The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-03-14
CONCERNING VICTOR ANKER
"a Contributed EditoriaD

In the long letter printed February 21st and
signed: John A. Stahlberg, l am warned to leave
Vlcor Anker alone or something awful is going
20 happen No person in public office is over and
above criticism Criticism can be we'll meaning
ana some times person benefit by it if he
is able to take it with a smile
All remember ever said about Victor Anker
was the sarcastic remark "He sure can introduce
resolutions IN such nice innocent way" This
would probably lead people to believe that | do
not like the man. l did not vote for him but be-
neVe II or not, have lot of respect for Victor
Anker just the same and / think he is absolutely
honest, which is qualification all county COM
mlssloners should have and don't all have but
honesty don't make good county commissioner
although 1t goes long ways toward it.
1t Will take some space for me to explain lust
what meant with my aforementioned sarcastic
remark but l feel that l owe an explanation to
the public and to Victor Anker
county treasurer is not supposed to take peo-
pies cnecks In payment of taxes but, in order to
accommodate people, county treasurer does
and always did take check. but does not issue
the tax receipt before the check is made good Did
you get that?
In 1923, at taxpaying time, Plentywood bank
closed its doors At that time the county treasurer
mad several checks on hand issued on the closed
bank. These checks were no good to him. and the
people who were caught had to dig up the money
somehow before they could get their tax recent
OF course Butt among these bum checks were one
issued by man who owned over 1000 acres of
land and who was big shareholder in the closed
oanK ana VINO also was friend of the two county
commissioners ''
The two county commissioners wanted to helm
their friend out and wanted to cancel his taxes
The two of them had the will to do # They were
the majority of the board, but they did not have
the nerve to go through with it. They knew it
was rotten deal but they wanted it to look re-
spectacle. First they tried to get Chas Lundeen
70 go on IL, but Charley was TOO smart and too
honest, ne wouldn't CO. So the two of them wait
ed, and when Art Wankel took Lundeen's place
they tried it again Art, but he wouldn't 90. So
the two of them waited again until Victor Anker
was elected, and it was Victor Anker who intro
duced the resolution canceling the taxes for the
Dig land owner and giving back to him his bum
cneck' The county was out 81, 100000 on the deal.
by TINS deal the three commissioners have nut
themselves In bad fix; they had no more RIGHT tn
cancel that mans taxes than have Rv doino II
they have violated the constitution of the state of
Montana, and they themselves are resnonsihle on
their bonds for the $1,000. It is now the duty of
the county attorney to recover that amount frono
the commissioners. If he doesn't then II becomes
the duty of the attorney general of Montana to see
to it that he does act
The two commissioners had waited and waited
all Chese years In order to get someone to mt a
respectable touch to the illegal deal thew vantad
put over and never had the nerve to do it them
selves Victor Anker was the man thew had been
waiting for and he did just what they wanted him
70 DO, and he did it without knowing he was doing
anything unlawful. Probably he was even nroud
because they let him have the honor of INTRODUCING
the resolution.
The other resolution which Victor Anker had
the honor of introducing was the one where Fred
lbsen was handed a 100000 contract This con-
tract was first planned to be $15,OOOOO one-at
tnat time 1t was not Fred Ibsen-and If is a safe
pet that the $4,000 was never mentioned to Vic
Uor Anker. 1t was too raw and thew knew he would
never go on it. so it was cut down to 81 OOO
ratner like Fred Ibsen and / am sure he can
DO the work but there are lot of other neonle
VINO can DO that work just as well as he can.
these people would be glad to take that ioh Of
$3.50 per month and even less. At that rate > nar0
son could be working for the county for four
years. Now, you can't tell me that Fred Ibsen is
gong TO spend all his time at that job for the next
four years. | doubt very much that he ever viii
spend four months of his time on it. For that mot
Ter 1t make no difference how little time he spends
on IL, the work is not doing anybody anv pood
anyway ' s0ou
What want to get at is this: Victor Ankar in
troduced these two resolutions It was WRONG Inn
9een knew 1T was wrong and so did Wankel hut
victor Anker did not know it, he thinks everybody
Just as honest as ne is, and he is too proud to
seek information where it could he oottan IN
these two cases he should have gone and talked r.
over with the former county treasurer. Had he
done that Victor Anker would never have Intro.
duced the two resolutions
If Victor Anker ever gets over heinz FOO ,o,5
TO seek reliable information before he acts tbe h.
VIII make good county commissioner
mat the county commissioners are running the
road fund IN the hole at the rate of $50 100000 each
year is bad business looking at it from financial
standpoint But do not Law the blame for tb+ -
victor Anker's door. 1t would be foolish of him
laying low IN his district while the other two com
districts S s@iore IN Ineir
In the last Producers News suggested that the
county should take the contract for building the
state highway through the county. The supoest ion
seems to make hit with everybody bsa Li
no criticisms II the suggestion came from com
mercal club doubt Victor Anker wonld he for
II, and for it strong. and he could put il over #
ne really wanted to- It will be interesting TO see #
ne can forget about his pride and take tbs sare
from IL rSTS s I II comes