The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-04-08

1911, my predecessor sent this com
potent Mr.. Hanson TO Marshall coun-
ty, in which county he claims to
know every lake or stone, to ap-
praise the land to be offered for sale.
I4fe appraised some of the land at
|$35 per acre. On the day of the sale
this land sold at $50 per acre. An
other ract he appraised at $40 which
sold at $42.50 per acre. In 1914 he
insisted hat some n should look
over the land in Marshall county and
official board of appraisal met to
make the final appraisement. That
some one was of course to be Mr..
Hanson himself. AS no one else in
the Office would have dared to UNI
dertake a job of that kind but him
self. | finally consented and when
later on We made the final appraise-
mcnt | found that he had in one sec
ton appraised several forties at $40
per acre. but that he had placed one
forty in the section at $40 per acre.
could not see why this forty should
not be appraised at the same price
as the others and | had it raised to
$45 per acre and it sold Mt this figure
Here was a gain of 5000 for the state.
In connection with this | will say
that it was Mr.. Hanson who selected
the sale counties for the last two
years, and Mcpherson county was
simply added to the list. instead of
being the main factor as stated by
him. In making the appraisment the
state auditor and myself met in
each county in which the lands had
been selected to be sold, with the
county superintendent and county
auditor. For u information and
instruction as to values we used the
topography books and sale books
from my office, and all other inform
alton we could get through the coun-
J.. ty> officials, and | am satisfied that
the appraisement made this spring
as to correctness will beat any that
ever was made by Mr.. Hanson, al
though the state had aid for his edu-
cation for ten long years. He further
accuses me of reducing the land
prices in my own county, while the
Truth OF the matter is thai l have
raised u fieldmen's figures from
10 to 35 per cent. The records, and
Mr.. Jacobsen, who did the field ork
lin Mcpherson county will bear me
out in this. The records also show
that the average sales price in the
year 1914 is higher than in any prev
ious sale, although the land sold is
, rougher than the land sold in prev
) ious sales. | can therefore not UNI
, derstand how a man can make Such
false statements.
Governor Not Involved.
HE lays the cause of his resigna-
tion to the Governor, which is just
, as unjust and false as his whole state
ment is, although the governor was
: no friend of his, I would have kept
! him for the sake of his family, as
' was aware of his poor financial stand
| ing, but he got so bold, doing things
against the best interest OF the
t state, that i thought it best to ask
} him for his resignation. Whenever
a controversy between the state and
J an individual arose, nine out OF ten
5 times he would take the individuals
side. Likewise he would always favor
: the large rancher over the small
t farmer. He was always Wiling tc
. @itraVel and commence to do things
but never finish them. For this reas-
on the former attorney general and
l myself had to go to Washington in
/, lDecember. In the fall of 1913 he IN
| sisted in going to a certain county
: in the. eastern part OF the state III
order to straighten out some existing
surveys. He told me they had been
5 sending ieldmen down there. withou,
t results. After considering the mat
/ ter consented and he went. He also
! took a surveyor along from some
eastern town. After two or three
: weeks he returned aad told me all
kinds. of promising stories, but tc
, date the survey is the same as it has
, been.
"On. the Sth of March | sent hin
5 to Gettysburg, a few hours ride from
Pierre, to fix, in company with the
: county auditor and the county sup
t %erintendent the 1915 lease prices ii
Potter County and to come back the
i next day, instead he came on the
: nth by way OF Redfeld and Huron
S On my return l found the expense
voucher made out by him via Huron
, | therefore questioned him as to why
l he did not return by the Gettysburg
train. He answered that this train
D was not sure. Since that time w
. found that he went to, Redfeld and
Huron to see some promine"t mef
asking them to bring their pressure
upon me in order to keep him In Oh
flee. 1t, is these and similar case:
I that cost him his job. There is ne
G politics connected with his resigna
: ton being asked for, it was simpl.
asked for in the interest of the state