The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-09
e: ON I'll N U E ID
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Hearing in Burleigh
Custer Case Closed

Gronna, at the time was young and
inexperienced lawyer and that his
opinion, "given when mere states
attorney" could have no bearing on
the Burleigh county action.
Other Counties Did II
Commissioner Abern permitted the
statement to stand, however, when 1t
was shown that Register had referred
to 1t in a conversation after Conrad
and Orr had filed their protest. An
other factor in his voting to extend
the 1882 contract, Swanson said, was
his knowledge and information that
other counties were doing the same
thing.
Regarding purchases made from
The Tribune in 1881, when the quick
Print had q contract to furnish Ger
tain supplies to the county, Swanson
said he had nothing to do with these,
that the auditor, treasurer and chair
man of the county board were the
purchasing committee to buy this
class of material. He approved the
bills, he said, only after the auditor
and chairman Of the county board
had 20. KID" them.
Asked by McCurdy about an opinion
Of Charles Simon, then assistant at
torney general, given in 1881 and re-
curing advertisements for bids, Swan
son said he paid attention only to
that part dealing with election sup
plies, since that was what they were
interested in at the time.
He denied, on cross-examlnatlon,
that he had conyersed with or visited
anyone connected with The Bismarck
Tribune company on the night before
the motion to advertise for bids in
1893 was rescindd and decision mace
to extend the previous years contract
with The Tribune.
Asked by Sullivan if Anderson had
not twice opposed him as candidate
for county commissioner and II Bliss
had not opposed him once, Swanson
was stopped from answering and an
objection by McCurdy was sustained.
Solder, supporting Swanson's tesu-
mony on all vital points, said the
question Of whether 1t was necessary
to advertise for bids had been an
argumentative one during his II years
on the county board and explained
the insertion by Chairman Will OF ad-
ditional matter in the Quick Prints
bid OF 1881. The bid, he said, did not
specify the quality Of materials to be
used and VIII wrote this into the bid
In ink before the contract was let to
the Quick Print.
Followed Usual Custom
He said miscellaneous printing and
supply orders were given out to sew
eral local firms in 1881 while the
Quick Print had the general contract,
mentioning Humphreys and Moule,
Hoskins- Meyer, and The Globe Ga
zette, the latter q Wahpeton firm, as
well as the Bismarck Tribune COM
pany. The fact that some OF this
business went to The Tribune was a
major point in the prosecutions case.
The same practice was followed, he
said. when The Tribune had the gen.
eral contract, such matters being ap-
proved by the purchasing committee
and the bills paid by the commission
erS.
At the time he voted to accept q TO-
percent reduction in price and renew
the 1882 contract, he deemed 1t a good
deal for the county and considered
the action lawful, he said. He said
his whole knowledge Of the PROPOSE
ton came to him in open meeting o.
the board and that he had entered
into no secret agreement regarding 1t
On April s, Solder said, he over
heard Conrad and Tiedman in con
versation in the auditors office an
Joined the talk, sitting down besid
them.
Conrad Makes Threat
Conrad, he said, told them:
III you fellows don't rescind your
action and advertise for bids, I'll
see that You are removed by the
governor"
y Solder said he answered: "All
right, II that's the way you feel
sabout It 90 ahead. II they can
extend contracts In other conn.
ties Why can't We do It here?"
: Courad's answer, Solder said,
was: well. this Is Burleigh
J county"
The same day, he said, he aske
Registers opinion on the legality {
the action and followed the advic
which Register gave him, holding u
purchases on the extended contrac
until its propriety could be deter
mined by the boards legal advisor
l mi S>v1 ASsor