The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14

nttorney-gencrul wrote tho clerk OF
! TINS county In part as follows:
The condition OF tho land books Of
| buchanan county as they appear In
! the auditors office presents n very
serious and troublesome condition OF
AFFAIRS. and the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts takes the position that there is
| Il great deal moro lands reported in
! the acreage on tho land books than
mere Is really land In the county. In
! other words. that II good deal Of tho
I lhnd charged or reported on tho land
p; DOCKS does not In fact exist. and that
THIS condition imposes Il heavy burden
Oh the State Treasury. OF which tho
Treasury should be relieved. I am In
/ thorough sympathy with the auditor
! III MS contention. The state should
! not be compelled to pay the commits
siohcrs commission for assessing lands
! mat has no real existence, nor should
! the State be compelled TO pay the
! costs ana fees incident to the return OF
these assessments as inSolvcnt. In
short the land books should not be
encountered with mere fictitious assess
ments, etc"
From this letter ii would seem that
inc Encouragement has gone over the
matter fully with the auditor. and is
OF the opinion that the commissioners
. ever, the commissioners have never
been advised by either the auditor or
attorncy-Sencral to leave this land or,
ana Ill view Of this l cannot under.
stand why the auditor should criti-
else the commissioners for putting the
iand on their books especially when
me question has been squurcly put up
10 him and he has never advised the
| commissioners 10 leave Il off.
al Z
IN this matter. reminds me Of the old
man that went deer hunting one rogEy
horhiig. lie SAW something coming
down the hill and could not tell wheth-
or IL was Il deer or Il calf. Throwing
ms gun to his shoulder he commenced
10 slSht. and his companion failing TO
understand why he was sitting so Ions.
asked him why he didn't shoot The
old man replied that as he didn't know
whether il was deer or !, calf he
wanted TO aim SO that If IL Was II
car he would miss II. and if it was a
deer he would kill it,
Now, the state. through it's officials.
mas never advised the commissioners of
'he revenue OF this county to leave
this land OFF. though at present the
state, through its officials, seems TO
be very much disturbed over the con-
uitionS in this cuuaty. II seems to
mink that the land should be left OH,
ana that the State should no. be COM
PEELED 10 pay the commissioners com
missions for assessing lands that have
no real existence, nor should the State
DC compelled 10 pay tile costs and fees
incident TO the return vi these asscss-
mcnts as insolvunts"
Nevertheless, when Tclault mr.
chased the Pearson titlc" from the
state dhc lana having been returned
delinquent and purchased by the Com
monwcaltn the officials Of the stat,
at once laid claim To their proportion
ate part of the purchase price. No
DOUBT, though. the State. through its
oicials. demonstrated considerable on
paying the commissioner his commits
siohs Tor assessing this land ana the
state officials threw up their hands in
holy horror when said lu'I WAS re-
turned delinquent ana the State nut
10 a little cost. l believe there is n
little quotation, something about CON
ilstcncy, that would lit in nicely here.
nose familiar with il Will please send
a copy Of same 10 the state officials
'hey think should have the same hung
up in their offices.
From this great blundcr Che commits
sioner putting the Pearson land on his
books the State realized Something
like $4,000.
Ihis Is only small part OF what the
State has received from this source.
Now the states present attitude
seems to he this: II this land is nut
on the commissioners books and the
taxes are not paid and the land is re-
turned delinquent and never redeemed.
that the Commissioners OF the Rcvc-
nue. and all other county officials CON
ncctcd with the work should not be
PAID one red cent, but IL the land ~
placed on the commissioners books