The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-03-27

Hundreds Ask Information Concern
ing Tax Judgment Sale Of Govern
ment Land to Be Hold Here.
--'-S'- e>' tf35 l..
EXPECT BONUS TO BE LARGE
Will Mean Distinct Financial Advan-
tage for County Should Auditor
Georges Plan Be Sustained.

Georges Plan Be Sustained.
Hundreds of eager purchasers are
taking an interest in the tax iudg-
ment sale which is to be held at the
court house in May. under the d.
rection of James L. George, county
auditor From the number of let
ters received by land men, the coun-
ty auditor and the editor of the Pho
neer it is indicated that men from
every section of the state, and many
from distant places, will be here
during the sale, all bent upon get
ting in under the volstead act with
their homestead right.
The sale will begin on May 10
and is expected that it will take sew
eral days, as was the case last year.
The delinquent portion of the ditch
tax on government land is the al
Turing feature, as the purchaser can
enter the tract as homestead and
make final proof without residence
or settlement:
Excess to Run High.
Last year the bidding on these
tracts was spirited and nearly every
forty offered brought bonus-that
is, an amount in excess of the tax
judgment. The excess last year ran
far into the thousands and the same
condition will no doubt exist at the
coming sale. This excess will 20 to
pay the ditch tax for future years
and will remain in the county treas
ury until the ditch tax natures, one
fifteenth each year for fifteen years
after FIVE years. If the bonus should
exceed the total ditch tax the excess
will go to the government. r.:
The Volstead Act. -
AAC 0O-Co1ACu VO1StSdu ACL OF
May 20, 1908, provides as follows:
Sec. 5.-That at any time after.
any sale Of unentered lands has been
made in the manner and for the pur-
passes mentioned in this act, patent
shall be issued to the: purchaser
thereof upon payment to the receiver
of the minimum price Of one dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre, or,
such other price as may have been
fixed by law for such lands, together
with the usual fees and commissions
charged in entry of like lands under
the homestead laws. But purchasers
at a sale Of unentered lands shall
have the qualifications of homestead
entrymen and not more than one
hundred and sixty acres of such
lands shall be sold to any one pur-
chaser under the provisions of this
act. This limitation shall not apply
to sales to the state, but shall apply
to purchases from the state of unen-
tered lands bid in for the state. Any
part of the purchase money arising
from the sales of any lands in the
manner and for the purposes provided
in this act which shall be in excess
of the payments herein required,
and of the total drainages charges as
sessed against such lands shall also
be paid to the receiver before patent
is issued"
Land Office Ruling. ..:ss
The commissioner of the general
land office has ruled, however, that
any excess over and above ''the del1n-
Quent interest on the total drainage
assessment" for which the land has
been sold must be paid to the land
Office before patent shall be issued.
George Enters Protest. =. ;.
Acting under this ruling, the
county auditor has by order Of the
purchasers at the sale of 1914 remit
ted to the land Offices the total ex-
cess received at the that sale, in or
der to enable them to secure their
patents. This has been done under
protest, however, and he still has
hopes of obtaining reversal Of the