The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-10-17
What Price Commissioners?

fact the sessions of the board of
county commissioners are consid-
cred a court and proceed much as
court does. The expanding of
the taxpayers money is largely in
their hands. They have also large
powers of control over the other
offices. The Commissioners han
die the road and bridge funds, the
poor funds, and expend a lot of
the general funds for supplies, etc.
The Board does all the buying for
the county. 1t appoints officers
to fill vacancies. The county COM
missioners have a lot to do about
the cost of running the county.
So when the citizen votes for a
member of the board he should, if
he is interested in his own affairs,
do a little thinking about this of
flee.
The records of the cost of the
County Commissioners alone over
number of years, are interesting
Ill ICdQlIlSs
Let US look over these costs,
which were used for payment Of
per diem and mileage of the Com
missioners for attending sessions
and for mileage and per diem for
inspecting roads. One interesting
feature in connection with the
road and bridge inspection, is
that the county commissioner is
paying the county surveyor near
ly 5000 per month for doing this
same work. 80
Starting in 1922 when r. G. Ty-
Ter, Jens Ibsen and Judd Watkins
were County Commissioners the
expenses for the Board for all
purposes, were $4,483.88. Charles
Lundeen was elected Commission
, er in the fall of 1922. In 1923,
the first year of Lundeen, the ex-
penses of the Commissioners for
all purposes fell to $2,587.52, OF
about half. In 1924, the second
year of Lundeen, the expenses fell
to $1,673.61. In the fall of 1924
Ed IversQn was elected as County
Commissioner on the Farmer La
Dor ticket, pledged to cooperate
with Lundeen. In the last days
of December, Jens Ibsen resigned
and the last official act of Judge
Conner, was to appoint Frank
French of Medicine Lake to sue
coed Ibsen. Now Ed Powers comes
into the picture, behind the scene
and the Powers-Dolin- French ma.
chine formed. Iverson worked with
French the first year or so and
In 1925, the expenses of the Com
missiones for all purposes was
81, 764.78. In 1926, Iverson fol
one excuse or another, went hay.
wire, quit the Farmer-Labor par.
ty because, he said, they were q
bunch of crooks, but the commits.
sioners expenses mounted to S..
367.14 that year. In 1926, French
was up for reelection, and liver.
son campaigned for him on the
Republican ticket. French was re.
elected by about 100 votes ovel
Peter Helm of Westby. That
year saw the first defeat of Far.
mer-Labor candidates: three were
defeated that election.
In fall of 1926, Charles Lundeer
resigned and Robert Kahle of Out.
look was appointed to take his
place. Kahle did not last long
He threw in with the Iverson.
French combination and dug in
He resigned in May and Art Wan.
KEEL was appointed to take hi.
place. In 1927 the expenses of the
Board jumped to $6,711.6S.
In 1927 with French and liver.
son still running things, the Com
missioners' expenses dipped Il
In the fall of 1928, the voter.
of Sheridan county voted for tn,
republican candidates, defeatins
the Farmer-Labor Independents fol
every office except for Clerk 4
Recorder. Niels Madsen had n,
opposition. This had been arrang
led with the republican-democrati