The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-09
CONTRACT Z
Solder said his memory on the Simon
opinion Of 1891 was indefinite.
BRIDGE
90 EXPERTS PLAY IT

Solder said his memory on the Simon
opinion Of 1891 was indefinite.
Commenting on the distribution of
county printing and supply business,
Solder said the Quick Print received
some county business while The Trib-
une had the general contract in
1882, the latest being envelopes for
the county treasurer's office. This
item, he commented, was definitely
covered In the contract held by The
Tribune.
Defense Offers Exhibit
Later the defense presented long
list Of items purchased in 1892 from
firms other than The Tribune, al
though The Tribune held the gen.
eral contract. This was appended to
the record with the consent Of the
prosecution. Some Of the items list
ed were bought from the Quick
Print.
Tiedman said he had no previous
experience with county contracts and
that the motion to advertise for bids
was adopted in March without much
discussion. The next day, when the
offer OF reduced contract was
made, he deemed it good business
and voted to accept it. He had no
doubt Of the legality Of such action,
he said, since he was advised other
counties were doing the same thing.
At the time it was voted to extend
the 1882 contracts, he said, there was
little discussion Of the propriety or
legality Of the action and he be-
lieved he had a legal right to exercise
his Judgment In the matter. After
the question Of legality had been
raised, he said. he followed the adj
vice Of the states attorney.
Testifying on Conrad's threat to
have him removed from office, Tied
man said he met Conrad In the lob
by at the boards April meeting.
Conrad, he said, commended that ex-
tension Of the contract was illegal
and said that unless the action were
rescinded he would shave the gov
ernor remove you or see that the
governor removes you"
T1edman was not clear as to the
exact wording Of the threat but was
firm on cross-examination that it
did not consist Of a statement that
failure to act as Conrad suggested
was ground for removal and that it
would give the governor q chance to
remove him.
He said he would see that the gov
ernor removed me-" Tiedman insisted.
Tiedmap said after the threat was
made he and Solder went to see
States Attorney Register and were
told then about Gronna's ruling in
Williams county. After telling Reg
lister they wanted to follow the law,
he said, the latter suggested q course
Of action which he pursued.
Follows Attorneys Advice
A written protest was presented by
Conrad and Orr after he had con-
ferred with Register, he said, and
he was then following Registers ad-
vice.
McCurdy attempted to show that.
when Tiedman became member of
the county board, he found VIII and
Fricke on one side aligned against
Swanson and Solder on the other and
that he was called upon frequently
to break ties between the two groups
and that he always voted with Solder
and Swanson.
Tiedman said he had not noticed
that condition and did not think 1t
was true: that he never had any
general understanding with anyone
as to how he should vote and always
voted In accord with his own judg-
ment. The main subject Of con-
troversy during his brief incum-
bency, he said, was the handling OF
relief money from the Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corporation and on
that matter he followed his own
judgment without regard to how the
other members voted.
McCurdy said, during recess, that
he did not know how much he would
be paid for his services as special
prosecutor in the case but that he
would bill the state for the standard
amount prescribed by legal practice
which is $50 a day. It is the COM
mon practice for the governor, upon
deciding such cases, to charge these
and other costs back to the county.
Frequent reference was made by
McCurdy during the hearing to the
possible presentation Of the record in
the case to court. Whether he had
In mind the fact that the governor
exercises q judicial function in de-
Gliding such matters or possible ap-
peal to the courts from the governors
decision was not made clear.