Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-10-28

esAaAoSo AuS0tAdOAy Ouoy u6Vo 6kCeou
that just and reasonable compromise
is greatly to be preferred to vast
amount of uncollectable tax. The
county commissioners have nothing to
gain by compromising taxes in order
to collect them, only so far as it bene-
fits all residents of the county, and the
intimation that they have shown favor.
itism in this matter is clearly malic.
Gus and wholly untrue. The county
commissioners will at all times be
pleased to receive any suggestions and
advice that will guide them in solving
this perplexing problem and il Mr.
Ames can suggest any better method
to accomplish the desired end his sug.
gestions will meet with the hearty ap.
proval of the board and be adopted
forthwith. He can thus do the county q
genuine service and this should give
him much more pleasure and satisfac.
tion than continually decrying the
financial condition Of the county and
criticising and maligning its officials
Mr.. John Burke, in his usual force.
4 full and straightforward manner, when
asked for his answer to Ames' ques-
tions, said:
II never called any current expense
fund warrants; there is no current ex.
pence fund account on the treasurer's
books.
1.-THE recent call for special sinking
fund warrants was made wholly in the
interest of the county. Reference to
the detailed statements issued from
this office will show that about one
thousand dollars was borrowed from
the permanent bond fund with which
to mako this IL, and, as the price of
the warrants was raised to 80 cents,
the object of the call was successful.
"If l permitted property to be sold
for taxes, upon which the county had
a prior claim, it was because the taxes
we're due and unpaid upon the tax
duplicate in the treasurer's office.
II overlooked the 1897 law requiring
the treasurer to publish a statement of
the liquor licenses issued each year,
and the three official papers of the
county are out the legal fees for pub
fishing the same.
property sold to or owned by the
county should not appear upon the
tax duplicate for taxation, it being ex.
empt.
~ did not enormously issue to Mr..
Juckett or anyone else q tax certificate
an property owned by the county.
II was not on ex-Treasurer Bradley's
second term bond, therefore was not
liable for his official acts during his
second term as treasurer.
II did circulate and cause to be Cir
culated petitions asking that value
of s1.5O per acre be placed upon the
ranch land of this county for 1893 and
presented the same to the state board
of equalization, which approved the re-
duction, and the rancher in paying his
1893 taxes will find his land valuation
25 per cent lower than in 1897. BY
this action the railroads in Fall River
county will be benefited to the extent
of 40 acres of land and save a valua-
tion of just $40. While it is true that
loan companies and nom presidents own
considerable land in this county can
not see the wisdom of the resident
land owner who is fighting drouth and
grashsppers paying taxes upon twice
the actual market value of his home,
that the wealthy corporation and non-
resident may be made to pay more tax
es. Further, it is only just and right
that the county should have the same
| reduction in 1898 land values that Hot
Springs has secured for her town lots,
and that without it being necessary to
incur the danger of circulating peti-
.ions."
| From the foregoing statements, and
from the very clear and unnnswcrnlle
facts prcsepte.! by Mr.. Stanley, think
the taxpayers can arrive ut their own
conclusions as to tho character OF your
questions, and I have no doubt that
the election of Messrs. Grippcn and
Stanley will he their an .wer. Very
Truly Yours,
WALTER ANDERSON,
Chairman, Republican Central Com.
Editor Ames did not want his insinu-
ating questions answered. lie pre-
fcrrcl to be Unfair and leave tho pub
lie to infer that there was crooketlness
with the republican officials. II the
STAR should even stoop SO low as to
ask man why he had robbed the coun-
ty; why he was an all-round crook, and
why he stole his neighbors stock, we
should expect of course to give that
man chance to defend himself,
whether it ''cost money" for US to do
SO or not. Conld q newspaper be fair
and not do SO? Can newspaper
hodoo the people into believing be.
cause 1t is bold and mean enough to