Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-09-16
finch ASSUMES
RESPONSIBILITY
E. c. Finch Says Excessive
Bidding was Result Of
Misunderstanding
WERE BIDDING FOR HIM
Emphatically Denies That
the Voided Sale Has
Injured the Public

To The Editor
In your paper of the 18th inst. ap-
peared a double column article under
a heading to the effect that s'Straw
Bidders Prevent Sale of State Lands;
Sale of State Addition Voided by Bo-
gus Bidders; Party Of Straw Bid
ders Succeed in Withholding Two Hun
dred Acres in Aberdeen from Settle
ment and Taxation" etc.
This article appeared under a Mon
tesano date line and was evidently
inspired by someone whose "0x was
gored" in the proceedings referred
to. From this article, one would
gather that great injustice had been
done the public and that the persons
who perpetrated that injustice were
Messrs. J. e. Hutchinson, T. B. Oar
ragh, C. F. Jensen, Miss Ethel Shan
non and Mrs. J. H. Fitx. and the
main purpose of this communication
is to disabuse the minds of your
readers of any idea which may have
found Judgement therein to the effect
that the ladies' and gentlemen named
were in any way culpable in this con-
nection.
If blame rests on any person, 1t
Is assumed absolutely and entirely
by the undersigned, SO far as any
of the bidding or other actions of the
persons named were connected with
the transaction. The excessive bid
ding was the result of misunder-
standing.
Except for the fact that innocent
persons have been brought into this
matter in an unenviable light,
would not have taken any Of your
space to make reply to the article
in question, as l am absolutely i'm
pervious, personally, to newspaper
roasts, and the above statement Of
the case should be sufficient to re-
lieve the bidders who have been at
tackled and bring upon me any crit
icism which individuals or the pub.
lie generally may consider due in
connection with this transaction.
AS to the real facts in the matter.
shall not attempt to detail them In
this communication, for to give any.
thing like clear exposition of them
would require far more space than the
subject merits. Suffice 1t to say (and
this statement may be accorded by
friends and others alike just that de-
gree of credence which they consid-
er it entitled to) that in my judg-
ment the course taken by me In this
transaction was justified in fully by
circumstances as they came. Any.
one who has sufficient interest In the
matter to ask the full facts from
the undersigned will be given them.
verbally and in detail, at any time.
It might be well to state, however.
and this statement can be easily
verified by the records of the State
Land Office at Olympia-that the
State of Washington was amply pro-
tected against any loss due to costs
of advertising or otherwise, in ad.
vance of the sale, by deposits made
in the State Land Office which are
forfeited to the State, this being the
invariable rule of the State Land Of
fice before Offering any State lands
for sale.
As to the State or County being
otherwise loser through this sale not
being finally closed, the writer begs
leave to call attention to the fact
that he has been directly the cause
of this land being saleable at any
figure above possibly $4,000 per acre.
This is due to the fact that I have
plated the three additions adjoin-
ing this property, have caused plank
ed streets to be built through them.
city water mains laid, telephone con-
nections put in operation, and all OF
the facilities which make city prop
erty out of waste acreage brought
right to the boundaries of the school
land in question. Because Of these
improvements brought about through
my efforts, the state land In question
is saleable at many times the figure
it would have brought II my activi-
ties had not been directed to that
section of the town; and II, through
intent or otherwise, the sale of the
land in question has been delayed
until the State will reap even
larger benefit from improvements to
adjacent territory, then no noe is In
jured and the State is benefited.
l say no one is injured, because
there are still enough lots on sale
in that vicinity to meet present de-
mands, at prices lower than lots In
the State Land in question could have
been sold for If bought at the prices
bid for the same In acres at the sale
at Montesano last Saturday
II farther particulars are desired
(and this invitation Is addressed par
ticularly to any individual who thinks
he has kick coming,) call upon the
undersigned.
EDWARD c. FINCH.
Aberdeen, Sept. IA, 1912.