Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-11
Communications

SuoN 'pSSs . W ~
paper of this date, wherein one Geo
ID. Wallace, a member of the state
tax commission, undertakes to criti.
else the hoard of commissioners oil
E:urleigh county for their action In
turning down his recommendation
that the taxes of the Great Western
Elevator Co. be, In part, refunded TO
that corporation.
1 have been q member Of the board
of county commissioners for the past
three years, and, while my acts have
been criticised and my motives ques-
toned by certain individuals. have
neyet before felt the necessity Of
breaking into print in defense of my
self individually or OF the board as a
whole. But the attack made upon the
board by Mr.. Wallace is so uncalled
for that ! feel that | owe it to my
fellow members of the board to Of
fer some defense.
In the first place, Mr.. Wallace says,
regarding the collection Of taxes from
the Great Western Elevator Co.: -
thought | saw q chance to secure at
least a portion Of the tax by a good
strong bluff, and | proceeded to make
it,
Now, ! want to say right here Meth
er Mr.. Wallace, 0 any other man
has been instructed to or asked by this
hoard since I have been q member
to collect taxes by bluff. Burleigh
| county does not need taxes that have
to be collected by bluff. Either the
tax is legal Or it is not legal, and if
it is legal no bluff is necessary in its
collection, and If it IS not legal Bur
leigh county does not want it. =
Mr.. Wallace further says that this
board tried to side.track Sheriff
Barnes the day the Great Western
elevator, at ,r:urleigh was to be sold,
and thereby hinder or delay the sale.
The facts in this matter are that
Sheriff Barnes came to the commits.
%sioners' room in the forenoon Of that
day and requested the hoard to au-
thorize the action he was about to
take in the sale of this elevator. 1t
was an entirely new proposition to
the board, they having given the mat
no attention whatever, for the reason
that it was at that time entirely in
the hands of the states attorney. In
the discussion that followed Mr.. Kof-
fel, then acting states attorney, was
called, and stated that he had given
the matter very little consideration,
but he knew Of no reason why tho
sale should not proceed. The board
acted on the advice of the acting
states attorney entirely, and hinder
ed the sheriff in no way, but instruct
ed hin to proceed with the sale, and
further instructed Mr.. Koffel to ac-
company him to the grounds. And it
is now a matter of history that the
Great Western Elevator company did
on that same day pay to Sheriff
Barnes the full amount Of their taxes,
and Burleigh county now has the
money, and so far as my vote on the
board of commissioners is concerned,
the county will keep all or one of
it, Attorney Wallace's bluff notwith-
standing.
Regarding the abatement of taxes
I will state that in no instance (save
one) since L have been a member of
the board, has any abatement of
taxes been granted contrary to the
advice of the states attorney, and
that official has been advised with
on all matters Of this nature that
were in any way questionable. The
one case referred to is the old Bis
marck Water Supply Co. case In this
matter l had reasons to believe that
the states attorney at that time was
p%rejudiced against the Water Supply
Company, and | (at my W expense)
consulted outside legal authority,
with the result that the majority Of
the board voted to abate a portion of
the Water Supply Co.'S taxes which 1
honestly believe, was the right thing
to do.
Now, ! am no newspaper writer, and
this may be little hard to under.
stand, hut II you are a searcher for
the truth you can. find It in this let
ter. am simply, farmer up here
in the country. r. don't know any poll.
tics nor don't: want to know any.
I don't know how to write an article
for a newspaper and did want
TO know how until now. If i was as
good a writer and half as good a fal-
sitter as some people ! have taken
abuse from since have been a mem
Der of the Bulleigh: county board, 1
would certainly make things interest
ing for Mr.. Wallace. .
In regard tO the resOlutiOn intrOduc
ed by Mr.. Patterson, which was the
main cause of Tax I Commissioner
Wallace's4 eruption, wish to call the
attention of. the public, to the fact
that the said resolution was adopted
unanimously. Commissioner Kositzky,
who is secretary Of the state tax COM
mission, voting with the balance OF
the board. .
In conclusion, permit. me to say
that L don't want any money that
comes by bluff. and while i am a
member of the board OF county com.
missioners I don't want the county to
have any money that has to be bluff
ed out of the taxpayers. All l want
and all ! want the county to have is
just what is legally and honestly COM
ing to us.
| am no newspaper writer. neither
am I a politician, sitting in the
state capitol drawing e $4,000 a year
salary. I am no dynamiter and my
friends and enemies know where to
find me on any question that comes
up either in public or private life.
And want to say right here that
if any taxes are to be abated l am
strictly in favor Of starting in with