The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-05-28
B0ARD'CLAIMS
LAND IS WORTH
AMOUNT PAID
MAY Ask District Court to
Have Valuation Made BY
Disinterested Group

Announcement that it may ask the
Burlcigh county district coait t. ~
point a disinterested commission to
dete rhine the value. of the land re-
Gently bought for the state peniten-
tiary was made here today by the
state board of. administration.
The suit in which State Senator
William Martin Of Morton county
challenged the boards action in buy
ing the land is set for hearing June
3. The board Of administration al
ready has indicated it's intention Of
entering into a new contract for ~.
purchase but insists that the land is
worth the price paid.
"We are perfectly willing to leave
it to the court as to whether or not
the price of $68.8O an acre for this
land is exorbitant," said +. =. Diehl.
q member Of the board. 'We think
we made a good deal and got it at
fair price. As long az the thing has
been thrown into court we may as
we'll have a court determination OF
the whole matter. We are not fear
full Of what the result will be-
Attitude Changes
Commenting on the recent state
ment of Senator Paul Kretschnar.
Ventura. chairman of the senate APP
propriations committee at the last
session, in which Senator Kretschmar
expressed the opinion that the board
paid too much for the land, Dichl
pointed out that his attitude IS con-
siderably different now from what It
was in 1917.
"On account of the prominence OF
Senator Kretschmar's position as
chairman Of the senate appropriations
comm ittee, the board feels compelled
to submit to the public the following
record Of Senator Kretschmar on the
purchase Of the land bought in 1917
to which reference is made in the
article quoting his opinions" said
Diehl.
1.-THE 500 an acre land in ques..
tion. purchased in 1917 by the old
board of control, was definitely de-
scribed in the appropriation bill. The
exact acreage was set forth and the
purchase price. per acre set out clear
ly. One block of 146.19 acres was
listed definitely in the appropriation
bill at 500 per acre. Another piece
Of land was listed At $50 an acre
Both figures were much too high, IN
my judgment and in comparison with
the recent purchase made by. this
board. The land which we purchased
for $68.8O is much better land in
every way than that for which 800
an acre was paid. The land fol
which $50 an acre was paid is moth
ing but hills and gumbo flats.
Records Prove Assertion
Anyone who cares to look up the
matter can find the facts with regard
to the purchase in 1917 on page So
Of the session laws Of that year
The bill appropriating the money was
House Bill 2O7.
Senator Kretschmar supported
that 1917 land purchase and appear.
to have been one Of its leading
advocates. It was he who moved the
"clincher" motion to make sure that
no effort to revive the matter anC
defeat the bill would succeed. Thai
he made the clincher motion is showT
in page 1913 Of the senate journa
for 1917.
I'm view Of Senator Kretschmar',
record with regard to that purchase
the board il at loss to know b,
what process Of reasoning he car
consistently argue against the pur
chase Of better land in 1927 at . pric,
OF $68.60 an acre"