The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1932-08-26
Med. LAKE WAVE
OFFICIAL PAPER
CONTRACT CANCELLED WHEN
PRINTING ILLEGALLY
DONE IN N. D.
(Medicine Lake Wave)

the county printing 'squabble' ths
has been before the board an
which has attracted the attentio
of many interested taxpayers 70
over a month.
AT the regular meeting of tn
county commissioners early in Jul,
evidence was submitted to then
by interested taxpayers, that MI
Polk was violating the printin!
contract of the Plentywood Heralt
in different ways, the most fla
grant and brazen was the contin
ued printing of Sheridan count!
supplies at Williston, North Da
kota. The law is very clear on this
point that this cannot be done
legally. Printing for which any
county of the state is chargeable
must be produced in the state OF
Montana, by Montana labor and
not taken to some other state
where it will benefit other than
Montana labor.
The committee which presented
this evidence to the board demand
ed immediate action and cancella-
ton of the Herald's contract. The
board was not stampeded into hasty
action. They did not jump at con-
illusions. They wished to be fair
to all concerned. They set a date
ten days in advance for further
consideration in the matter and
during that time sought legal ad-
wise. Contrary to the expectations
and demands, the board did not
cancel the Herald contract but ex-
tended to Mr.. Polk every opportun-
ity to defend his action and a date
was set, August 1, at which time
he was given an opportunity to
show cause why his contract should
not be Cancelled. He was asked to
bring for the boards investigation
his books and records to show
what amount of the Sheridan coun-
ty printing had been done outside
the state, at Williston. Upon the
date set for the hearing to show
cause, Mr.. Polk through his coun-
sci, Howard Lewis, appeared and
talked the matter over" with the
board but failed to bring any books
or records or in any way show
cause why the contract should not
be cancelled.
On that date it was stated that
the Attorney General had been ask
ed for an opinion and that it would
be available in a few days, acting
upon this information the board
extended the time for another
week, wishing to have before them
all legal advise possible and to
give Mr.. Polk every opportunity
to defend his position but as late
as Tuesday after waiting for near
" a month the opinion from the
Attorney General was not produced
and no opinion was received by
the board from the Attorney Gen
eral as late as Tuesday afternoon.
At the time, over a month ago,
that Mr.. Polk was called before
the board to explain his violation
of the contract he openly and free
ly admitted that considerable of
the Sheridan county printing had
been done outside the state, at
Williston, and that at that very
time a job was in process of COM
pletion in his Williston plant. He
stated that all his books and rec
Ords were open for the board for
investigation, but when called up
on to produce such records, he did
not do so.
With undeniable evidence before
them that the Herald contract was
being violated, the board had no
option other than to cancel the
contract. 1t is also mandatory upon
the board to provide for the county
an official newspaper and award
the contract to some paper with
in the county, this was not such an
easy matter to agree upon as Con-
missioner Carl Hansen insisted
that the contract be awarded to
the Producers News. Commission
er Frank French insisted that the
contract be awarded to the Medi
cine Lake Wave. Commissioner Vic
Anker took no stand in this con-
troversy, there the matter stood,
a deadlock.
The deadlock was broken when
an agreement was reached by IIr.
Hansen and Mr.. French that the
county printing be divided between
the two papers in question, so it
was that following the cancellation
d