10
o thcr y EM"
owing are the reprints of the
nt articles conce ing the
printing, appearing In the
t papers published througa
eridan county.
reading thebe articles you can
for yourself whether the Pro
News indulged in any false
as alleged by the subsidised
of the co~miiasioners of this
also repiroduce the article ap
in the Pioneer Press, in
it tries to defend this high
Idup of the county treasury,
the same time tries to di
ntion from its own duplicity
disgraceful frameup by a ri
and personal attack on the
f the Producers News.
here the editor of this pa
ts to announce that this pa
own by the farmers of this
who dictate its policy. The
is a hired man: hired and
the farmers.
subsidized organ says that
ducers News was the only
r to protest against the
f the peoples' money. May
the only newspaper to pro
wever, there are a number
tions issued in this county
e kicked--and kicked hard
riminal appropriation of the
money.
*ng to the limited circu
the Pioneer Press, and wish
.t .the voters of the county
:opportunity to read the ri
rot that the "gang organ"
. y in trying to defend it
.the culpable board of coun
issioners, we reproduce its
full. We could not indict
se. than they have accused
ng are the reprints:
DO ABOUT
ERIDAN COUNTY
PRINTING CONTRACT
14ewus Flays Pioneer Press,
issioners, Auditor and
rt House "Bunch."
ducers News, or "Pay
it is dubbed by other pa
hbut the county, ap
e with a lengthy article
nee' to the - contract for
nting which was award
Pioneer Press two weeks
's article the writer evad
th and misrepresented the
he extreme. He deliber
about the meeting of1the
rs, which he termed as
IHe accused the different
the court house of be
frame-up." He knowing
ut the Pioneer Press in
ivable manner. The oh- 2
e abusive attack is very
be to defame the name
nty commissioners and
ty officials and lower the
the Pioneer Press in the
reading public.
le is so far from the
led with venomous state
it is hardly worth tak
and we doubt very much
iligent, fair-minded citi
eridan bounty would ac
any manner other than
it is, an attack upon the
e public officials and an
* of endeavor to lower
ons or standing of a
business.
to the article we make
ng statements without
ul contradiction:
n of the commissioners
the regular and proper
d it was not a "secret
* matter of the county
taken up in the usual
manner the sqpne as all
of a like fatnie.
t exist any "frame-up"
Pioneer Press and the
rs or any other public
person. That the con
t this contract in tha
er proscribed- by law
full extract in connec
letting of such con
the present law:
to Provide for the Let.
utracts for the P1li.
Chapter 71, Laws of
thb Sernie, 1911.
to Be Let to
aewepapet that
-f 4
tblot _04~q
:'I h a nif the n~ d pa
it would still > t be 1elng robbM
as weta-&n .the Producers :ews -r:
title,.
The present cotract is
tilly the Sme as that awaeled to
Jos. F. Doha. two years ago, when
competitive bids were aaked or
(which was in compliane with -1o
former law) and two yeals ago the
contract ws: awarded to the lhwest
and best hid.
As to comparing the equipmeut
of the News and the Pioneer Proew
the News' statement that they have
equally as good a plant is a huge
joke. The Pionee, Press equipment
comprises a number of labor-saving
marhines, automatic presses, bind
ing machijies, etc., that we will wager
a bet with Taylor, Worley, Um
breit or any would-be printer that
has ever been employed at the News.
office, that they have but -a faint
knowledge of their existence. There
is as much difference between our
standard Mergenthaler Linotype and
their mongrel typesetting machine
as there is between a Pierce Arrow
automobile and a flivver. The news
'paper press in the News office was
necessarily discarded and thrown out
of the Poplar Standard office some
four years ago, when that paper
had the county printing, because is
was too dilapidated to handle the
work, and this proves their lie -in
that respect, the balance ,of their
lies are farther from the truth. As
to the "shaky paper" the banks hold,
as. the banks. There is little dan
ger, readers of the Pioneer Press,
of suspending publication. I did not
purchase the paper here upon the
request of any person or "clique."
I purchased the location here that I
could more efficiently handle the
commercial printing, legal blank
and office supply business that I
have built up throughout the county, I
and this business was well establish
ed, remember, before I ever -handled t
the county printing. We repeat, we i
doubt very much if slanderous at- ,
tacks from Taylor will bear fruit in t
an endeavor to mar the reputation c
of *e' PIoneer"Pt s'br the news.
paper career of the editor.
AN EXPENSIVE DEAL. c
Ihe County Commissioners Give Ce.
tract to Jos. Delia for County C
Printing for Two Years t
Satliis Own Price. c
1NO COMPETITIVE BJDS
WERII ASKED FOR
6
Secret Session Held Wednesday, May
y 29 aid -Contract Let. With
e Only One Publisher Pres
d ent--WiII Cost County
e Several Thousand
e Dollars Extra
e . The county commissioners met on
- Wednesday, May 29, 1918, at an ad
- journed meet and deliberately gave
i Joseph F. Dolin the contract for the
- county printing for the Meuing two
- years without giving any other
i newspaper man in the county a
a chance to be present.
a This contract. was let under a new
r law that was passed by the state
t legislature held in January and Feb
ruary, 1917, and is known as "Chap
e ter 71." This law does not speci
e fically state that the contract shall
be let by competitive bids, but no
m one will deny Mat even under this
Slaw the county commissionetrs had
the right to advertseb for bids and
r let. the contract to the lowest 144
'=der, b4 .v egr bu d to serve 1he
rtszp conserve the
W Y THAT "I SESSIO
WAS A SIChrr ONU and we shy
a pr that as tion at
iter h. .o l t .
We 4k efmi~ .t
t~~StRO:thZ4
xJ~fitYxthe
.9R
'*5 tei Ik~4 te we~
'M .. in . tue to be preseui
r at thobeard ean g .
d The #ext dayMay :, the contand
r- was given toJoph F. Dolia.
Mr. Weisrich d_- not even call u
t- up on the telephone to notify us thai
0 the contyact was to be let that aft
a ernoon. Furthermore; the board dI
Ir not notify the papers that have
' plants right in -Plerwood of the
o action they proposed to take.
It When the writer was i y Pleaty*
wood on Monday of this week "44
t put up the MATTER F A SECRE'T
a SESSION td EwMars. Matkina d
e -Simmons in an informal manner.
e Mr. Matkins denied that it was a
x SECRET SESSION, but when asked
9 why he did not notify the Plenty
wood publishers, as it was a matter
r in which they were vitally interest
- ed in, he replied that the board had
t decided to let the contract to Mr.
s. Bolin, without asking for competitive
t bids, and that the board did not cere
e to have a` lot of other printers theme
r hollering their heads off. This is the
I substance of what Mr. Matkins said.
? Well, there you are.
f Now, as to its being an qxpensive
- deal to the county and the taxpay.
I ers, we will say that C. S. Nelson,
publisher of the Plentywood Herald
and A. T. Vollum, an attorney of
Plentywood, appeared before the
board of county commissioners oft
Tuesday of this week. In view of
the fact that the board had not ap
proved of their minutes of the meet
_ing of May 29, and that the contract
to Mr. Dolin had not been officially
ratified. Editor Nelson made an of
fer of 10% below the bid submitted
by Joe Dolin on everything there
would be furnished in connection
with the printing. Mr. Nelson of
fered also to give a bond in the s m
of $25,000, which is three times as
much as is asked from Mr. Dolin.
The commissioners, however, stood
pat on the propositin to let the
printing to Mr. Dolin and refused
to consider Mr. Nelson's bid. Tat.
ing as a basis that the county priint
ing will amount to $30,000 during
the next two years, the acceptance
of Mr. Nelson's bid would have
a saving to the county of $3
However, this is not all that wo
have been saved to the county if the
county printing had been let by bids
in the usual manner. Mr. Dolin
would not have -had the nerve to
charge the prices""he .did in this con.
tract if he had been bidding against
competing firnms.
Dolin's bid for the commissioners
proceedings and other legal publica
tions for the ensuing two years is
85% of the legal mate. The Search
light bid for the same two years ago
was 259% of the legal rate, which is
less than half of the rate now paid
to Joe Dolin. This item alone would
have savred the county several hun
dred dollars.
But the main items of expense to
the county under the new contract
will be the election supplies for the
coming primary and general elec
tions. The new law known as "Chap
71" fixes the prices at not to exceed
$22.50 per thousand, per party, for
primary ballots and not to exceed
$60.00 per thousand for general elec
tion ballots, additional thousands not
to exceed $40.00 per thousand. These
prices are quite high when it is
taken into consideration the Search
light bid of two years ago was not
to exceed $10.00 per thousand.
Dolin's contract this year is S0%
less than the new legal rates. The
difference between Dolin's prices un
der the present contract and tlu
prices given in our bid of two years
ago, would mean a asrng to
county of many hundreds of diwra.
Under a competitive bid Dola
wold not hays had the werve to
charge anytMing near the prise he
it being allowed under the cotracti
receatly handsd.d bus.
We tw*aimn rs at&
°the aena hs js ne
4nd bavE _4m _O
,,;4
'te-4
$4 4
t g - given u _der apetitUv
DGLINI GETSl ?389TU40
AT 8P CrAL 888O8
At a sgetial session of the count
Dodast Wednesday t- Count
Commissioners made a tentativ
I agreement toward the o clal count
printing to Josefh F. Dolls, ps
fisher of the Plentywood Pionee.
Press. The motion was passed an
camied to n aomle D o to suece
4immeff, but was pot approved a
this spesial meetina. The com-nis
e soay-.there was no conutra
signed at the time but Mr. Dolii
said Ii his paper list week .that h,
had been renamed County Printea
and it is understood from good an
thodity that a contract was signet
with Dolin on May 81st. The con
tract was not of record on Wednes
day.
The Standurd learns that Com.
rniesioner P.rank Weinrich vote
against a resolution to 4anter into,
contract with Mr. Dolls
The cacumstances surrounding
special meeting are confusing, tc
say the least.
Strange as it may seem, the face
remains however, that Joseph F. Do
fin was the only publisher in Sheri
dan county that knew of the meet±
ing, and accordingly, hie was the
only bid. Other printers, and by the
way, there are about twenty-five of
them in the county, had been led to
believe that the contract would be
given out on June 4th, and with that
information at hangi many of the
newspaper men had expected to be
present on that day. to submit legai
tenders for the big printing job.
Camouflage is a new word to most
of us. It has comp into usage since
the world war began, but how we
got along without it through all
these years is a mystery. It fits in
so nicely to desmcribe a, situation
such as this, for kind Sir, the in
ormation that the printing contract
mutter wouIl: cume. up on Tuesday,
June 4th, was camoUflage; nothing
but camouflage, spelled either with
a "C" or a "K".
M ,, t boo ere has bees. nothe
ing irregular about the awarding of
the printing contract in this coun
ty. It has been the custom to no
tify all the printers that the job
would be given out on a certain date
and any one whop expected to try for
the big plum should be on hand
with his figures and proof of quali
fication. This custom was followed
when dhe county was first organiz
ed, and two years ajo when Mr. Do
lin fiyst got the contrast for his
Medicine Lake paper and there way
every reason to believe that it would
be the procedure this year. In -fact,
the county commissioners them
selves, and several of the county of
ficials amid it would be. Mr. Frank
S. Reed, publisher of the Culbertson
Searchlight; Mr. C. S. Nelson,, pub
lisher of the Pleantywood Herald;
and- Editor Taylor of the Producers
News were adted to that effect.
Even on the day that the special
session was put over, bo imagine the
jolt the newspaper men of this coun
ty got Wednesday night .when the
news wasr Sashed over the wire that
a special sesslon had been held and
that an agreement had been reach
ed with Dolin.
Underatand now, Mr. Dolin was the
only pfinter who was permitted to
submit a bid.
The newspapers of this county-that
havy .qulpm.st sufitcient to handle
the Job were willing and anxious to
bid, but when they were notified that
there would be nothing doing until
Tuesday, June 4th, they were shat
out.
In tbeoe days of faightgally high
tese.- -y mdmau* upe the
pockstka beam C the Igh east
of liding it is desires to keap
espeai-at at glbe i~s
butAtaeedsiy a this jwah
"a the aw eeoc
cep Ito the wa ' "Us, 804p
to n
4i44
cot . W~ wi not, hbutt w ,a thef j
for the goed of al the people, is 11
set fh3r that they 'e liveR a chusi
t to4 so?
Joseph F. Dalin is very much a It"
Y wire. He is full of ambition anc
y ginger, and moreover, is a gooc
* newspaper man.
Y The publishers of the Standard lag
S:no quairrel with Joseph F. Doln,
r We libe never played the dog in thi
d manger stunt and we don't expect
d to play it .now. We are not sore be
4 cease we. did not get the county
j Pi tang, but we would like. to see it
t given out in the regular way.-Pop
Jar Standard.
e -
r "TO HELL WITH THE PEOPLE
- -WE NEED THE MONEY!"
- The above caption may not be just
- the words of the county commission
ers; but in view of their recent ac
- tion in planniag to spend several
I thousand dollars of the people's
t money, and their attitude when ap
proached to reconsider their . attien
[ prompts more than one taxpayer of
> this county to believe the title an
appropriate one.
S"The straw that broke the camel's
"hbck" assumed the form of a huge
"plum", which the honorable board
of count/commissioners presented to
Joe Dolin on a golden tray during
the quiet vigil of a certain Wednes
day `afternoon, after several other
newspaper men in this county had
been denied the opportunity of even
witnessing the glorious spectacle.
To get down to brass tacks, the
county commissioners, without adver
tising the usual "call for sealed bids"
and apparently without attempting to
ascertain the most ecopomic and ef
ficient plan for having the county
printing done, just gave the huge
contract-one which will total pos.
sibly $40,OO-to Joe Dalin at HIS
OWN PRICE.
It " has always been the custom
(and according to the constitttion of
the state of Montana and decisions
of the supreme court in similar eases,
the law) that the county printing be
let to the newspaper' in the county
tenderig the lowest and best de
suitable bond to be given by the
printer when the contract is signed.
This year several newspaper men,
with the fact in view that taxes
are high, and Liberty bonds, the Red
Cross, Y. M. C. A., and "other war
necessities are being freely subscrib
ed to by the people, had decided that
eral thousand dollars could 'be
saved for, the taxpayers on the
county printing alone and were pre
Sparing their bids accordingly. But-
No call for bids was adrertised
this year. Inquiry at the court
house and from a couple of the com-1
missioners in person brought the~
good news that all those interested
would be given a chance to appear
and submit their views or' bids. They
also gave their word that the coun
ty printing contract would not be let
until the first meeting in June, at
the earliest; and it was possible a
call 'for . bids would. be advertised.
Those newspaper men were loath to
think that. any member of the honor
able board would violate his word.
Instead, the publishers planned on
visiting the court. "ouse on June 8,
while the commissioners were in ses
sion, and there seek the contract on
a competitive basis, which would cer
tainly have resulted in a great sav
ing for the taxpayers and a living
profit for some publisher.
But, while in several newspaper
offies, price lists were being con
suited and all extra expense eimla
ated for the benefit of the people
a scene, which iMy. aie bein some
tiug llhs tlae following, was golug
on in the court house,, *here
-se rermts* the people TMfalth.
ftlly guard peat up treasnuet to help
win =the wat
' We nedsa ftenoon,
Uay b 1918
~iAGJo ioits msiers' chaim
W -PPi
Am aý*+ ýý - " w,'fý y' :i`
we werea't gout' to do an*kiythig M
444 Xnday. Covuty Attorney or
his asistant, or somebody, told us
t suit ourselves. How much do you
tlkyou can clear on that coatuact
this year, Joe?"
JOE: "Oh, about fifteen thousand
bucks-maybe twenty."
(fiile--satidtacory grins--pels
of laughter.)
C. C. "Say, Joe, how are those
Hupmobiles, anyway ? Will they
'stand up'? You know I'm getting
tired of that fiivver of mine and I
don't think that little old tea cents
or so per mile will pay its running
expenses over these roads we'v*
been promising to -ix. And, ding it,
a lot of people are getting resa
nosey, pawin' over county records
and things; and they ask too darn
many questions, anyhow."
.JOE: "Your right, old top! But
say, haven't you seen me cutting
wide swaths in the atmosphere with
that Hup o' mine ? I tell you she's
there. Well by hickey, I must be
going. Side door open? Good! I"ll
get that contract fixed right away.
Better have Lou look over it, eh ?
Alright; he's a pretty good scout.
See you up town, fellows. S-long."
And the trusting newspaper inen
finished preparing their bids and
were busy with shears and boiler
plate, preparing articles for their
readers on "How to save and help
knock the 'iser' out of the kaiser,"
while the "16-dollar rubes" were do
ing their damndest to increase Sheri
dan county's food production, trust
ing to the honorable board of coun
ty commissioners to see that their
tax money is judiciously spent.
And there you are, Mr. Taxpayer.
How do you like it?
How do you like it ?-Antelope In
dependent.
COUNTY PRINTING
BOBS UP AGAIN
The board of county commisolon
ers has taken the bull by the horns
and deliberately let the county print
ing without even calling for bids.
rhe propriety of such action will un
1oubtedly be ill taken by the tax
payers; and the legal phase of it is
eery questionable. The county at
orneyg1as already gone on record in
stating that his office had not been
:oasulted in the matter. This Is a
rig contract, involving over $40,000
if the county money. And it would
eem that the taxpayers"rights would
Lave been fairly protected by shb
nitting the contract to sompetitive
iids. The commissioners are resort
ng to camouflage when they allege
hat there- is only one newpagiper
apatble of handling the county print
iig. The board knows, or ought to
know, that is has the right to ap
prove of a good and sufficient bond
, ring this -transaction. The com
missioners won. in Harold Feethain
tcase, which went. to determine the
right to import deputies from other
states when competent ones can be
had in the home county. They won
bccause the taxpayers were with
them. But it is quite certain the
taxpayers will deeply resent this
last frenzied action on the part of
the. board.-Plentywood Herald.
Should the county pay. $5,000_ for
$20,000 'worth of service? The Plen
tywood Herald printed a timely ar
tidle last week, which is of interest
to every intelligent voter of Sheri
dan county. It is a most illumia
ating sidelight of the methods of
certain political gangsters, several
of whom have been feedlng at the
public crib since the inception of the
sounty.
Mr. Taxpaying Voter can 8Ad an
asewer to his query, "Why are our.
txes so high?" by reading the ar
tiel. in question. It is time for the
voter to keep his eyes and ears opea
if he is to be in a position to sep
arate the sheep from the goats at
the fall eleetlons.-Westby News.
The county nommissionerh have
rmomlye to R ooverize for t three
weeks before - ' next geaeral ulew
the by abefttig all contraetr to
regtpe tlR b. Clandestine met
ISI. 40, mb ~ile al not bet toler-