Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-04-06
Communications

Editor Tribune: In your issue OF
yesterday evening in a report of the
April session of the Burleigl county
board OF commissioners, l find the
following:
Upon motion the special examn-
er's report on the sheriff's office was
accepted and the treasurer ordered
to demand that former Sheriffs WEIGH
! and ,McGillis Immediately turn into
the county treasury the sum shown
in the report to be due the county.
These sums We're of penalty and inter-
est, and in the cases cited amount to
$40 against Welch, and $S403 against
McGillis.''
One not familiar with the facts in
the case might infer from the above
that Mr.. WEIGH and myself had stolen
money from Blrleigh county. The
facts are that the books of the treas.
urer's Office and sheriff's office check
exactly and even the Especial exam
iler" does not charge that either Mr..
Welch or myself received a five cent
piece from Burleigh county which did
not belong to us. Where then did
! the special examiner" get this
amount which he alleges that is owed
/ to the county by Mr.. WEIGH and my.
self? i Judge that it was from inter-
est and penalty on delinquent taxes
which we did not charge. 1t was the
custom of the sheriff's office in this
county until the present treasurer
Mr.. Kositzky, took office, to send out
notices of delinquent taxes and then
accept in payment at a later date in
full of the tax the sum which was
named on the statement. For instance,
statement was sent to Mr.. Jones,
farmer living in remote part OF
the county, that his tax, penalty and
interest was $5125 on the date Of the
notice. August Is, but if he did not
come in at once or send remittance
no interest was charged from the date
Of the notice until the tax was paid.
If he did not come in for 60 days no
interest was charged on $51.25 from
August Is to October Is. This is all
the special examiner" or anyone else
can find against either Mr.. WEIGH or
myself.
Probably we were wrong and we
should have charged the farmer inter-
est while he was coming to town to
pay his tax, but We will have to be
shown on some authority than that OF
the special examiner" that the
amounts were correct and actually
due the county.
The special examiner" Brig Gen.
Thomas H. Poole, retired, seems to
feel that it was a terrible crime for
the county sheriffs to fail to charge
the farmers the few cents interest on
their delinquent taxes after the no
tees were sent out. and probably he
is right, but l would like to inquire
just why only Mr.. WEIGH and myself
are signaled out for his activities.
Why did he not 60 back and check
the other sAeriffs of the county since
organization? Since this man Poole
has to be fed at the public crib in
some capacity. why would it not be
a good plan for the board Of county
commissioners and the board Of city
commissioners to get together and
pension him for life and create the
office of "Public Sherlock Holiness
and set him on the trail of the various
officers of both city and county since
the beginning Of things in Burleigh
county and the city Of Bismarck, l
think he would be kept busy.
Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Poole, retired,
might look into the abatement of
taxes in Bismarck and Burleigh
county. 1t seems that it is right to
abate taxes for everybody but the
farmer-thousands can be handed
over to business men in the city. but
a few cents interest on delinquent
taxes, due from a farmer, causes a fit
Of righteous indignation on the part
of Special Examiner" Poole and his
political allies. What Is the sauce
for the goose is sauce for the gander
and if Mr.. WEIGH and myself are to
be made to disgorge this interest
which we failed to collect from the
farmers. let the other ohicials who
have failed to collect taxes due Bur-
leigh county and the city of Bismarck
get busy and come across.
Sincerely yours,