The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1915-10-07

of 5,O01, levied taxes in the sum OF
$29, 215.28, or 1925 per capita.
That Willmar, with a population of
| Abs, levied taxes in the sum of $22,-
$3.50, or $5.46 per capita.
That Fergus Falls, with popula-
ton of 6,887, levied taxes in the sum
of -$21, 134.49, or $3.07 per capita.
| That Albert Lea, with a population
of 6,192, levied taxes in the sum of
S36, 594.82 or a per capita tax of $5.91.
| That, as contrasted with these fig
ures, Hibbing with it's accredited pop
ulation of 1898, levied tax of $751;
8O0.46, or $685. per capita.
In addition thereto the village of
Hibbing issued village orders in ap-
proximately like amount, which
means that Hibbing expended not
only $3.50, 900, raised by taxes, but ex-
pended approximately $1,500,00O, or
$170 per capita. Of course, some al
lowance must be made for the natura1
increase in population of your village
as well as the other cities mentioned.
When | last called on you in Hib-
bling, you handed me a pamphlet en-
tiled "Facts and Figures relating to
the Village of Hibbing, st. Louis
County, Minnesota" This statement
shows that you had on July LIST, 1915,
81, 1893 100000 outstanding in unpaid
village orders. 3, zs.,,. its.
have before me a certified copy of
your levy for the the year 1915, made
last month, which reads as follows:
"Village of Hibbing"
For general corporation
purposes $1,000, 900. 90
For construction on work
and maintenance Of
public library in the vii
lage of .Hibbing $50. 10000. 90
"For operating the village
water and light plant
under the contrl and op-
Grated by the water and
light building commits
sion for supplying said
village with the neces-
sary water and fire pro-
lection and street
sprinkling, and necessa-
ry electric current for
lighting the streets and
public parks of said Viii
1age .............. Z5O,OOO w
dated August 10, 1915.
Victor L. Power, Pres.
Village of Hibbing, MINI.
Attest: D. D. Haley, Recorder.
Village of Hibbing, MINI.
Incorporate Seal, Village of Hib-
bing.O
While you had on July 1st, of this
year, village orders unpaid in the sum
OF over one and quarter million dol
lars in the hands of a great many peo-
pie who have had dealings with your
village, you have made no provision
for the payment of any of these obi
cations. Based on your population as
of 1910, which has been used in all
former comparisons, the levy just
made will amount to S215.00 per cap
tia. 1t is contended by the taxpayers
of your village that these large ex-
penditures in the past and the large
accumulation of village orders has
been the result of extravaganza and
they are taking the usual and regular
means of testing this matter in
the courts, namely, by refusing to pay
the taxes. The issue as, to the alleg-
ed continued extravaganza of the vii
lage is already in issue in your Dis
trict Court in injunction proceedings.
In your demands upon me, you ask
me to attempt to foreclose these tax
payers from having their day in
court. No individual in the State has
ever been foreclosed under this, or any
other statute, where they have desir-
ed to test the validity of their taxes
in court.
Furthermore, the enforcing of taxes
in this State devolves upon the county
officials. The whole controversy of
the validity and the collection of your
taxes is necessarily a local one in
which neither the State nor the State
Auditor is at this time involved. In
your first telegram, asking me to act,
you demanded that l take action to
have the mining officials prosecuted
criminally for failure to pay their tax
es. 1t is not the duty of the State
Auditor to prosecute tax payers for
the non-payment of taxes. You doubt
less realized the futility of this course
in failing to present the matter your
self to your own grand jury.
The Selling of mined ore as re-
quested by you would have resulted in
obtaining only small amount of rev.
enue entirely insufficient to satisfy
your taxes and both this course and
the enjoining of mining companies
would have resulted in closing the
mines and throwing in the neighbor-
hood of $500 laborers out of employ
ment. -~ ...
must again decline to take the ac-
ton that you request.
Yours truly,
J. A. O. Preus,
State Auditor.