Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-07-01
MIR. Davis Replies.

and Live Stock Co. asks Benton County :
to settle $500 of Overdue Taxes ior s43o.
AS this article assumes to give 'lacts
that are Of interest to the taxpayers OF
Benton county, and although in said artl-
Gle he uses my name in connection win |
transactions of which he hiuts darkiy.
ould have no contention with him II IN ]
mis- attempts to put the facts before the
public, he had given ALL OF TIE FACTS
1t is perfectly right aud proper tnat
the taxpayers should have full know ledge
of all transactions relative to the collec
ton and handling of funds OF the county.
We have been perfectly willing that the
public should have full knowledge CT this
matter at al times, and l think 1t mas
been quite generally canvassed over the
county during the last two years.
There is no disgrace in being pubic
benefaetor or educator, and 1t only Gre
ates suspicion of the writer's notlVes
when his personality is hidden behind
non de plume. especially In matters oi
public moment.
As to The transactions in regard 10 the
property named. 1 am quite wiling 10
concede that "Citizen" probably knows
more about them up to the time when L
became interested in the lands by pur-
chase. than do myself; but as he has
failed to give ALL of facts, desire IN JUS
tice to ali, and that tie public may under.
stand the matter as it is, to give brle1
| statement of the case. .o
As has been we'll known. the Zoe
Lands" the Oregon Development 20.
Lands and the Col Hoeg estate prop !
ertv were ali, for several years in the
hands of the courts, and while taxes were
assessed against them every year. none
were collected except as will be noted
heteafter.
Early in the year 1900, there were
standing on the taxrolls of Benton and
Lincoln counties something between
$4,000 and 100000 against the CCe lands,
then In the name of A. IL. Masten re-
ceiver, under the jurisdiction OF the DIS.
trict Court of the U. S: for the district OF
New York. A proposition was made TO
the county court OF Lincoln county, by
Edwin Stone. agent, that 1t the ;, court
wonId accept $1,000 in cash in full pay
ment Of ali taxes assessed against said
lands in that county, his principals " no
afterward proved to be the Astoria 20 }
would agree to purchase the lands from
, the receiver, take them out OF the hands
: of the court and place them on the mar
i ket so they could get into the hands OF
individual settlers and thus contribute to
d., the advancement OF the county. The
Lincoln county court accepted the prop
= ositien and the $1,000 was paid as agreed.
E The same proposition was submitted to
the then county Judge OF Benton county
: who reoueste! that as ION account OF the
!. death of Commissioner Buchanan) the
, hoard wat not then full, it should not be
filed until full board could be had.
e Assuming that as Lincoln county had
!. accented the proposition. Benton county
: would also, The Astoria Co. proceeded in
l. good faith 10 purchase the lands and took
l. them out of court.
:. In the further pursuance OF the agree
mept, the lands were sold to the Coas
Land and Live Stock Co., company Or
ganized expressly to Lny and dispose O
the lands to settlers, which the have
since been doing, many settlers and tax
payers having been added to the Popula
lion of the two counties through their Ell
forts and influence,
81 Before purchasing this property, ou
ts company had the matter thoroughly IN
e yestigated by competent attorneys, wh'
i, advised rs the taxes as assessed agalns
Geo. S. Coe, trustee. and Arthur ii. Mas
l ten, receiver, were not valid lien agalns
s, these lands, and that the collection o
a them could not be enforced as against tn
70 lands or other assets of orr company
w Therefore in all Of our sales we have CIV
ng en- the purchasers full warranty deeds
w
at No business man pays invalid claim
which NAV be claimed against propert
which he has purchased iu good faith
iu and in the purchase of these lands :"
S. did not expect to assume to pay thos
, q taxes. Our attorneys have always advis
,o ed against making any settlement what
ever, and it was only after strenuous Ell
IT. fort on my part that l was allowed t
fl? make the proposition that did, "hir
he was cnlv made to gi e Benton county til
-. same opportunity which Lincoln count
:. had to secure something out of the ma
he ter and to get the business settled ,
he once. Notwithstanding the in:inuatior
Dt, and innuendos of Citizen, it Is fa'
- we'll known to the officers of the count
- and TO all attorneys who have looked lut
'e- this matter, that those taxes cannot
m enforced against our lands or the prope
ne tv, so it then is simple business prop'
-, si,ion, as to whether the county will tax
~ something when it can get 1t and make
X settlement, or take nothing at the end
an expensive lawsuit.
I'VE There has been no secrecy about tn
,;d proposition, nor has the least intiucnt
been exerted; | simply presented IL
AZ proposition to the court and eXpialne
di- our position in the matter, assuring the
;as that this was only made in order to g
on the matter SETTLED AT ONCE, and ask!n
y" that they either accept this or proceed
my enforce the collection, that the mattt
Or might be settled as soon as possible.
er. Citizen" says that we want to "a
70 s., 600 taxes with $3.50, or less than
w per cent, which is not tue. Of tn
lty IA 600 the county has already had $S22.t
his which paid them for my tax certifica
Ir. on the sale for the 1896 taxes, land
-, which shall certainly enforce the r,
", W turn, if those taxes are proven invalid
lhe the $I4S, in cash offered making $1420 81
hat a much greater per cent than Lincol
the county received. He also speaks of tt
.o1 assessment OF the .. ID. Co. lands b.
!. does not tell the amount the county r
lch ceived from the court for about eleve
'th wears taxes, even when there was I
not question OF validity brought into Il
,hs matter. Again he says that. we paid o.
taxes for the year 1904 assessed a. the "a
al of 80 cents per acre when the recorC
has show that the lands Were assessed at II