The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-29
COMPROMISE THE JUDGMENT.
Commissioners May Do That With
the Germania Taxes.

Commissioners May Do That With
the Germania Taxes.
County Attorney Anderson's opinion
to the county treasurer in relation tC
the Germania bank tax compromise,
published in the G l O b yesterday.
has stirred up the board of county
commissioners, and they are complete
ly at sea as to what action to take in the
matter. Chairman Hecker, of the ways
and means committee of the board,
says that the county attorneys atti-
tude was a surprise to him, but, of
course, so long as the treasurer refuses
to receive from the bank the compro-
missed tax, that settles everything.
THE compromise in this case" said
Mr. Hecker, was made by the board
on a report from the ways and means
mittee saw where it thought it could
been carefully gone over, and the COM
mittee says where it thought it could
the proposition of the bank to pay
$94O.61 in full settlement for the tax
of 81 1881. go on the assessment of it's cap
ital stock The bank officials claimed
that, when this stock was assessed, it
was worthless. But 1t had resumed
business, and was trying to get along,
and, while it objected to paying the
whole amount on the worthless stock, it
was willing to pay about one-half of
the taxes. The committee thought 1t
was doing the county good service by
compromising, and, had it not been
for Mr.. Anderson's opinion, the bank
would have settled by this time. OF
course, there is only one thing for the
bank to do now, and that is to let the
tax matter go into court as a judgment
against the stockholders. Then, as the
hoe 11l1 in he
that the county attorney refers to, the
matter may come up again before the
board on a judgment, and, if 1t Sc
chooses, the commissioners can COM
promise upon any terms that the bank
will accept I am sorry that this mat
ter has taken such a sudden and unfa-
vorable turn, because everybody knows
that Judgment against personal taxes
is a very hard thing to collect There
are now due the county about SAC, 00C
on these personal judgments, and
would like to know why the proper Of
ficials don't collect them. The whole
thing in a nutshell is that the claim
against the Germania bank Is Just as
far from being collected, unless 1t is
compromised, as are those against the
other defunct banks, in which cases
there is no apparent intention ever to
settle. 1 think the Germania bank peo-
pie have acted very honorably and sin
cerely in this matter, and they should
have been treated literally regarding
it, if for no other reason than the fact
that they have shown a disposition to
be fair"
County Attorney Anderson said that
he was sorry County Treasurer Ell
mund could not have accepted the
money on the compromise, but, under
the law, it did not lay within his pow
er to do so, and that settled the whole
question. Probably this turn Of af-
fairs would cost the county q great
deal more money than it would have
been out from the compromise, but the
principal and precedent were involved,
and they had to be protected. Mr.. An
derson was told that the commission
ers might apply to the attorney gen.
eral for an opinion on the point he had
raised. He said they were at liberty to
do so, but he was convinced that Mr..
Childs would not take a different stand