The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-03-13
COVERING 1T UP
By HANS RASMUSSEN

You have heard the one about the busy cat on
the tin roof. That cat was not half as busy COW
erlng up its doings as our county officials are
covering up theirs.
In the February Commissioners proceedings
was this; cat this time some of the bankers of
the county appeared before the board in regard
10 the interest rate to be paid the county for funds
On deposit with the banks, and after lengthy
discussion it was agreed that 10 should be paid
the county for all funds on deposit with the
banks"
these proceedings are written up by Niels Mad
sen and, like the cat, he is doing his best to COW
er up things, but it can't be. done when Won are
working on tin roof. Let us 90 back a few
months and take look
For years the banks have paid No for coun-
ty money on deposit in the banks. In November
we elected Carl Hansen as our county commits
missioner. One thing the taxpayers expected
Carl Hansen to do was to get the banks tn nav
more interest on county money In order tn heat
Carl do it, and not let him get the credit for it. the
old commissioners held meeting in December and
raised the interest rate on the banks from hGb
to 2%. AS soon as Carl Hansen got in office an
other meeting was held where they tried to talk
Carl into cutting it down again to No but Ham
sen stuck to the go or better. Finally French
and Anker agreed on 10 and Carl Hansen vote6
mo"
In the proceedings Niels Madsen does not saw a
word about Hansen voting no. He is misleading
ule people and doing it for a purpose By saving
1t was agreed he is trying to make people be-
i'eve Carl Hansen is lining up with Frank French
and the bankers the same as Niels Madsen himself
is doing He is very careful not to call peonleis
attention TO the fact that Hansen, by voting mo
Cf11nlr e., IL
STUCK up Tor the interests of the people who elect
ed him
We all know that Niels Madsen did not run on
the same ticket as Carl Hansen and did not work
LOT him. Nlels helped suppress the examiners
report Tor the purpose of electing himself and Ed
Nerson. nevertheless, lot of people who voted
Ior Nlels Madsen also voted for Carl Hansen, and
e Is natural they would expect correct report of
the commissioners doings instead of a misleading
enc.
While we are talking about COVERING nm
business man in Reserve said the other dav.
whenever bank deposits county warrant with
the county treasurer as security for sinking fund
money, that warrant does not draw anv Interest
that's the way 1 Understand it." We bod - LII ~
Tie local banker in order to convince him ba wos
wrong. | / am missing my guess if that bno;no..
man doesn't still tell the farmers: "That the 1vav
understand it." 1 sometimes wonder wb,, -
that storekeepers enjoy seeing the county helm,
robbed by the bankers, and will 90 out of tbeir
way to find excuses for it.
That the banks are hard up and can't afford -
pay more than 20 or 10 is probably very true
but what about the rest of US? How MANY IF -
can afford to borrow money at go and lend =
out at 10 just to keep few banks going. Ont
slde OF discounting county and school warrants
the only stroke of banking business have heard
OF was done by Ed. Powers, the banker at Med;-
cle Lake. when he let an ex-soldier have s3Oo
and made him sign note for $500 with nlent,
OF interest besides. That's the kind of tbanlrs ,o.
get Tor going out into the front line trencle
night fer the go who own the $3.50 of evervth.
am glad to hear the American Legion did ~.
let Mr.. Powers get away with it but told hin,
where 70 get off at and made him dig up the
other $500. ~ S"e