Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-07
NO TAX SALE IN RAMSEY COUNTY
THIS FALL.

The chamber of commerce, at recent
meeting, selected Messrs. James Smith,
Jr., W. P. Murray and G. E. Flandrau as
a committee to examine the tax law OF
1881, relative to the absolute forfeiture of
property for non-payment of taxes, and
report thereon for information to the
public. That report has been prepared
and is published herewith.
II is valuable both for the general in
formation which it contains, and also be-
cause it shows that in this county, at least,
there can be no sale whatever, owing to
the laundering of the county auditor.
A nyone with ordinary comprehension
and ability to understand simple language
could not fail to know that it was clearly
illegal to include the tax of 1880 in the
advertised list of lands forfeited for
the payment of taxes in 1879
and prior years. This committee of emf
nent legal gentlemen state:
1t is onr opinion that the law requires two
distinct delinquent lists to be made out, one
embracing the taxes of 1880, and the other the
taxes of 1879, and all prior years, the latter to
be appended to the former.
Instead of making the two lists as here
described, Auditor McCardy violated the
law and omitted from the list of 1880 all
lands which were delinquent the tax of
1880 and prior years, and Jumped such de-
scriptiens and tax with the tax delinquent
for 1879 and prior years. The result is
that the delinquent tax list of this county
for 1880, as published, contains only
a portion of the taxes due for this year,
while the forfeited list of 1879 and prior
years contains besides, taxes of 1880 which
have no connection whatever with that
list.
One of the reforms which Auditor
McCardy inaugurated when he took the
Office was to employ but one clerk. He is
allowed certain salary, which includes
all clerk hire. If he can per-
form the work with one clerk he
pockets the difference, or if with none at
all, he could grab the whole. By misrep-
resentation, false pretences and SANDER
of his predecessor he deceived the county
commissioners and secured, in addition
to his salary, an allowance for some tenn
porary extra clerk hire to put his books
in shape to prepare this forfeited list.
Having swindled the county in this man
ner to secure the writing up of the books,
he then refused to employ the necessary
assistance to properly transcribe the
list for publication. By Jumping the
lists in the illegal manner noted, he was
enabled to prepare the list without extra
expense to himself, and as the result,
there will be no tax sale in Ramsey coun-
ty this fall, either of the list of 1880, or of
the so-called forfeited list of 1879 and
prior years.
For years the business of this county
has demanded the constant services of
two clerks, and at the time of the prep
aration of the tax list several additional
assistants. The present auditor
however, is wise in his own con-
ceit, and hence his discovery of the
method of putting few dollars in his
pocket and depriving the county of the
legal means of collecting the taxes delin-
quent.
Mr.. McCardy's parsimony, which has
led him to violate his duty as public
officer, has one bright side. The iniquitous
and onerous tax law of 1879, which, if
proved to be constitutional, will rob
great many people of their property, is
made null and void in this county at least.
If any attempt is made by Mr.. McCardy
to conduct the sale, he will not only be
promptly enjoined, but he will find no
bidders. No one wishes to buy tax titles
which clearly have no value, and the sale
be made for lack of buyers if no
legal obstacle was interposed. This is the
of the legacy which Mr.. Nc
Cardy is preparing for Ramsey county,
and is probably but a 1.-THE of
what he will develop in his effort to OBJ
tain the salary without discharging the
duties, provided he is not impeached and
removed from Office, as he manifestly
should be.