The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-10-11

as far south as Clearwater county on the west side
of the Lake, and take in towns 155 and 156 on the
north side of the lakes. ,, 4aE$
But to me as an owner of several thousand acres
Of lands in the old county south of the Drainage
area, on which the taxation burdens at present are
getting hard to bear-there has in the past loomed
before me dangers in county drainage financing
ways, and still more looms up under the proposed
division plan-cutting out nearly a million acres,
north Eof Townships 156 which area contains more
Number one farm lands that the proposed area LETT
III the old county-outside of the diminished res
ervation-as IN the south end we have large areas
of rough roa lands axes and light sandy soil
hsntses 'sas Kew, stased break the
Snher south, under; present drainage Financing,
!, ID ss5s Toans i55s and l5s, .approximateg s25
s miles dtshes and roads are needed TO
- make the land available, for settlement, and in
be needed approximately i75 miles more Of bitches
and roads to complete the systems underway, or
q total Of about five hundred miles Of new dltch m
financing that the north end hopes and desires TO
get away from after they have been 4 fairly we'll
taken care of with drainage and roadway IN the
best farm lands of the county. =
Besides the above 500 miles needed in this SO
called no-rnan land, there is in the diminished Red
Lake Reservation, west Of the lakes, and north OF
the Clearwater county line, in Townships 153-l54
Ranges s33 to 38 inclusive, in round figures .21o-
900 acres or nine full townships that VIII
in a few years require approximately 600 miles
more of drainage ditch financing which to all ap-
pearance will be tried to push over onto the coun-
tv thru the Conservancy Board, the same way as
the financing of the so-called Federal or Volstead
lands\ north of the Lake OF which at present we
have about two and three-fourths mllllonz doilars
outstanding with nearly, if not over half mlinon
dollars of ditch; liens already defaulted Dy
land woners, and for which, according ito state
ment made to me by the County Attorney; the eo9n-
ty would have to levy additional yearly taxes tor
the sinking fund to meet such defaults, Wnlen 70
all present appearances will cover the bulk OF the
isolated, and deep peat lands,f and ntopWa1os
of one and quarter mfionsd dollars - for the re-
naming N tns nto boxes
help pay after voting to let nearly million acres
Of our best lands in the northern part be released
from the present proposed 6o per cent OF tne o,J
drainage bonds (while under the law the south end
can not be released from the responsibility Tor the
40 per cent they have guaranteed in the nortn emu
proposed new county,:
In 1910, before Beltrami county issued any
drainage bonds, went before the county board
at two meetings, urging them to issue bonds Sc
cured only upon the lands drained, and not upon a
the whole real and personal resources Oh tne
county. At the last meeting their answer was, II
such resolution was attached to the Donds, tney
would not SELF My answer was' u one township
or five townships as whole covered by snelr
systems, were not security enough Tor the cost 9i
the drainage-such resolution and plan would
keep out promotion on lands that was not at pres
ent needed to be drained" -, H.
My request representing our lands as wen e.: a
other large tax payers was unheeded, and nearly =
three million dollars of Red Lake Bonds issued =
which is a lien upon every dollars worth OF real
end personal property in the county, :. y. p: "
From time to time since, in the Press and before
the Commercial club have urged acton IN tnis
matter but it seemed that the promoters up North
had a better stand in than some OF US cranky
southern taxpayers.
I will again urge action to have the drainage
laws so amended that future Ditch bonds VIII De
lien only on the area drained whether the syste"
covers one farm or one thousand farm tracts IN
stead of the whole county And also to encourage
the present settlers to stick and improve tneH
lands in the drainage district by having the county
arrange to refund the present drainage bonds 1or
thirty wears Cat as low rate OF interest as pos
sible-if the Rural Credit Amendment passes) gly-
inp them fifteen years with interest payments only
during which time land and transportation 1mproV-
ments can be made so that the Lands VIII DC
sef-supporting and the last fifteen years same as
under the present law, one fifteenth OF the pr1n-
ciple with annual interest .~..s. -
If others in the Bemidji district feel the tax
burdens as hard as do, sincerely hope they Will
consider carefully these points or suggestions ana
help bringabout the best plans Tor 1arm oevelop
ment in our county along the most practlcal nnes,
The LAUNDERING and the Lumber taxes wll soon pe
gone and if we fail to get the farm factories go.
mo wherever possible, business incomes IN the
villages and cities Of our country VIII De cur
tailed, and tax 1evies increased. st@,.zs &
! Respectfully submitted,
> ~tsS ID! -, .-a, = : -, IL. j. 0psahll
duction, scenieally, one OF the ou
e. standing pictures of the year 1t wa