Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-07
North DakotaS Bluff Collection Agency

North Dakotd,S Bluff Collection Agency
Two cases have arisen in peculiar coincidence
with the county commissioners of Burleigh county
recently. They are the tax cases of the Bismarck
Water Supply Company and the Great western
Grain Company, and by the North Dakota Tax Com
mission treated in a Numerically opposed manner.
= The case of the water company does not enter
into the present situation further, than to furnisA z
foundation upon which tho Tax Commission may
stand long enough to reverse itself, and further to
furnish a ridiculous spectacle in itself for the aml'se-
ment Of the public. %%5 q gt@g1f
About three years ago the water company resist.
ed payment OF certain taxes. upon the ground that It
was assessed too high. and several citizens insisted
that the company must pay it all and denied the
county commissioners the right to rebate any amount.
appealing to the court from the decision Of the county
commissioners. in making the rebate. So much for
A short time ago, while this action was pending
in the district court, George Wallace, a member OF
the Tax Commission, interviewed as an attorney pre-.
sumably, In the interests of the state, holding with
the county and city attorneys in the case, that tho
county commissioners had no right to decrease the
amount, after the board Of equalization had adjourned
for. the years for which the assessment were made;
and by. this method in reality rebate to the water
company a part of its taxes. - y, d. e.,
"A, short" time ago the Great Western Elevator
conany changed its name to the Great Western
Grain Company and refused to pay taxes on its ele.
vators In this state. Through Mr.. Wallace's view OF
the matter, the Tax Commission, through himself.
who; advises that he is an "old practitioner" proceed.
ed to run a ,blun," as he calls it, on the company
for the. collection of the tax. He says the bluff work:
ed and. in any event, the company paid its taxes
under protest, accompanied by an offer to 5comprom.
ice on so per cent. Now comes Mr.. Wallace, as a
member Of the Tax Commission, who for some hazy
reason: advises the officials OF various counties in
the state to accept the so per cent cut and to return
that amount to. the company, which most Of the conn.
ties did, except Eurleigh. However, in order to duck
the low bridge which the members of the commits.
sion, saw they were coming to-, they sought the advice
Of the attorney generals Office, from which the Tax
Commission claims it received the opinion that it
would be we'll to return 50 per cent of the taxes.
owing to the fact that 1t was doubtful If the; assess:
ment was legal. In q communication to the County
Commissioners the Tax, Commission advised tho
commissioners to accept this. I 49, s
MI: Wallace asserts In his letter that the real
trouble arose from his activity in forcing the water
company to pay Its back taxes or take an appeal,
~-~ So svn~V SNN>s A~c ~ OoC u6dluSJ IuC w
Western Elevator Company, he had to fight a majority
Of the Eureigh County Commissioners to accomplish
anything. This statement is absurd, ridiculous and
false In every particular, from the fact that all mat
ters In connection with the waterworks case in which
the County Commissioners took part were on before
me TAX Commission was in existence. and Mr.. Wal
lace has had no controversy with the board in con
nectton with the waterworks suit, and at NO time
mas Wallace appeared before tile Board Of Coun.
" commissioners or had any controversy with the
members over any matter in connection with the
treat western Elevator company, until he presented
MS petltfon, the other day, to have so per cent Of it's
axes reoated. The majority Of the members OF the
board OF county commissioners never heard of aim
IN the case and never knew that he was assuming
any authority in the matter. : .a .a%
NOW, II the procedure in the assessment was legal,
all the money was due the county, and, If not legal.
the. county. had nothing coming. This fact struck
commissioner Patterson so f%orcibly that he was de-.
sirous Of making the advice Of the commission a
matter OF record and moved that the communication
containing it be. filed. ~: >...,-
county Commissioner Kositzky, who is also sec.
rotary of the Tax Commission, made an. aftemunnt%, "a,
oeleat . the Patterson motion, but he couldn,s get 1t
He : 49, :-,1.:g IN ~" :. 80
800 'n'o secured ms proposition of the Tax
vou - SIC Mr. PATTERSON went further and drew. IN
~ ieso'u'ons "nlch were printed yesterday morn
1nle,, denying the request or suggestion of tho Tar
Commission that Burleigh county l.t oue.ha,f the
tax money. There was a severe sting in this raao,,.
ton. ", 49,, I~z:,% '""".
The resolution was unanimously adopted BY the
County Commissioners. including Mr.. Kositzkv conn.
Observation-Disclosures. How Mr.
Hostility happened to fail or refuse to vote to SIM.
port his masters, by voting for this resolution. is a
matter Of conjecture: Whether he Numbered into
ne right for once in his life, or whether he .cousct
entsously voted for what he knew to be right, can.
i