The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-01-31
By A. B. Gilbert


United States accept stolen ptopertv
1nls is a question which farmers +,
Flefce county, Wash, are asking
FOR 1t is their chief hope of relic
from one Of the most barefaced steal
that has been put over on any farr,
ing community in years. "Barefaced
however, IS not really the propcl
Wofd, Tor the deal is sugarcoated wit
100 per cent Americanism, loyalty t
the nation and the city of Tacoma
and whatever else of this bagga re
could be scraped together to make
the proposition look attractive, at
hrst, even to some of those who We're
to be the suckers.
In January, 1917, some real estate
proomters, backed by the Tacoma
commercial club, conceived the idea
that Tacoma ought to have a federal
military camp. At special election
$z,oOO,OOO was voted by the county
TO purchase 10000 acres for this arny
post, to be presented to the United
States government.
Property One-third to One-half VaIue
Then the fine Italian hand of the
Tacoma gang began it's work. It was
apparent that the $2,OO0,oOO would
pay less than half of the market
value Of the land to be seized. But
this did not trouble the gang. It Sc
cured an appraisement commission,
which knew how to spread the $1,000
900 over all the land needed, and it
got bill through the state legisla-
ture which would prevent the small
farmers and other property owners
who were to be sacrificed, from get
ting the usual recourse in law.
The appraisers valued the farmers,
property at from one-third to one
lalf Of its real value, and when the |
farmers appeared in the county |
court they found that there was a |
Jury which would stand by the ap-
Dralsers' figures, no matter what the |
acts Of the case We're When farm
rs tried to get a change of venue TO /
mother county, SO that one party
night not both Judge the case and
,e a party to it at the same time, it
vas found that the special law the
sang had put through prevented
hange of venue. That this law is
ontrary to the bill of rights in the
constitution does not worry the self
tyled patriots of Tacoma.
SPECIFIC CASES
Here are some specific cases which
how how the get-rich scheme of the
'acoma real estate gang bears down
n the farmers:
A man with IL 1-3 acres, whose ac-
lal investment in land and improve j
lents is $500, will be forced to ac- :
ept s1,725.
A farmer who paid $4,000 actual ,
ash two years ago for his land and {
improvements, is forced to sell under c
verdict of the jury for $1,000. La g
ddition, he has the expenses of his
lit and the expense of moving.
A farmer whose fruit for last year Q
one sold for 1926 has been offered t
l appraisement on his orchard of n
L82. The entire holdings of this a
an cost him in actual cash $4,000, 0
I'd he is being forced to part with S
for $4,000. h
SEEING THE WIDOWS MITE =
A woman, widow for 25 years, Il
IS reared a family of seven children G
Id made her own and their living on a
re acres of land iii this district. She d
the land 26 years ago at @
o an acre, cleared it, improved it tc
id brought it to high state of pro- a,
ctivity, having % fruit trees on it 8!
years old. For this land, on which Ia
e has been able to make living b
r herself and her family of seven
ildren, the county has made an ap- N
aisement of 1915. II she is forced T
accept that she will be ruined, as h,
1t money reinvested in agricultural XII
1d at the present time will not give on
r a farm on which she can make "
living. CO
farmer paid S62,10 for to
05 acres of uncleared land in 1909. ca
, has paid out $1,000 on improve ps
,nts, besides doing his own work. re
e county appraisers placed his w
lue at s1,801.83. al
Every farmer in the district can ia
similar story. The only per- nj
is to date who have gotten fair Isl
|ues, on more than fair values, for sc