The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-04-09
County Auditor Asks Assistance in
Effort to Retain Excess Money
! of Tax Judgment Sales.
WILL PAY INTEREST FOR YEARS
Question Whether Prospective Set
tiers and Different Counties are
Being Treated Squarely.

government land under the Volstead
Act of May 20, 1908, James L.
George, auditor of Beltrami county.
has issued the following statement
in regard to the protest which has
been made by him to the ruling
of the general land Office concerning
the disposal of excess money secured
at tax judgment sales:
| I'm 1908, the government possess
ed millions of acres of swamp lands
in northern Minnesota which were
practically worthless.
Is Not Obligated.
I'm that year congress enacted a
law providing that these lands should
become subject to the laws of the
state of Minnesota relating to the
drainage of lands for agricultural
purposes. and that the cost of such
drainage should be assessed to the
! lands benefited, and the collection of
such benefits should be made in the
same way as the collection of other
taxes, but not obligating the govern
ment in any way.
'"This law also provided that pur-
| chaser of the tax certificate at the
tax sale should have the privilege of
filing on the land purchased, and OBJ
tanning a patent without residence
or improvement, on the payment to
the government of the price of $1.25
per acre and the usual land office
fees provided he was possessed of a
homestead right.
''The law also provides as follows:
Any part of the purchase money
arising from the sale of any lands
in the manner and for the purposes
provided in this act which shall be
! in excess of the payments herein re-
quired AND OF THE TOTAL
DRAINAGE CHARGES ASSESSED
AGAINST SUCH LAND shall also be
paid to the receiver before patent
shall be issued
$4,000 Bonus Secured.
AT the sale of May, 1914, the
county auditor of Beltrami county,
urged on the bidding for these lands
under the impression, naturally, that
anything bid up to the extent of THE
TOTAL DRAINAGE ASSESSMENT
would go to the credit of the lien
against each particular tract of land,
and that any excess over and above
the total drainage assessment would
go to the government as bonus.
with this understanding the bid
ding was active, and about $4,000
was taken in as excess.
| "After the sale, however, the au-
ditor received the ruling of the land
department to the effect that all
moneys received in excess of THE
INTEREST ON THE TOTAL DRAIN
AGE CHARGES would have to be
turned over to the land offices before
a patent would be issued.
Permitted Under Protest.
Acting under this ruling, the au-
ditor informed the purchasers that
he would refund their money or re-
NIT it to the land Office as they wish
ed. And just to show the added
value Of the lands under drainage,
wish to say that IS per cent of the
money was RENTED to the land Of
flee under protest.
"Now, are the prospective set
tiers of this and other northern
counties of Minnesota being
treated squarely?
$780,, $50 Bonds.
Furthermore, this county has is
sued drainage bonds to the amount
of $1,397,350, on which the interest
must be paid semi-annually, and the
principal annually after five years
from the date of the lien. Some of
these lands will not be sold on &C
count of being absolutely worthless,
for several years after being drained.
In such case the county must make
good on the interest and principal.
If the advance payments secured at
the sale could only be retained as the
law provides, there would be plenty
of money on hand at all times in, the
next ten years to make these pay
ments as they become due.
| ''Now, are the different coun-
ties being treated sQuarely?
Are you interested enough to
write to the commissioner of the
general land Office at Washington,
protesting against the outrageous
ruling? Also your representatives
and senators? Also to get three Of
your friends either here or In any
other state to write to the same ef-
feet?
"a strong effort will have its re-
suits.
| Nov, are you as an individ-
ual being treated squarely?
Go to it! Make it strong.
and do.it now