Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-07-04

page I6I to 1865 of the Benton couHty tax
roll for 1901, and any one can examine
The two assessments and see who is cor
rect about it.
1 conceive this to be matter of public
concern and one in which all taxpayers
are interested.
DR.. Davis also mentions that no busi-
ness man pays invalid claims against |
Lis properly, but lie does not point out |
wherein the taxes now delinquent on the |
Benton county tax roll against the prop |
erty know as the Hog" lands, are in |
valid. Can he do so? If the taxes
against these lands are invalid then 50
must all other taxes on those rolls haye
been invalid. But is this claim sincere?
DIR. Davis bid at the tax sale for 1896
taxes 1922 81 of these same taxes, in
cluding few dollars costs, and he had
the same information concerning tEeir
validity then that he can now have, yet
he paid for his purchase. He must have
bCllCNCu LtiC OAdAAA4S NoiA0 bACA ia hS1
tbeing business man, would not Rave
paid that money. But now, having got
ten his residence property for that bid,
he says in his letter in the GAZETTE of
July 1st: ST shall certainly enforce the
return if those taxes are proven invalid
He got the residence property on a tax
sale. Now he seems 10 want to get back
the moAey he paid for it. Then who
gets the residence property?
DIR. Davis also speaks about the good
faith of the Astoria Co. in taking these
lands out of the hands of the court. Now
let us examine that. 1 can only speak
from the county records, but they give
some interesting information.
On July 9th, 1900, a deed was recorded,
Book 80, page 49S, Benton county deed
records, dated April II, 1909, from Arthur
H Masten, receiver, to The Astoria Co.,
onveying the forty odd thousand acres
of lands formerly held IN TRUST by Geo.
S. Cne. and also the twenty acres in the
west side OF Corvallis, known as the
"Hogg place." and the depot property,
and the "Hoag" residence property,
where DIR. Davis lives in Corvallis. The
consideration in this deed was 81 and
other good and valuable consider ations.
And the deed says it is ''Subject however
to all tax liens, encumberances, and as
sessments thereon of every kind and
nature whatsoever" This deed carries
a $5 cancelled revenue stamp. indicating
that the Astoria Co. spaid 5000 for this
property, to the receiver. 1t did not re-
quire much good faith" one would
think, to induce one to get property
worth $50, or $4,000 for $1,000
But was the Astoria Co. stuck, as Dr.
Davis letter would seem to imply?
The Astoria Co. conveyed this property
or nearly all of it, to the company now
asking to settle its taxes for this tremen-
dous reduction, by a deed which says
81 consideration and which bears 81:
cancelled revenue stamps indicating {
consideration of $4,000 or profit o
81, 900 within less than a year after tax
GhC Add0S oAO VA tAO AAA0S VA NIA'
court. Was the Astoria Co. so badly
used as DR.. Davis would have US believe
The plain, naked truth is that these
lands have been assessed just as othe
lands of like character have been assess
ed for the five years for which their take
are delinquent. The tax is just as hon
estly and legitimately due Benton coun
ty as any other tax on those rolls, ant
for DIR. Davis, or this company, to at
tempt to get out of paying this tax il
full is unjust to other taxpayers VIII
have paid their taxes uncomplainingly
no matter how hard pressed.
1t is said that this company has nego
tiated sale of all the lands to Eastern
parties at a price two or three time
greater than the assessed value, but tina
they have to square up the back taxe
first. It is right that they should de so
1t would not be right for them to be re
leased OF this debt while others have t.
pay in full. CITIZEN.