The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-01-30
GANG P A1|R|IOTS | |
ROB I ARlMERS
LEADERS IN STEAL. ALSO CON.
1TRoL, THE CAMP CON-
CEsSIONs.

This is the question which farmers Of
Pierce county, Wash, are asking. For
Il is their chief hope Of relief from
one Of the most barefaced steals that
has been put over on any farming
community in years. "Barefaced," :"
however, is not really the proper word,
for the deal is sugarcoated with 100
per cent Americanism, loyalty to the
nation and the city Of Tacoma, and
whatever else Of this baggage could
be scraped together to make the prop
sosition look attractive, at first, even
to some Of those, who were to be the
suckers
In January 1917, some real estate
promoters, backed by the Tacoma
Commercial Club, conceived the idea
that Tacoma ought to have federal
military camp. At q special election
$4,000, 900. was voted by the county to
purchase 10000 acres for this army
post, to be presented to the United
States Government. /.
Property at One-third to One half Il
Value
Then the fine Italian hand Of the
Tacoma gang began its work. It was
apparent that the $2,OOO,OO0 would
pay less than half of the market val
ue Of the land to be seized. But this
did not trouble the gang. It secured
an appraisement commission, which
knew how to spread the $2,0OO,O0O
over all the land needed, and it got
bill through the state legislature
which would prevent the small farm.
ers and other property owners who
were to be sacrificed, from getting the
usual recourse in law. @
The appraisers valued the farmers
property at from one-third to one-5
half Of It's real value, and when the
farmers appeared in the county court
they found that there was a jury
which would stand by the appraisers
figures, no matter what the facts of
the case were. When farmers tried
to get q change of venue to another
county, so that one party might not
both Judge the case and be party
to it at the same time, it was found
that the special law the gang had put
through prevented q change OF. venue.
That this law is contrary to the bill
of rights Ia the Constitution does not
worry the self-styled patriots Of Ia
coma. 81 2 si /, u I,
Here are some specific cases which
show how the get-rich scheme Of the
Tacoma real estate gang bears down
on the farmers: s
"A man with IL 1-3 acres, whose ac-
tual investment in land and improve
ments is $4,000, win be force to ac-
cept $1,725.
"a farmer who paid $4,000 actual
cash two years ago for his land and
Improvements, is forced to sell under
verdict of the jury for $4,000. In
addition, he has the expenses Of his
suit and the expense of moving.
IA farmer whose fruit for last year
alone sold for 1926 has been offered
an appraisement on his orchard Of
$182. The entire holdings of this man
cost him in actual cash $4,000, and he
is being forced to part with it for
$4,000.
"a woman, q widow for 25 years,
has reared family Of seven children
and made her own and their living on
five acres Of land in this district. She
purchased the land 26 years ago at
$50 an acre, cleared it, improved it
and brought it to high state Of pro-
3 ductivity, having % fruit trees on it
s16 years old. For this land, on which
she has been able to make a living
for herself and her family Of seven
children, the county has made an ap-
praisement Of 1915. If she is forced
to accept that she will be ruined, as
that money reinvested in agricultural
land at the present time will not give
her farm on which she can make
y living.
mother farmer paid $6210 for
31.O6 acres of uncleared land in 1909.
He has paid out 1000 On improve
ments, besides doing his own work:
The county appra aisers placed his
value at $1,8O1. .033. s..
Every farmer il the district can tell
I s similar story. The only persons to
! date who have gotten fair values, or
more than fair values, for their land
! are some wealthy men of Tacoma who
I possessed land On the lake front.
They were given an additional com
pensation for "scenery." Another n
3 ferestinR sidelight Oh the matter il
tie fact that Stephen App leby, cashier
of the largest bank q Tacoma and
s one of the principal leaders ia the
.s y !. - A,p0a1d.