The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-10-27

nave been anteliated and left out.
Surely the present encun,i~l,ts in Of
fice have made u cOMnle,'1:.l,le effort i,
the right direction and they ought to IN
Encouraged and sustained.
If officials with such i record are tO
br diSregarled and defeated in villa,
way ca" we encourage fidelity to public
trusts.
THE RAILROAD LAND TAX
Commissioners Bloom, Shore and
Crosby are trying to make point \
|gainst Mills for refusing to follow thei,
directions to strike off froa, the assess
nwmt list all railroad lands held by con.
tract.
These same county commissioners
had required Mills to give unreasonable
heavy bonds for the faithful perform.
anct If his duties as Auditor according
to law. They had each of then, takol.
IL soil lDn "atl, to do the same thing 50
far as regarded their duties III commits.
siOnerS.
The law gives to the State Auditor
authority to cUnstrue the law and to
give general Injections il regard to as-
sess,nents and tax lists. lie, AS the Law
required, had furnished Mills with \
list ut lands which, lie said had become
|taax.Lle since thu last assessment, with
directions to Mills to place the same on
Ass+ss,nent and tax lists. Mr.. Mills
had 10 way 1T knowing whether these
lands had become taxable on account Of
having lxen decided, contracted or leas-
led. H. had legal notice from coulpetent
authority that they had become taxable
and must follow instructions. He for.
warsletl u COPY of the commissioners or
der to the State Auditor for his approx.
|al, and no attention WAS paid to it by
him. 1t was not approved.
There WAS TO law which authorized
tile commissioners to make such IN Or
der.
THEY have no legal right to strike off
|Or to cancel taxes without Ills approval.
Their order embraced directions to
tie county Auditor to place on the per.
sOnal property tax list rs an assessment
against each 1T the parties the amount
which iIo had paid towards the purchase
Ut lands described. There was 40 law
,a, the statute b0uks to justify such Il
proceeding. Mr.. Mills appealed to them
tv resell d the order or tO point out the
law Oh which, it WAS Oased, that would
lions. They pexelUptorily declined t" do
either.
There was 10 law /" authorize the
taxation Ut amounts ~ paid. There
was 10 law tn justify them III making
sucI, All order, and nothing to justify
Mr. Mills il following any such direct
tiUiIs, nut there was u law that required
him to follow the directions Ut the State
Auditor.
By the State Legislature \ law WAS
passed aud approved March &, 1881 which
authorized the State Auditor to cancel
assessments, taxes and tax judgments,
on nat isfacto1y proof that lands ~ vs.
sessed aud taxed were not subject to
taxation. Under the provisions Of this
act. the State Auditor has ordered y
cancellatiOM If 1873 descriptions 1T rsal
estate in Mobiles county. On receipt Of
such orders, the lands described were
immediately marked of. Many ri
Those descriptions had been placed Oh
tile tax list ~ fxr lack ~ 1875. and all
of them except fire descriptions prior t"
the making up Ut the assessment list at
1850, which was the only list made by
Mr.. Mills. .... :-
These i've new entries made, by Mr..
Mills embraced in the aggregate 1873
acres representing \ total valuation IT
$2. ~, and total tax OF 81 SO. Moth
Ing more Nor less. The list at lands %
|entered are on file. also that at lands
|@tricken of. All parties ne invited to
call aud examine and compare the same.
The. facts. are. that the entries werr
made hy his predecessors. and nnder
the same directions in accordance with
1.-THE SANE. law that required Mr.. Mills I"
do tl,e same thing. There has teen nn
law on the statute books that would
|iuatifv striking then, of until that OF
March 8. 1881. and the order requiring
Mr.. Mills to do 20 il d*t-d Sept. 8. 1881,