Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-12-12

Editor Askov American:

l did not mention Geo. w. Employs
name in my communication, therefore
did not expect to hear from him.
admit that l erred when l used
the term tax collector l should have
said supervisor of assessments, but
that would not change the meaning
any He says that he does not know
of any one who attempted to create
such job or who has been candi-
date for that position. l find in the
county commissioners proceedings
that Mr.. Empey himself has appeared
before that body and urged the board
to create such job, supervisor of as
sessments. Also find in one of Mr..
Employs letters where he says:
for the work. and adds something to
the effect that if the county board
has someone who can do the work bet
ter, then to hire him.
l would like to know who is mis-
leading the public and who really
shows the woeful ignorance. l will
let the public judge and decide.
Mr.. Empey does not like the term
l used: "sharpshooter" He says in his
communication, some of us have been
called square shooters in our small
activities.
That part of it is all right, but this
is no small activity, it is a deep prob
lem to get the delinquent lands back
on tax paying basis 1t is a prob
lem that creating new county jobs and
hiring more officials will not solve.
And a square shooter must also be
sharpshooter in order to accomplish
the point he aims at. He also says
that l fell into common error in
discussing the tax rates and assess
ments. l have stated just what would
happen under our present taxation
system if valuation was reduced on
any of the land in question.
Mr.. Empey has an idea that by low
ering taxes on the delinquent lands it
would induce the owners to pay up
1t surely wOuld-some of the owners
of small tracts of land-those that
are figuring on making it their home
in the future, but not the speculatOr.
And would it be right to lower the
taxes on the unsettled, unimproved
land, without cutting the taxes on the
unimproved land that is now settled?
Certainly not. If the taxes are low
cred on all the unimproved land, then
the burden will fall on the improved
land. In other words, the man that
makes improvements will be penal
lied by taxation under the present dis
| advantages in farming. A man that
carves out a farm on this cutover
land is paying dearly for it, without
paying dollar in cash for it. 1t
seems strange to me. How can any
man imagine that Spectator can be
induced to pay taxes on land that
anybody can buy by paying part of
the back delinquent taxes. There is
no speculatOr going to pay taxes on
land that is bonded over 81 an acre,
as is the case in Dosey township.
| Some of these taxes have been de-
linquent since 1920 and that probably
was the time that the bonds were is
sued. OF course that looked like too
| heavy load to carry and resulted in
non-payment of taxes by those who
had clear vision of the situation.
There is a strong belief in my mind
that Mr.. Empey or anyone else can
not collect penny from these parties
by reducing values or with any other
effort that might be applied, unless
those bonds are relieved by the state
or some source other than taxation
On the 100000 acres delinquent the
taxes are accommodating from year to
year and no hope for relief.
l hope our state legislature will
realize that we must have different
system of assessing and taxing our
agricultural lands. Afer 1888 all the
delinquent lands will go to the state
for taxes, then the state ought to give
the land to actual settlers as home
stead land, give them a clear deed and
collect taxes from them That would
be my way of doing it, if we do not get
relief before then.
If the delinquent lands were Of
fered free of charge to home-seekers,
such that would make their homes
on it, there would be but little delin-
quent lands in Pine county, if any, in
a very short time. But not so if it
is left in the hands of the land sharks
and land gambling spectators.
Furthermore, in order to better our
condition, we must elect men as our
state and national lawmakers that
stead of the capitalistic large con-
Germs, such as the railroads, street
railways, iron ore mines, the bus lines
and the land spectators.
STANLEY ZIGMANT.
Willow River, Mimi, Dec. 8, 1929.