The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-10-20
Resigns From
Office; Later
Re(0nsiderS
Commissioners Frost Signs
Resignation, Then Seeks
To Rescind Action.
COUNTY ATTORNEY TO
START CUSTER SUIT

1t appears that the Troy county
commissioner district is the only
one where everything is moving
along in its accustomed manner.
In the Libby district 1t has re
quired special election to fill q
vacancy in the commissionership
And in the Eureka district there il
turmoil developing
Last Monday County Commission
er Frost signed a resignation anc
left 1t with County Attorney Long,
with instructions for him to file it
with County Clerk Schuck as is
required by law when county
commissioner resigns. Later Frost
wired the county clerk not to ac-
cept his resignation, nor to file it.
And on Tuesday he filed with the
county clerk an affidavit in which
it is alleged that he (Frost) was in
duced to sign the resignation under
threat of criminal prosecution and
that the signing of the resignation
was not his own free act. Back of
all this is a complicated story.
1ldlIHs ttCt blEbd
Mr.. Frost's signing of the resig
nation followed the writing to him
by County Attorney Long of GER
tain letters and following personal
interviews between Long and Frost.
In the letters and interviews. the
county attorney told Frost that If
he did not resign he would proceed
at once to remove him from office.
He based this Action upon what the
county attorney maintains was an
illegal act by Frost, in that he dis
obeyed an order of the board OF
county commissioners and incurred
Indebtedness presumably against the
county when he had no authority
so to do, as the county attorney al
leges. This also involves other fac
tors. The alleged explanation fol-
lows.
The total sum set aside for road
fund purposes, for the fiscal year
beginning July |, 1888, and ending
June 80, 1899, was $4,000, and some
odd cents. There are certain ex-
penditures to come out of that sum
that cannot be avoided, SO it is al
legged. They include about $500 for
interest on registered road fund
warrants, $500 for county surveyor
fees, and about $4,000 for highway
right Of way, making total of ap.
proximately $4,000. Deducting thai
sum from the $4,000 leaves $685..
100 for road expenses this fisca
year. The gentlemen's agreement
between the county commissioner:
(Which the law does not recognize
would give each commissioner one
third of the total or $4,000 for eacf
mans district. But COMMISSIONS
Frost has far exceeded that amount
Expenditures up to October 6. 1888
by the three county commissioner.
in their respective districts are al
follows: Included in these sums ar,
road bills for June, July, Angus
and September.
BY Commissioner Frost $l6, 678.0I
BY Commissioner Kemp. 6,007.0
A total of ......................S3l 1T OF
I'm these figures, cents are no
considered.)
Deducting the expenditures a
above leaves $5,03300 in the roat
fund for the balance of the year
or for nine months.
Where Alleged Fault Lies
After the trouble of some month
ago, when bills were incurred c
over $4,000 in excess of the roa
fund, the county attorney advise
the commissioners that this matte
could be controlled by designatin
each month the amount each com
missioner could spend on road an
bridges during the following month
The commissioners thereupon adop
ed that method and set forth VIII;
each commissioner could expens
At the following meeting of til
commissioners, Mr.. Frost's bills, fl
his district, were again found to f;
exceed the sum allotted him. Their.
upon the other two commissions
entered an order on the board
minutes that Frost should have /
funds for the following month. TIL
was done on September 10. 4
the October meeting of the boar
Commissioner Frost again appeare
with claims he had incurred again
the road fund of about $4,000, so
is alleged However, it should
said, none of those bills were f
labor All were for such expenc
lures as rental of machines, r
pairs, etc.
Failure by Mr.. Frost to obey Il
order of the board made on Septer
Der 10 and the mourning of t
$1,000 expenditures is what Coun
Attorney Long maintains is lilies
action by Commissioner Frost a
subjects him to removal from {
flee. County Attorney Long /
made the statement that he will
once institute proceedings to reno
Commissioner Frost from office
his refusal to resign.
This Is the present status of
controversy that has been brewi
for several months.