The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-08-10
SUIT INSTITUTED.
To Cancel the Alleged Sale Of the Pine on
Sec. SO, +. IL, R..28 to Ca.
Smith q Co.

eeo' 'o' Smith dfi &c ca. = go
The UNION has known for some
months past that Gov. Nelson was TAX.
ing steps to test the legality of the sale.
Q the pine timber on Sec. SO, 7. AZ, r.
26, to G. A. Smith & Co., but, at the.
governors request, nothing has been.
said about it. The UNION will offer no
comments until the case is finally dis.
posed of, then we may pay our respects
to a few of Auditor Bierman's apollo
gists and hirelings. The following is
taken from the Pioneer Press Of the 18th
inst.
"A suit has been instituted in the
district court of Mile Laos county BY
the State against c.. A. Smith & Co. Of
Minneapolis to secure the cancellation
of the contract of sale of section &c.,
town AZ, range 26, Mile Laos county.
This section is the timber land the sale
of which led to such a stir in the last
legislature, ending in the passage of a
resolution by which a special investi-
eating committee was appointed.
!s'In the last months of the spring Of
1892, certain lands, including this sec
tion in question, were advertised for
sale by the State auditor pursuant to
law, but in the sale which followed
these lands wer not put up. Certain
gentlemen in Mile Laos county who
were looking for valuable timber
lands, noticed these lands and i'm
mediately came down to st. Paul to
see whether or not they could purchase
them. They found, however, to their
great regret that the lands had been
sold privately to the firm Of G. A.
Smith & Co., of Minneapolis. The
law provides that all school
lands shall be advertised for
sale at some future date and
sold at public auction. In case, how
ever, such lands are in danger of de-
struction or injury by fire a private
sale may be made; but to make such
sale the auditor must secure the con-
sent and signature of the governor and
the treasurer to authorize the sale, and
further it provides that it shall be ad-
vertised in a proper manner.
ut seemed to the gentlemen inter-
ested in the purchase Of the lands that
no ''proper" advertisement had been
made of the sale of the lands and,
moreover, it was evident that they
were in no danger whatever of being
injured by fire and the assent of the
governor and treasurer had not been
obtained. They %thereupon induced
R. G. Dunn, their representative, to
cause an investi gation to be made by a
special committee. A resolution to
this effect was introduced by Repre-
sentative Dunn and passed. .
"On Investigation it appeared that
these particular lands had been sold in
a very irregular manner, and that the
auditor had not complied with the law
regulating private sale of pine lands
belonging to the State school fund.
Moreover the testimony of experts be-
fore the committee showed that there
were on the lands between 5000, 900
and 5000, 900 feet of timber, while the
State estimate on the auditors books
was only about zoe, 900 feet. This tim
Der was under contract of sale for So
per thousand, while it appeared that
almost any well-posted man would pay
Sd to $3.50 per thousand. None of
these facts wer disputed. The house
thereupon passed a resolution that the
case be brought to the attention of the
courts by the governor, and legally in
vestigated. The matter hung fire for
some time until about a month ago in
pursuance of the resolution, the gov
ernor sent a notice to G. A. Smith &
Co., in the form of a personal letter
demanding the cancellation of the con
tract. This was deemed the best way
to bring the matter to a head and have
this case tested. Since that time the
governor has been more or less en-.
gagged in Investigating the matter, and
has had mer consultation with
Mr.. Smith, in the course of which il
came out that the transaction out O.
which this sale arose was entirely be.
tween G. A. Smith personally and the
State auditors Office, and that ex-Gov
John S. Pillsbury, who is a member
of the firm Of G. A. Smith & Co.. took
no part in the sale or the transactions
leading to the sale and had no know
ledge of the facts of the case except az
they may have come to him during the
investigation last winter.
"The case is in the hands of the at
torney general, assisted by Messrs
Warner, Richardson & Lawrence O.
this city, who are employed under the
terms of the resolution, directing the
governor to employ additional coun
sel.0
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