The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1927-06-09
AUDIT OF PICKET JOURNAL BILLS SHOWS
GROSS 0VERCHARCES FROM COUNTY
commissioners Receive Report Of Expert Accountant
Monday; Order County Attorney to Collect S5122S1
from Chas. H. Draper, Publisher; Violated State Law

At the meeting of the Board c
County Commissioners held Monda
and Tuesday, Paul E. Hogan, exper
accountant and auditor of Yellow
stone county, submitted a report o
his audit of the bills paid to th
Picket-Journal during the past si
years for printing, which repor
showed over-charges made by tn
Picket-Journal in the sum o
S5,l22.81. The board made an orde
instructing County Attorney E. P
Conwell to collect that sum, plus th,
penalty attached in such cases from
Charles II. Draper, publisher of tn,
Plelet-Journa1, or from his bondsmen
At the time the county printing
contract was let at the meeting Of
the Commissioners held last Novem
Der, q. H. P. Shelley, editor of the
Carbon County News, made the state.
ment that he had looked over some
of the bills submitted by Mr.. Draper
for printing. The Commissioners ex-
amined several of the bills also and
decided that such was true, which led
them to employ an expert accountant
to make an audit of the bills submitted
by Mr.. Draper and render his report
to them. Such was done by Mr.. Hogan
on last Monday and his report show
ed an overcharge now due from Mr..
Draper to the county in the sum of
S5,122.S1. 1t is understood that the
County Attorney made his demand
to Mr.. Draper in writing for the return
to the county of that sum of money
plus 20 per cent penalty, as provided
by law, and it is not known whether
or not any response has been made by
Mr.. Draper to the demand Attorney
John G. Skinner of this city is en-
ployed to assist Mr.. Conwell in the
matter in the event that suit will
have to be instituted for the refund.
An examination of the reports SUBJ
mitted by Mr.. Hogan discloses gross
overcharges in various items of
printing and which bills were present.
ed and paid. The report also discloses
that Mr.. Draper furnished books to
the county which were made and
printed outside the boundary lines Of
the state of Montana in violation of
law, instead of having the work done
within the state. Mr.. Hogan also
states that his report is not complete
because of the fact that he had no ac-
cess to the files of the Picket-J Journal
for the years 1921, 1922, 1928 and
1924, so as to check up the legal pub
lications for those years and deter
mine what, if any, overcharges were
made during that period of time and
it is probable that an additional and
supplemental report will be submitted
at later date, if it is found neces-
sary to institute suit to force a re-
turn of the money alleged in the re-
port to be due from Mr.. Draper to
Carbon county. Mr.. Hogan examined
copies of the Picket-Journal for the
years 1925 and 1926 and his report
shows many discrepancies against the
county and in favor of Mr.. Draper
because of overcharges in the legal
printing in such papers, return of
which will also be asked.
At the time the bids were submitted
% the County Commissioners for the
contracts for the 1927 and 1928 print
ng contract Mr.. Draper was present.
IN the issue of the Pickett Journal un-
ler date of November II, 1926, fol-
owing the letting of the county print
ng contract to the Carbon County
News, the Pickett Journal editor
charged that PARTISAN politics had
oeen introduced into the conduct of
he county's business affairs by such
action on the part of the Commission
RS Board, and also charged that let
ing Carbon County's printing con-
ract to the Carbon County News
would cost the taxpayers from three
o four thousand dollars extra during
he coming two year period, as result
# such action. Speaking editorially
lnder the title, $50 the Taxpayers
Nay Know" he said in part: "Under
he new contract beginning January
st, there will be exacted from the
axpayers a toll average somewhere
,etween one hundred and two hundred
Iollars month which acceptance of
he Picket-Journal offer would have
aved." He also said, in speaking
that ridiculous assertions
oncerning alleged overcharges by the
'icket-J Journal were made before the
Commissioners when bids were under
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