The producers news., 1930-10-10

favor of keeping the Agent, then the natter "oulo
have been settled.
The County Agent, if his services are worth
while. should not be afraid to submit the matter
to the voters nor should those supporting nlm
The fact that the election was not ordered proves
that the county agent advocates are afraid 10 sub
nit the matter to the people. The excuses TOR
rot submitting are puerile and foolish and would
be lust as logical a reason for not holding an
election at ALL No harm could have possibly re-
suited and the controversy could have been de-
cided definitely one way or the other And the
fact that the Assn. talked over by such argu-
ment reflects no credit on the Assn.
In the letter given to the press, it seems that
the Assn members were impressed with what Nlels
Madsen told them about the great savings to be
had by a change being made in the changing OF
the tax receipt system. That stuff Is humorous,
if not positively silly. The tax receipt system In
vogue has been in use for some time and it is our
guess, founded on some experience that the
change will cost more instead of making saving.
The system in use is very good and was adequate
The idea good, however, a red herring to
divert attention away from economies that could
be made, and the wording of the release was such
as to give Nies Madsen an indirect boost
AS matter of fact, the Taxpayers Assn in
the first place was child of the mind of Niels
Madsen and Viggo Petersen, conceived for the
purpose of boosting Niels Madsen's candidacy for
reelection to the office of Clerk Recorder, and
to put Alfred Jensen over as Assessor. The baby
got away from the parents at the hospital but
Nels is still trying to it, and in using it, is
willing to let the French-D Dolin- Powers machine
use it too. So the release sort of okeys the Com
missoners, and Alfred Jensen has filed as an Inde
pendent candidate for Assessor. The Assn. did not
express its opinion the principle Of letting
tracts for the purchase of cuverts and lumber and
road machinery for the county without submitting
the same to bio: nor has it expressed an opinion
about letting the printing contract without bids
as was not done when the farmers were in power.
This matter Of calling for bids is matter of prin-
ciple and one easy to formulate opinion 1t is
easy to decide not to put the county another $780,
900 into the hole next year for road construction
because the budget law now in operation does not
permit it. 1t is easy to go straight when one has
to.
The Assn. might have inquired as to whether
Nels Madsen could not dispense with some of the
help that he has employed in his office. 1t is
matter of common talk that Nies signed paper!
with Viggo Petersen for the purchase of a ga
truck, and that he has been keeping one of Viggo'
DOyo VA pay TOilJ uOC Hetueu, III Oruer 10 nell
Viggo pay for the truck. Investigation into th
reports of the Montana Taxpayers Association
would disclose that the office of Clerk Record
er in Sheridan county is one of the most expen
sive in the state for counties of this class, Will
the taxpayers are laboring under the deusion tha
Niels is an exceptionally efficient and economica
officer. In fact Niels spent quite number @
dollars during the last week telegraphing to tr
to find an excuse to refuse to file the Farmer
Labor ticket that could just as well have bee
saved to the taxpayers. Neils doesn't want
/ F~rruer-I.abVr ticket the ballot.
Then, the Association might have profitaby Il
quired into what those "other expenses of the Con
missiOners were for and have told the taxpayers a
about it. That would have been interesting an
instructive. It would not have needed to hay
been partial or political about the matter: the ia,
payers, we figure would like to know the facts.
And then, we believe, that the Associate
should disclose just who it is and who are maxim