The people's voice., 1950-01-20
To This Voice Reader
Exorbitant Fee Paid
Small Is Way Out
OF ALI Reason
Editor, Peoples Voice
Helena, Montana

lIedu WIN interest your eullOTldI
Small Change" in January 18th is
sue. Like all your editorials on the
Lewis & Clark grand jury you have
again accurately reflected the opin-
ion of myself and many other tax
payers.
While | was strong for the calling
of a grand jury, and disappointed in
the choice of the special prosecutor,
was encouraged by the early indict-
ments of men who had been openly
Haunting the gambling laws. Of
course | noticed that none of the spe-
cial prosecutors ex-clients were
among those indicted Later, though,
Tom the Alley got hooked. / can't
help but feel that so long as the
county attorney was not under ac-
cusation, there was no need for any
special prosecutor.
However, since the first indict-
ments, all the others have been con-
fined to the same bunch. 1t looks
like the jury is beating the same bear
around stump. | and my neighbors
are wondering more and more what
KIND Of game is going on. Now |
don't object to beating that particular
bear, but | do think that if that's the
only game in the woods it is time to
stop and consider if the cost of am
munition isn't bit too high for game
that's already shot. One good indict-
ment will salt the crooks away, and,
we have learned that the indictments
are darn expensive.
Your break down on the money
paid the special prosecutor Clearing
In mind tnat we already pay taxes
Tor county attorney and depuues)
is good, as far as it goes. But, how
about going closer to nome.?
Doesn't Exactly Make Sense,
Does 1t?
The Attorney General, who usually
acts when a county attorney is dis
qualified, gets only $4,000 for a
years work. That is just one half
what Mr.. Small was paid by one
county for less than one half year.
By your computation we taxpayers
are stuck for paying Small in one
hour more than the. state pays its
highest law enforcement official in
a day.
But, when you get to the county |
level, the comparison is completely |
staggering. In Lewis q Clark the |
county attorney gets less in month |
than Small gets for doing only part |
of the county attorneys official job |
for few days.
But the straw that breaks the back |
of this patient camel, and causes me |
to hold my nose, is the recently pub
lished, lame and and misleading ex-
cuse for a justification of a half /
years activity and an exorbitant eX-
pense account. | see the foreman
of the jury proudly brags that there
are now at least 40 more slot ma
chimes robbing the citizens of this
community than there were before
the jury started. He points out that
there are now ITO slot machines op-
Grating. I recall that after the at
torney general put Mr.. Smalls client,
Mr. Israel out of the slot machine
business ldSL June IneTe WASH l. q
slot machine at all, except in regu-
lar vets and fraternal organizations
1t is certainly an evil state of af-
fairs when the last resort in law en-
or at least one member
points with pride to its most
singular failure to enforce the law.
What with $500.00 fees for a
single appearance in the Supreme
Court I was there at the time and
it was evident even to this layman
that the County Attorney, Magnus-
sen, was the only lawyer prepared
on his subject. If E. K. Cheadle was 6
worth $500.00, Magnussen was worth
five times as much on the basis of
performance and complete silence
on accomplishment for the last four
months, and the increase in public
" operated "one-armed bandits, l {
think the deal is getting a bit rough. j
Continued on Page Three)