The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-10-25
MAKES EN- sou1RM.
Re.Assessment of Itasca Co. Wor.
| ries the Lumber BarOns.

Re.Assessment of Itasca Co. Wor.
ries the Lumber BarOns.
This side of the Judgement Day
the people Of this state will never
realize how tremendously they have
been robbed by the! two old parties.
We say the taro old parties, because
although the republicans have had
charge of the government of this
state for thirty-thfee years the dem
ocratic leaders have either shared in
the plumber or stood by without pro-
test against the robberies.
And the Mississippi Valley Lum-
herman undertakes to defend its
patrons, the timber pirates, for
lodging the payment of taxes on the
vast holdings Of pine lands from
which their colossal fortunes have
been carved, and it sets up the claim
that they are suffering unjust tax
ation!
The Grand Rapids Magnet, a re-
publican paper published in Itasca
county, the county ordered by the
last legislature to be reassessed,
plows up the alleged facts of the
Lumberman as follows:
I'm order to carry out it's theory,
the Lumberman produces as an ex-
ample. q forties and two lots be-
longing to e. w. Backus & Co.,
which are taxed at 1866, an average
tax of 1910 perlforty.
In order to make some kind of
showing for the pine land owners it
Omits to mention how much timber
there is on the forties which it re-
fers to. y Take again as ex-
amp]es sections in 54-27. These
lands were reassessed in 1892. Sec
tiOn Is had been culled of it's chOic-
est lumber, yet there was found
standing 2,775,OOO feet. In 1890 pre-
vious to any timber being removed
they we're valued at $50 per forty,
and taxed at
80 CENTS PER FORTY.
Section 26, same range and town,
in 1892, had 2,775,0OO feet of logs
standing. In 1890, these lands were
assessed at $40 per forty and paid so
cents per 10 i's taces. In section %,
on twelve forties there was found
standing 6,45O,D00 feet which in 1888
and 1890 were valued at 81, 44O In
1883 they were TAXED at 1910 per
forty, and in 1890 at
80 CENTS PER FORTY.
The assessment of 1892 brought
these properties something near
par with other properties through
out the state. This of course was
unexpected and hence the deep NUT
terings Of the Lumberman on be-
half of it's cOnSti tuentS.
1t has been the practice of owners
of pine lands to denude the forests
as rapidly as business exigencies
would permit and
LEAVE THE sTUMPs TO THE STATE
for taxes. Practically the pine land
owners of Itasca county until re-
Gently have escaped taxation. Put
a low estimate of So per Thousand on
logs, where in any one instance, have
the lumbermen ever paid anything near
like the taGes that the farmer pays on has
lands, on the business man on has lots or
personal property They never have
and they never will unless the pres
ent assessment of Itasca county is
permitted to 60 on the books. \
Every child knows that the lum-
Der would be cut off every acre in
the county during the next two
years, if there was a market for the
lumber. The lumbermen are not
philanthophists by any means.
They would not if they could avoid
it, pay one cent of taxes in the coun-
ty. They care nothing for the future
Of Itasca county. They make their
immense fortunes off it's products
and enjoy the benefits of it in Min
neapolis.'
The pine land fra ds are a bot
tomless abyss, big enoagh to swallow
an empire; and there is no doubt
but that these great frauds never
would have been exposed but for
the clamor for reform raised by the
DOnuli SIS