The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-12
Dunn GIVES HIS Version
DIsPASsIONATE REVIEW OF MAT
TIERS AT ISSUE BETWEEN
HIAF AND JOHNSON
DUTIES OF COUNTY AUDITOR
He Is Supposed to Make Careful In
vestigatiOn of All Applications
for Tax Refundments and
Attachments.

Public Examiner Pope is still engaged
in his investigation of the tax rebate
ment case arising out of the Office Of
County Auditor Johnson few days ago,
and has not therefore made his re-
port to the governor He stated yester-
day that he would probably have his find
ings ready by Monday.
The acrimonious letter which County
Auditor Johnson sent to State Auditor
Dunn, which was published in the
G o b g yesterday, reached it's destina-
ton yesterday morning, but Mr.. Dunn
did not open it until in the afternoon.
He penned an answer to the communi-
cation. Mr.. Dunn said he had no desire
to enter into an undignifed controversy
with Mr. Johnson, but would like to
have the matter fully understood by the
public, since the public has been cafIed
to witness the affair.
Regarding the Johnson letter and 9TH
er matters connected with the subject,
Mr.. Dunn yesterday said:
Yes have received a letter from
Mr.. w. r. Johnson, auditor of Ramsey
county, the contents OF which have al
ready been made public through the
columns Of the newspapers. The auditor
of the premier county of the state en-
joys the proud distinction Of having
| written the most y crilous, letter ever
received in this office by myself or any
In writing such a letter Mr.. Johnson
| is welcome to 1t. I do not propose 10
| descend to his level.
| "In my letter to Mr. Johnson, written
| the 9Th inst, I asked for the return
of several applications for refundments
! which had been approved because they
| appeared fair on their face, but which
| upon investigation by the pul4be @sam
| iner We're found to be of a questionable
| character I also said In the letter that
! all applications for refundments and
| attachments coming from Ramsey county
| hereafter would be subjected to rigid
! scrutiny In this office, words to that
| effect. | also said that we had had more
! trouble with such applications from
| Ramsey county than from all the other
counties Of the state combined. every
| word of which is true.
Ramsey county has been unfortunate
| in its tax sales. There is not another
| county in the state that has had so
| many invalid tax sales and there is not
another county in tho state that pays it's
officers higher salaries. The invalidat-
| ing of tax sales in Ramsey county has
| cost the taxpayers of the county many
| thousand dollars. The auditor Is the
| chief tax officer of the county and he
| is well paid to protect the interests of
| the taxpayers of the county, and 1t IS
| his duty to do so. 1 do not charge Mr.
johnson, or Mr. Sullivan, or any Of their
| predecessors Of having been remss In
| their duty, but | relterate that no other
county of the state has been so unfortu-
nate in having so many invalid tax sales
Somebody blundered, and the blunders
| We're costly to the taxpayers
ANY Applicant n for correctfo1 of as
! sessment and abateml mt or refundment
! OF taxes, or bids for absolute proI eyty
! received at this office without the sig
| nature Of the coLn au itor which
the property is situated, would not be
! considered for enc moment II the
auditors signature did not appear on the
application it would be immedi tely re-
returned to that officer without any
action whatever being taken in this of
! flee.
DUTIES OF STATE AUDITOR. ~
THE duties of the state auditor with
| reference to tax matters are prescribed
in section 1852 of tn Statutes of S9t
! quote sentence from the sec,iJn in
| question: He sha hear and Ceterrnine
! all matters cf grievance relad 6 +, tax
alton on account of excessive vallIatt IN
| or property, or for 9th + cause, when
| submitted to him with a stetenene Of
! the facts in the case, and ,favo abb.
recommendation OF the commits toner's
and county auditor, in which the
property is situated Taking section 165
in connection with sec ion 1857, and it
! 4
that 1t Is absolutely essential that the
| county auditor of t county. officer
who has charge Of tho ia book Ct the
| county, should certi Y as to the co rect
ness of all stat,me is made fer correc-
! ZION or assessment and abat ment of tax
/ es or refundments of taxes Hence. | saw
| that If any aspiration reaches this of
J fee without the county aud tors sigma
! ture it receives no consile1ati n what
! ever Mr.. Johnson lnows full won that
! an application for refundment would not
be considered in this Office un'ess it WIS
7 signed by him, and tHere never has be n
I a refundment app owed in t is oflica IN
/ less the appl.cat' on contained the sig
nature of the county auditor
CAUSE OF TROUBLE.
| Mr.. Dunn then presented the following
! petition for appl cation for refundment
! OF the taxes which bad been se1t to his
Office by Mr.. Johnson:
THE board Of county commissioners
Minnesota.
Your petitioner respectfully represents
! that he is the holder Of tax certificates
of sale for the taxes of the year 1892
upon the following described property,
sitGated IN the county of Ramsey aud
| state of Minnesota, to-Wit:
west st, Paul proper, lots and 8,
ol9ck %; Whitaker Turner and Lepper's
SUBDIVISION of block /, Wille's addition,
]
sold ID, for $29.72; lot g. for SAG 20; lot g. block
| l. Whitaker, Turner and Lepper's sub
! division, for $22.64
THAT your petitioner Is not in possess
! sion by himself or by others Of the real
! property hereinbefore described or any
| rart thereof; that the said certificates
! OF sale tor the taxes of the year 1892 are
| lnVahd Tor the reason that the board
OF county commissioners Of the county of
ramsey never properly designated the
! newspaper in which the list IF DELINQUENT
taxes for the year 1892 should he p1be
lshed; that the supreme court of this
| state has decided certificate Of sale 10
| Invalid where there Is no proper designa-
| ton of the paper in which the delinouent
list OF taxes shall be published
Eastman VS. Linn, 20 Mir 215
! Wherefore your petitioner asks that
the sums so paid by him for the certin-
Gates or sale as above set forth be re-
FUNDED to him with interest thereon from
| the date Of payment thereof
w. Il Cassidy Petitioner"
I[c also gave the following copy OF a
| certificate showing the action taken bv
the county commissioners, Of which M.
Johnson Is clerk and adviser:
re the Auditor Of The State OF Minna
sofa; The board of county commissions
ers OF said Ramsey county hereby certify
that 1t had inquired into the truth OF tho
facts set forth and alleged in the within
| petition; that it is satisfied from such
inquiry that all the facts therein stated
an ectlng the case are fully and fairly
stated, and said petition Is hereby cnrti,
fed to said state auditor
Board Of Commissioners OF Ranso,
County
Robert A. Smith, Chairman
B. 3. Lott