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

moreover, the people of this county
would not tolerate officers who would
pad or place fictitious lands on their
books 80 that tho ymight get their
double fee when they were entitled to
but single Fee" and 1t Is an inshlt
to thir manhood to say they would.
Correspondence In ncgnrd 10 the "Bo-
gus Land"
l will not attempt to set out all tho
correspondence I'm regard to this mat
lengthy and would Consume consider
able space, but only such letters and
parts OF letters as bear directly on the
question ut issue.
Under date Of July 20. 1911. the
auditor wrote the commissioner of tho
Eastern District i'll part as follows:
You were the land assessor for
Eastern District. Buchanan county. in
1910. and, as such. assessed $4,000
acres of land in said district. AS Com
| missioner of the Revenue In 1911, you
placed about l.Ui9.0OO acres on Your
DOCKS, or about three times as much
land as you could find In 1910. This
discrepancy is truly astounding. and /
| must require an explanation of the
same before allowing you any COM
pensation as Commissioner OF the Row
chue. shall not attempt to cnumcr-
ate all the added tracts. but can your
attention particularly to the follow
! ihg: Nicrc appears thirteen tracts,
| asSregating some 100000 acres All
| thesc tracts. though are on the list, fur
! nlshed the commissioner by the clerk
| II pursuance of the above referred TO
sections. as the auditor we'll knew as
he had copy of the list.)
mo commissioner has no right to
place additional land on his books
without positive knowledge of its en-
tstencc, ana can give description and
rnfIl ircI t,- a.,
citcd). L have every reason to be-
ilevc' from the records OF this office,
that these added tracts have no cX-
istcnce in fact, and cannot allow
them to appear on your books with
out the most positive assurance that
the assessments are correct You must
furnish such evidence or omi, tho
tracts from your books"
Under date OF July 3lst the com
missioner OF the Eastern District re-
Piled as follows:
Replying to your letter Of July
2"th, III regard TO the difference in tho.
number of acres assessed and placed
on my books as Commissioner of Rev
ehu" beg to state that as ] understand
the law 1t is not for me to determine
whet:er or not the additional lana
placed on my books Is In existence.
MY duty Is to place on my books all
transfers furnished by the clerk The
iahu OF which You complain as being
on my books has been conveyed to the
parties therein named by deeds prom
cry executed and recorded in this
county and tile transfer fees paid Ii
Is not my duty as Commissioner of the
Revenue TO PASS on titles To land.
ana IL l should leave this land off be-
cause l was OF the opinion that the
'lllc 10 same was defective this is OK
actly what l would be doing. While
am OF the opinion that the tile to
the land complained Of is defective
ana me people OF this county. as well
as myself. would be glad to get rid
Of this land, do not think I wound b,.
Justihnblc In leaving il Off | beg also
10 advise that | made the rcusscss-
ihcht Tor 1910, ana at that time had
no record OF these convcyanccs. nor
ana know of The land; but the clerks
INST Tor 1911 contained this land ana
showed that the transfer fees had been
paid TO the clerk. In this county there
are u number OF old surveys claimed
Dy different parties outside of the
county This land was all granted by
inc commonwealth a good many years
ago. lhc citizens here are claiming
me land under junior grants, court
rights, etc. This is the reason that
there is about twice as much land on
lhe books as there is in my district
Rove
nue.. have no more right to leave off
of my books one tract of land than
nave another. as l understand the law.
Il would be pleased to hear from
You further in regard to this matter.
us am anxious to get rid of this land
as you are
Under date of August .. 1911, the
auditor replied III part as follows:
Your favor of July 3lst is received
h1 ..l. u
deeds and convcyanccs his report
should show from whom and TO whom
4 the land was conveyed, and transfers
should be made accordingly on tho
commissioners books. 1t is prcpos,cr
Gus TO assume that when tract of
land goes on the commissioners books
, there Is no obligation resting upon the
commissioner to see that 1t Is properly
| transferred from the former owner.
such tracts and convcyances are no,
supposed TO consist OF mere air ana
lnoonshinc; they must be valid and
tangible Conveyanccs"
The clerks list did show from whom
ana To whom the land was conveyed"
ana the transfer We're made AZ
cordingly on the commissioners books"
| no commissioners discharged the obi
saion resting upon him TO see thar
! IT. Is properly transferred from tho for
MGR owner" The auditor cannot deny
, lhese facts. as the records speak for
themselves.
! Again. on November 18th. the Com.
missioner of the Revenue for The East
crn District wrote the auditor as fol-
| lows:
AS have been very busy in my
campaign for Commissioner of the Rev
| cnuc this fall. l have neglected writing
YOU in regard to my compensa ton az
commissioner for 1911. AS TO the tracts
OF land you mention in your letter as
| bcihE Illegally on my books will say
that by examination OF the ahstroc, nj
| transfers furnished me by the clerk for
| l'li, OF which you have a COPY, YOU
| VIII md that | have no tract OF land
| on my book not contained In said all
stract and that abstract show. .bc