take county
printing at so. 40. 80 or even 20
cents an inch.
The board is asking no particular
defense of its actions in refusing TO
consider the offer made g. II simply
aid what any other three level-head-
cd officials would do under similar
conditions
Any attempt TO intimate that this
sane and conservative policy on the
part OF the board is akin to the Tea
pot Dome exposures in Washington.
4 tn itself justification for the Dis
regard which invariably IS given The
and him who for
BETTY reasons seeks to underraine
character and confidence in any COM
nunity.