The producers news., 1927-03-25
OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
By Hans Rasmussen

For a number of years the county has bought
two loads of steel culverts each year. Before
any contracts were let, letters sent out to
dozen different culvert firms, asking them to
submit bids at a certain date The bids would
then be opened and read at a public meeting be-
fore the County Commissioners, and anybody else
who cared to listen. The contract would then be
awarded to the best and lowest bidder. This was
fair and regular way of doing business and
nobody had a chance to get rake off on deal
Of that kind.
1t is different now. Our present County Com
missioners do not believe in the old style any
more They have found some new way, which
they like much better, and no doubt is better
for those who get the benefit of it. The only
trouble is that it is little hard on you taxpayers
pocket book.
At our Commissioners February meeting,
culvert agent was here. The Commissioners and
he had good time He stayed with them
for three days and nights. He even stuck bottles
in their pockets for them to take with them home
and l was told that for days after there was
peculiar smell around Ed Iversons place which
did not come from castor oil either
The result of this meeting was that a contract
for two loads of steel culverts was handed out
to North Dakota Culvert Co.. Fargo, n D. The
price our County Commissioners agreed to pay
was $78528O
l have before letter showing that | could
have bought the same grade and same amount of
culverts laid down here for $6,8448O or, ONE
THOUSAND and EIGHT DOLLARS Isl ,OOO8OO)
less than our Commissioners agreed to pay If
anybody doubts my figures just come in and I
VIII show it to you. Still the County Commission
ers have the nerve to tell you they fired me in
order to save you taxpayers money. Of course
thousand dollars is not so very much when it
is divided up among all the taxpayers but it is a
nice little sum when it is only divided up in one
or two parts
The other day the county received two new
tractors, costing the county about Eleven Thous
and Dollars. They are no doubt good tractors
and are probably just what the taxpayers want
l might come out and tell you some more about
this deal other time.
l sometimes wonder who stole the county
money anyway. 1t seems like our County Com
missioners are not crazy about getting the State
Attorney General up here to work on the case, ev-
en- II he offers to do it free of charge Of course
the State Attorney General never voted for Frank
French, which I suppose Mr. Babcock did, and
Frank believes in rewarding his supporters as
long as it is no money out of his own pocket He
Is not traitor to his party like Ed Iverson is
Frank French was supposed to be out of the
county at the time the robbery took place. SO
that clears him. just wonder where he was at
and what he was doing at the time. It does look
little funny that ne wants to spend the taxpav-
ers money on hiring an attorney when the county
can get one free I sometimes wonder what
Frank and Mr.. Babcock are doing when thew
leaVe town after dark and go in a southwesterlv
direction, but probably they only go out among
the nils and play little game of Tiddelvwink
all by themselves, and you can not blame County
commissioner for wanting a little recreation af
ter hard days labor in the commissioners room
from to 5.
Ed Iverson was in town on the day of the
robbery and also on the day before you wouldn't
hardly think anybody would let him in on the
DEAL but, he is not crazy about getting the Hell
ena lawyer here either for some reason.
Little Joe's Mama in Medicine Lake is hoUer-
ing her head off in her paper about the robbery
1t looks like she is very much afraid that some
body should think her little Joe did it. She
knows he is bad boy and that he has tried TO
rob the county before, and she is probably not
sure that ne would not do it again If he has
been naughty again, she should take him over
her knee and spank him instead of trying to
blame 1t on someone else. l just wonder if the
insurance company is paying Little Joes mama
Tor the extra copies she is sending out in order
to beat the county out of the insurance They
tell me that some people in this county would he
willing to lose their last leg if the county could
only lose this money,