The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1948-05-27


and released today from
the office of State Auditor
Joseph T. Ferguson. The
charges are strictly those of
Auditor Ferguson and from
all indications is the begin
ming of a terrific political
up-heaval in Noble county.>
COLUMBUS - Especially -
State Auditor Joseph T. Fergu-
son today charged Noble County
Engineer Homer Weldon with
o.ierating retail sales business
III competition with local sup
pliers in Stag and culvert pipe
off the Noble county public
stock pile from the county ma
t,rial yard.
Ferguson's charge followed
:elrase today of a preliminary
report on illegal" practices in
the engineers office. He said
no estimate has been made as
yet as to what way Mr. Weldon
"profitt2d" from such transac-
tiOns. He revealed the inves-
tigation is still in progress, and
added that Mr.. Weldon con-
Quoted his business without OBJ
ta;ning a vendors license or
collecting a state sales tax.
The state auditor said the cx-
animation has revealed SO far
that Stag purchased by the
county has been sold to private
individuals, companies, and cor
porations and payment has been
made in some cases direct to the
Stag company However, he
added, payment has been for
material alone at the same
price as paid by the county,
f OBJ. cars. No charge has been
made for hauling and spreading
when hauled by county trucks.
Many cases have been found,
supported by affidavits, Fergu-
son declared, where individuals
have received Stag without any
cost to them for either material
or hauling.
Those who did pay, he said,
were instructed by Mr.. Weldon
to make checks payable to the
Standard Stag Company, of
youngstown, and those who paid
cash were given receipts signed
The Standard Stag Company,
per Homer Weldon, County
Engineer"
The examination SO far re-
vealed a total of S4,756.77 paid
to the Standard Stag Company
for Stag delivered to private in
dividualS from the county ma
terial yard. This amount repre-
sentS the actual cost. of the Stag,
and does not include costs for
handling in the yard and haul
ing and spreading on private
property.
Included among the private
individuals who received Stag
from county material yard
and who made payments to
the Standard Stag Company
were a number of public Of
ficialS.
Ferguson said an intensive in
vestigation of the disposition of
Stag and culvert pipe was made
necessary due to the fact no
records we're kept. He said the
culvert pipe from the Republic
Steel Company was handled in
much the same" manner as the
Stag.
Ferguson further revealed
that since January l, 1945, more
than $4,000 worth of Stag has
been billed to Noble county,
and more than $4,000 worth of
culvert pipe. Yet, he said, no
record was kept by the county
engineer, county commissioners,
or any of their subordinates as to
the disposition or use of this
material.
The state auditor said he has
affidavits from Mr.. Weldon and
other employees in his office
testifying to the fact that no
records have been kept relative
to the use and disposal of Stag
and culVert pipe"
He added: '"Testimony and
affidavits clearly show that Mr..
Weldon is responsible for the
disposition of Stag, and for the
disposition of other material in
a lesser degree. The whole pro-
cedure in handling material has
been illegal. In addition, the
county commissioners are re-
sponsible with Mr.. Weldon for
the illegal use of county en-
ployes and material to build
culverts and bridges on private
property"
Ferguson said the whole eX-
animation has been made diff
cult due to the fact that truck
drivers who handled the ma
terial and the county engineer
suffered from mass amnesia -
none of them could remember
anything that would be Of as
sistance in determining the ex-
tent of the illegal disposition of
the material.
He said there is much more
information to be obtained be
lore a complete report can be