The Valley News. (Lamont, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 2, 1922 Page: 1 of 8
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VOLUME 20
halley Iflews
This office is better prepared
than ever to take care of that
rush job of sale bill printing.
LAMONT. GR4NT COUNTY, OKLAHOMA
2, 1922
NUMBER 41
$8,932.00 is Loss to Taxpayers on Bridge Project Now Being Discussed
In its issue of October 12th,
The Medford Patriot-Scar pub-
lished a lengthy article in de-
fense of the statements being
circulated by a large number ot
the taxpayers to the etfect that
a conspiracy and squandering of
public money of some of the
present and past county offici-
als has ^d now exists. It pub-
lished a^ather lengthy article
pertaining to the construction
of the Salt Fork river bridge on
the Meridian Highway, but at
no place and at no time did it
state that the county had saved
money by the construction of
the bridge, neither did it state
that the county had lost seveial
thousand dollars of which the
alreadv oppressed taxpayers
have to dig down in their
pockets and shell out. If they
don't happen to have that much
money at the time their taxes
come due, it is up to them to go
to a bank and borrow the
wtierewithall to pay for the mis-
takes of others; and, if their
credit is not sufficiently strong
to borrow the said money, why,
they can rejoice in the fact of
seeing their property sold for
taxes.
It will be remembered by the
readers of the l'ntriot-Star that
in the latter part of April or
the forepart of May, 1921, at
which time E. V. Croxton own-
ed and edited that paper, ar-
ticles were then published in
its columns stating the enor-
mous saving of many thousand
dollars the Commissioners had
made the taxpayers by turning
down the Federal Aid in the
construction of this bridge.
Now we will drop back to the
figures used in the article of
defense as published in the Oct.
12, 1922, issue of the same pa-
per. If the writer remembers
right, it stated that on July 23,
1920, the State Commissioners
of Highways made their last
call upon the Commissioners of
Grant County, asking that a
warrant for the amount of
$60,764.00 be forwarded to the
State Commissioner of High-
ways, which, as the writer un-
derstands, was to be Grant
C/Ounty's share for the construc-
tion of an eight span bridge
with a total cost of $121,490.00,
the balance, $60,726.00, was to
have come from Federal Aid.
During the following winter,
County Engineer Hott made an
estimate on a six span bridge
which amounted to $90,000.00
and on April 5th the County
Commissioners let the contract
for the construction of the
bridge, from the plans of which
Hott's estimate was $90,000.00
It can be readily seen that the
construction material, during
the time elapsed between the
months that Hott made the es-
timate. and the time the con-
tract was let, no doubt declined,
for an experienced engineer
would not make such large mis-
take in figuring up an esti-
mate. The bridge was built for
the sum of $69,680.00, $20,320
less than the estimate of a few
months before, undoubtedly
proves that the material had
declined in price to a consider-
able extent, and the fact that
Mr. Hott is recognized as a ca-
pable engineer, it can not be
possible that he made a mis-
take amounting to more thon
W0,000.00 on as'small a con-
tract as was this bridge. Of
course, he could have made a
mistake of a few thousand dol-
lars, but the bulk of the differ-
ence between the estimat price
and th( contract price was un-
doubtedly caused in the decline
of the priee of the construction
material and the decline in the
price of labor, but we do not ask
our readers to take the varia-
tions in the price of material
and labor into consideration, as
it is merely guess work and can
not be accureately figured out.
Now going back to the orig-
inal figures of the Federal Aid:
Their estimate on an eight spav
bridge was $121,490.00 and the
c<Aiaty built a six span bridge
at a cost of $69,680.00. If the
county had built the eight span
bridge in the Federal Aid, their
share of the expense would
hav been $60,764.00, or $8,680
jless than the cost of the six span
bridge which was contracted at
$69,680.00. On the eight span
bridge, built by Federal Aid, as
we understand it, the state
woald have had to share one-
half of the expense of the up-
keep, but on the six span bridge,
built by the county, the county
alone will have to bear the en-
tire expense of the up-keep.
Thus, their own figures show
that the Ions to the taxpayer is
; $8,932.00
! ' As we remember it, The Med-
ford Patriot-Star -went on and
stated that had $60,000.00 be*>n
taken from the hunks of the
county at that time it wouldhave
been disasterous to the farm-
ers and thjit the people of the
county would have been glad to
have paid ten percent for every
doila/ they could get hold of.
True, the people would have
been migbty glad to pay ten per-
jcent for money at that time,
, but if our readers will reflect
1 their memory back to this date,
it wih be remembered that the
banks at that time were com-
pelled „o call in all their loans
and were not making any loans,
even theugr. they could have
receive! the limit interest rate.
This article is not written for
'the purpose ot ru locting upon
the cl.i racter or honesty of any
Tebow, Ludlow and
Green Should be the
Next Commissioners
Tne llepublican County Cen-
tral Committee, in their items
in this issue, congratulate the
Democrats and people of the
county upon the record made
by J.. B. Gowen, retiring Com-
missioner from the Third Di&
trict; and right they should, for
at no time has there been a man
elected from this district, or any
other district of the county who
ha* f'cd t**. • <•« ron"
ty Commissioner in a more sat-
isfactory manner than has Mr.
•Jowtn. During his reign in of-
fice there has been more road
and bridge improvements come
to the southern end of the coun-
ty than has been the case for
many years. He has always
been faithful to not only the
people of this district, but to the
county as a whole, and there is
no man in the entire distiret
I.lore capable to take the work
w here Air. Gowen w ill leave off
than is Glenn Tebow. who is
now asking the voters to elect
him to till tne vacancy caused
by Mr. Cowen's retiring. Mr.
1'ebow will fill the ofuce with the
same satisfaction, and when the
time comes for him to retire
from the Hoard, the Republican
C ounty Central Committee will
vgain congratulate ttoe Demo-
crat* and the |M«ple of the
county for the excellent and
faithful services h? renders.
It is stated that W. It. Lud-
low, candidate for Commission-
er from the Second District, is
another of those up-right citiz-
ens who commands the love and
respect of all who know him.
He is a Christian gentleman,
honest and capable, and, in fact
the entire district is behind
him, so it is quite sure that he
will be elected by postibly the
largest majority ever given a
candidate in that district. He
has no laid habit*, does not
indulge in intoxicants, gamble,
nor lead a fast life, therefore
he can lie depended upon as a
safe man to make improvements
in the spending of the taxpayers
money of this county. He, with
Mr. Tebow on the Board would
' give to the taxpayers that con-
vincing feeling that the public
{business of Grant county would
be handled in absolute safety.
It would assure them that no
"shots" as to the correctness of
a county officer's reports would
lie taken, but would be investi-
gated to the satisfaction ol all
before they were approved by
the Commissioners' Board.
The writer is not acquainted
with Mr. Green, the candidate
from the First District, but we
are told that he is a man of
nigh standing in hu> community
and beyond doubt will be elect-
ed by a large majority over his
opponent. They say he* is clean
and capable and has a mind of
his own, and that's the kind ot
a man the people of the county
are looking for. Let's elect all
three of them.
of the past or present county of-
ficers, nor is it written in view
of having the public think that
the letting of the contract and
the construction of the bridge
was done in a manner that cnuid
be termed as a conspiracy. Tin*
writer has only used the figure*
that appeared in the Patriot-
Star as he had no other records
to go by. There is no claim in
this articlc that one cent more
than the $8,932.00 and the fu-
ture up-keep of the bridge is a
loss to the taxpayers of Grant
county. We have merely dealt
with facts as seen by us and in
event that you do not see nor
comprehend in the same light
as we do. all we ask is that you
cease to think of what you have
read above and act according to
your own judgment—for we
have published the facts aa we
see them, and lik.- other human
beings we are liable to make
mistakes. Every one knows
there is a mistake somewhere
or there would not be so much
discussion over the county in re-
gard to this bridge matter.
Were Comity Officers Salaries Raised in 1921
What are the facts?
.An Act, approved March 11th,! salary
set v eil with so.ne of the lis-
j tenei , to {J jise not have a
i hard feeling toward him, as
_ ., . he w.is just going to express
• < increase °*|tne j urpose and need of the
wJS, itLrt S3SE"El!ito" h.e "rtwrtw-i # '•<*!
of Grant County a salary of their terms of office. ' knowledge i,e had wa ned
$2,400.00 yearly. Section Ten of Article 23 of!from talking to men of whom
$2,400.00 yearly.
It increased the salaries of
each of the County Coauaia-
Htoaers, ea road and bridge
work from $180.00 a year, to
Section Tea of Article 23 of j r ——• w — ■;
the Constitution of Oklahoma.. h5 v,ag 8Urt* Wtre members of
prohibits the change of salary the ' ionization.
of any elected or appointed pub-1 He started ott his talk by
—' ~i,,e *,ter * «k«tion or asking why the need of the Ku
mrfimtmnt. «ndhta'Klux K!an v|14n we, « a nation
JJUJ Tfceee officers was at peacv lin'i harmony with
22. ' ^into office in • an our boi\4*]arit:v. when Can-
dr.wi4' aSL '"e £|;
rie* since the law took elect ha ^
March 1921.
WILL THE TARIFF
LAW DE REPEALED
Former Governor James M.
Cox of Ohio, speaking in Ten-
nessee, declared that the per-
manent high tariff law recently
enact >d by congress and signed
by the president, will be re-
pealed. It will not be surpris-
ing if such a result takes place.
Voters throughout the United
States are beginning to realize
what a menace the high tariff
law is to the prosperity of this
country. The masses of the
people will feel the effect of the
law, in the form of a rise in
the cost of living. Farmers and
other producers will feel i^ al-
so in the form of a decrease de-
! inand for their products in for-
eign markets. Although the
republicans spent more than a
year in drafting and redrafting
the tariff law, it is a very un-
scientific measure. It ia an is-
sue in the congressional elec-
tions and may cause an over-
turn in congress which will
compel its repeal.—Daily Okla-
lioman.
each aUle traveled oa such work
which will aparxiauite $230.00 a
year in addition. And their an-
nual salary of $500.00 each.
Readers hereof, who are cu-
rious to know, step lata the of-
fice of any lawyer or Justice of
the Pfcaee and aak to see the.
■ Lawn of 1921. of Okla- elected or not. h«
turn to page 12M and read portaaity to render to Grant,the
the tow.
When this hiw waa enacted
the Coaaty Engineer's salary
waa $1 ,.*>$■">.00 annually, this in-
centu y y < along without
Here It Is, Take
It For What It is
Worth to You
and
—— —. ... «a<« wrongful, and should he hv
creaiie was nt the rate of $H3.' .00 then, repaid to Ihe Count >
a year. The Commianianers, Treasurer. He has sixty di\
were allowed for rood aad to do this before the expiratiun
bridge work. $180.00 annually—j of his present term of ofltce.
The legal adviser of Grant fftnl of boundary
County, has been asleep at the ,hat ' *" **|ual lengtn of time
switch hut whether he i* re- '"e|v hi«d not Ihh-h a Imttle-
— ship on tho Gi%;t Lakes, with
jthe oeacvfu 1 Atlantic on the
County, valiant service, und'e.i.i a p>-e pr \\ ecked nation
shoald advise the*? officer* 1Im < m ti -ut i .ind ihe him! er-
the increase of salary paid them J t: • wefl. it
it tiier<« na* no
organization «T
!\u Kill \ KI.'U.
Appeared at
iunday Night's Service
wouid vt
T
ti
t
The Valley News prints any-
thing but money.
YOUR PLAIN DOTY AS AN AMERICAN
Every American citizen, na-
tive horn or naturalised, owen a
solemn dat> to thin country.
Thut dnty is to vote for the
very best men for public office,
without regard to the ties of
friendship or other coaaidera-
greater
shi
of friead-
ilp—or at least they ahoald he.
Maay otherwise good citiaeaa
feel that if they are busy aa
election day that fact should be
sufficient excuse fur refraiaiag
from voting.
But they are niatakea. They
are setting a had euaurie to the
rising geaeratioa. They are
strong far the inalienable righta
af titUenshla, yet weak la the
discharge of oaa af the moot
sacred duties that develops up-
on a citizen. •
They are food dtlaeae except
la the matter ol voting.
la that they are aot good.
Their ladifiereace hurt* eat
onl^ them, hat their country aa
It is ponsible that a consciea-
discharge of this duty
inay require that a person ote
against a warm personal friend
in order to install in office a man
who is better fitted to perform
Ihe duties of the position.
this fact, paiafal tho^h It
might be. should not deter aay
man from following the coarse
which he deeaas to be right and
jant, far the Hon of ooaatry are
When the annoucement of
the ku Klux Klan meeting
appealed in this paper and alsu
"The Visitor,"' of last week's
issues and was announced
from the pulpits of the church-
es. Sunday, little did the peo-
ple think that it would lie the
drawing card that would cause
the largest crowd to congre
jrate that Iims ever gathered
in Lamont. At first it was
announced that only two of
the churches, the Methodist
and Christian, would dismiss
their night services for the
occaision, but just before the
meeting started the Haptist
congregation also ceme in.
The choir was composed of
both the Methodist and Chris-
tian choirs and after they sang
a couple selections, Kev. Ames
of the Christian church
"We would like to know by
what process of reasoning tne
Valley News reached the con-
clusion that the Republicans
are responsible for the sta.c
laws of the last session. I. i
Republican House more power-
ful than a Democratic seria ;
and governor?"
The above auestion was aA. I
by the Republican County Cen-
tral Committee of Grant Coun-
ty, and appeared in several c
the Republican papers of t..e
county, last week. It has
ence to the article that appear
ed in the Valley News under
date of Octobcr 18th, under tn .*
heading. "Another Reason Why
l^xes are High," in which tii s
paper referred to the fact of
thc raise in wages of the Cou i-
ty Commissioin-rs and the Coun-
ty Kngineer.
In the first Han- tlic raise
. .did not affect the state in i;-
" ' Jer.d. it was merely a>k«-d for t. •
-l • ■'"l4, 'ttu ii prei,« ntativc and S nal«''
h |M*t few 0f (;rant County, it alfecK.l
only the County, and the R.,
rewutative aod Senator. ls*i
the V|>ie of the pi-oplv of tli i
county in the legislature, w ./
. houUl not a I'••ni'icralic Senai •
^rant their d'^ires. t-speeia 1/
v«liui the pe« |,|,. of the Count..
.<nd Out the state, had to pay the
bills
Therefc our an-wcr, and it is
exist.t:
Hut.
r . ,
ferred bat * I
years *\ifn we were at war
with G*r mwiv. stating that
the 1 j*°rtit tn naiKfi had f<ir
fifty year . pieMous, UM-d their
men nn<J money for *4"* < 1**r-
et «raimnj: t
hold lit tin- I int.-.J Mates.' t*11*
ing now different r>c«'t le ^
liv^d in this country and st ^
•Mr. Cater the former iwnl..r of r.rorV™ buck" t" "i'ieVnuuu-. "thO "ur 'V 'Ti " 'S
^lb> "" ''l"1"! of «he t oitea Sute..i £"ij.Vto/JjS*to I^niU?
and stated that he was quite. O lit ti -v },♦ u;a «!,„: . w*or >ou w rwnerauir
sure that Mr. Ludlow would jVathe,-land in ,tV'desire to' de-1
rr"?.. enmmunit^ ft? ,t ^ ^
coined him in our midst as a
co-worker for the great and
wonderful cause of the toach-
ing* of Jesus Christ. rp,,
taking the floor. Kt v. Ludkiw
stated that a siory I ad come
to Ins mind that ran like thi :
Some parties had Started t>uI
in a car and all ; t onre the ear
ceased to and after trying
to start it for c.me time they
decided tin y eontd not g< t any
«xpressioit out ol it, then the'v
got the assistance of-a mech-
anic who aNo could not gvt any
ixpressioti out of it, miuI at
that time he did not feel like
taking
At this time there was a! N ote for V • Vest for Court-
little rustle in the rear of ths 'ty 'i^reasurer. * fie is a man r.H
nail and upon looking ar« und veai v old, been in business all
his rife, and the taxpayers will
have a real couMTvative aer
It of Us
the spectators behold a group
of Klansnu n approaching dress-
ed in their robes and after
a hearty applause everything
remainetl silent until they had
marched to the front of the
building and stopped, fncing
(Continued on page I)
vant
— , w up (hi time of thf-^
nounced that tne meeting was I present and would leave i*
in no way a religious meeting'* vpression f««r a I. • r d:,t«
and that he and the rest ofi that Hev. M -m might go on
the minfsters to appeal at that: with his talk regarding ths
time were appearing as citi-1 K«a Klux Klan.
tens and not as ministers ofi Brother M^rs, upon bv
With Improved methods of
w*ev mils Itve mm HiiiiiPirii U| j nruhit ers, upon Ik-- Irt,r lcu',u,e. ««nd the consequent
Ihe Gospel. He further ststed ginning his talk Mated that he in production, the
that tn« meeting waa a nta*« uai not a mfnilnr of the Unitr'n piolU tkouM bt hr (n!
maatlnn «ll lL.. ...
meeting for all the citizens in Klan. saying thnt he was o-
°K "J"1 "rganizotion of Ing to talk on the different
which all should be interested things he had heard and read
i "IS?! discussed. Follow, of the wonderful organization.
ing this announcement. Rev. | He stated Uiat no dmiht there
Moor* «r "je Itaptiat church ■ were peofile In Ihe hnu-e who
prsaented the Rev Ludkm.iueie oppo ,d the Klan or T ~ —
IL si ss m nW*r 'or «ny other secret orranirali.m lh* f*rmer.
the l. E. Church. In his talk land that in event In nuolo, Who gets the difference?
he spoko very couiplUimittry ol1 suaw stab menu that «bd not Wha in Itaiag hia pocketa at the
SOMEBODY IS ROBBING THE FARMER
Some hod * somewhere ia roh-iexpeaae of hath the farmer and
hfng ihe laimer af hk legiti |coaauaaer?
m.t. prrtte. I. « , MwU M.« WIM.1 MmlloUo^
of the Iitllo* « nkole. h.vr keen pitertH—hot are .11:1
to he heard from,
**ay promises have been
made—hat are yet to he kept.
Maay people are waadenng
how loag this candithm will ron-
tiaue—-but they wIN.heap on
% get s« of what they are today.
From one end of the country
to the other the consumer con-
tinue* to p.ty high prices far
farm pnxhai ts. only a smaff por-
tion of whkh as a rule goe« la
«a a matter af fret,
there appeara ta he ao aam with
•onU. phyaiaal aad POLITICAL
tea rage emagh to aaearthea
the robbers aad give them their
f
in event of his aiectioiu
—Ad% ertiseineit—
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Court tuy
and children, and J. P. Court-
ney visited relatJvo* in Wich-
ita. Kanaaa, Sunda.v.
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Woods, Elmer E. The Valley News. (Lamont, Okla.), Vol. 20, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 2, 1922, newspaper, November 2, 1922; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc179002/m1/1/?rotate=270: accessed July 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.