The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1928-10-19
The History of
Ben LarsOn's Grievance

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The Circle Banner of August 81, contained an
article signed as follows From the Central Part of
McCOne County" although it was made to appear as
a contribution from some reader of the Banner, it is
evident that the letter was written by Ben M. Larson.
This is Ben Larson's pet mode of singing mud.
In every campaign during the past few years ne has
published these anonymous contributions. He evil
IDENTIFY believes that the public pays more attention
to these than his own garbled editorials.
In the article referred to appears this very illum-
mating paragraph, 1--WE don't feel as though we are
to blame for any mistake that the county commission
ers have made when they got in a little mixup a few
years ago and dragged a new printing office into Cir
Gle out of a little bad feeling. You have had a chance
to see for yourself whether it was a good idea or not
but nevertheless it has not been a paying affair"
Does not the above paragraph sound like Ben
Larson? We concede that the dragging in and publ
cation of the McCone County News was not a paying
affair for Ben Larson. What with paying fat fees to
lawyers to force the McCone County commissioners
to accept an illegal printing contract. With paying
high priced lawyers in his mad attempt to Dust Tom
Horsford from the board Of commissioners, with los
ing all the county printing, except the sherlffs tor
two years and finally having to accept the county
printing Job at Is per cent below the maximum al
lowed by the Montana State Laws. How could it be
anything but Improbable to Ben Larson. Nor was 1t
profitable to Tom Horsford, although many OF MS
friends subscribed to a "Horsford Defense" fund, yet
Horsford had to dig up hundreds OF dollars IRON ms
own pocket, money that he and his family need and
could i'll afford to lose.
The party that did profit from the fight was
McCone County. It is safe to say that McCone Coun-
ty has saved enough on its printing since tne Ilght
was started in December 18th, 1924 until now to more
than pay all the money that Tom Horsford has drawn
from McCone County during the years ne has been a
commissioner, and the saving IS still gong on. Inc
present printing contract which expires IN december
1929, allows the county a 10 per cent discount loih
statutory rates. -
Ben Larson would have the people believe that
there is little or no profits in the printing business
and that the so called statutory rates are SO low thaI
he can not stand a Is per cent reducton, puI nele q : :
with the prices McCone County would have TO pay
for the same work were it allowed to get It's pruning
Larson's Printing Charges
The statutory rates allows Ben Larson to charge
McCone County $500 for each precinct register. d n
reoisters can be gotten on the open Market lot QUO
each. Under the Montana printing law Larson - a.
lowed to charge $3.50 for $500 assessment oo snee oo
Tast snring he billed them to the county at Szoo.oO'
he;no disaIlowed the sum of $3.50 for over charge.
These same sheets can be secured from other Null
tana firms for less than forty dollars,
One can readily see from the above ltenls IIld0
the laws of Montana are llberal 10 Cne IomSy nannr
Fortunately most counties nave mole n"n o"o pr
""' 500 Tackled On
porbans = little review of the printing flghI re-
calling some of the events Would De lnCeleoons 1904
uo+ors After the primary election OF the year l9s4,
Ran Larson submitted a claim to McCone County IT =
n nGn the primary ballots used in said election ll III ne
presented a claim for 100000 for pruning ne un,
lots, whereas the Montana law sets tn the I'M maS Sar1ice
amount the commissioners may pay Tor 1nl ho : sniff
az aien nfr enumeration for the three or four days 1t taxes
q p'i When asked to explain why he od tack ( sr;S on 1a+' rme
extra $4,000 he replied that the 1873 rs The heg nTimarv
y al1ots to be rotated which made more WORN - 49,
t Ga'P bal1o = And although the Legislature NAG not
increased na,ed' the amount, which the counties would a'1ra pay pay
for the printing he was sure that the Leg Legl hGd mer nau
Intended to make such an increase out hao heieS
me commissioners however felt that regardless
,ow the county printer might feel about the matter
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR