The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-10-07
EXPLODES CLAIMS
OF W. B. COMPTON
AXEL RAMSTEDT, HEAD OF IDAHO
TAX COMMISSION, MAKES
CLEAR-CUT STATEMENT
Reason for Not Filing Resolution was
Because of Alleged Statements of
Facts Not Supported by Evidence

|
Tax Commissioner AXel p. Ramsted
has issued a statement in reply to the
claim made by w. B. Compton, repre-
sentative of the taxpayers organiza
tion of northern Idaho that after be-
| ing given the set of resolutions passed
| by the league calling the interior de-
partment's attention to the way in
which timber lands in northern Ida
ho were escaping taxation through
failure of Washington departments to
| issue patents, Commissioner Ramstedt
| failed to present the resolutions to the
department and criticizing him for in
ACTIVITY. The reply of Commissioner
Ramstedt is as follows:i
"The petition and resolutions referred
to by Mr.. Compton were received by
me in August of last year Upon re-
ceipt of same | advised the Taxpayers
league that the matter would be given
due attention, that | expected to be in
Buffalo during the latter part of the
following October and that | would if
possible go to Washington and with
the assistance of our representatives
there take the matter up with the sec
retary of the interior | did not as
sure the North Idaho league that
would present its set of resolutions to
the Washington department 1t was
Ixri- "a h1 RI la IL
tions referred to for the reason that the
same contained certain alleged state
ment of facts unsupported by evil
dence, charging certain manipulation
of the lieu land laws, the abuse of the
power delegated by congress to par
ticular bureaus and officers of the land
in the adjustment of titles and unrea-
sonably slow progress, defeating the
will of the people and resulting in
profit only to the claimants of title to
the lands in controversy. The petit
ton or resolutions contained no descrip-
tions or definite statement as to the
amount or character of tie land in
volved and no tangible data was sub
mitted upon which we could make
our case before the secretary of the
or the general land office.
Consulted With BOrah First
"On my way east | called at the gen
eral offices of the Northern Pacific
Railway company at st. Paul and Sc
cured an abstract of the unpatcnted
lancs claimed by this company. This
abstract contained descriptions of the
listings and selections by the company |
within the state of Idaho, which form |
sentation of the matter to tie com
missioner Of the general land office.
Goa my arrival in Washington l frs 7
,ook the matter up with several mem |
,ers of our delegation In congress. We
'ound that Mr.. Lane the secretary of |
he interior was i'll and could not be
natter up with Mr.. T:llman, the COM
missioner of the general land office,
With whom / had discussed the mat
er at the time of his visit to Boise
sometime previous. Senator Borah
.alled with me on Commissioner Tall
nan to present our case. We found
hat approximately 100000 acres of un-
urveyed land, being odd numbered
ections within the primary limits of
he Northern Pacific Railway, had been
lassified as mineral land and for that
eason did not pass to the railway COM
any, and that approximately 10000
cres in odd numbered sections within
uch limits would probably come with
4 the operation of the grant by reason
{ having been classified as nonmin-
raj land although such classification 1
ad not at that time been approved.
he unsurveyed land within the grant s
rhich had not been classified consist |
4 of strip Of land averaging about t
wo townships in width and extending s
along the west slope of the 6
liter Root mountains, and situated 1
what is probably the most mountain |
US sections of Idaho and could not be \
lrveyed until the following summer.
Departments Policy
"It was explained that it was the /
olicy of the department in surveying
nd to give preference to townships