Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-11-14
EXPERTS FOR THIS, THAT AND
THE OTHER

EXPERTS FOR THIS, THAT AND
THE OTHER
With the general deflation. in the
agricultural districts following the
World war it is only natural that
there would be considerable tax de-
linquency and especially so in coun-
ty like Pine where there is yet much
wild land and thousands of acres that
will not be occupied for many years
to come. Even though this remained
an agricultural county we can make
room for seven times as many people,
yes even ten times as many as we now
have.
There are 23,040 acres of land in
a regular congressional township.
Take for instance Fleming township.
Only about One-twentieth of their
land is titled. Would it surprise any
one if half of the area of that town
ship were tax delinquent. especially
when one knows that much of the
wild land is removed from roads and
schools, and that there has been very
little land sale there the past Is
y
the land within the natural lifetime
of the owner, is it then not natural
that the land be dropped and no fur
Their taxes be paid, even though the
dropping of the land means the loss
of the original investment and what
ever taxes have been paid? However,
we have not heard any complaint from
Nlf,,,N it,,r 4, lint ,it
it as an example and the reason for
tax delinquency in the uncultivated
area.
When school districts where large
buildings were erected during or
shortly following the World war
stretch far beyond the vicinity they
serve and collect high taxes on wild
lands out ten miles or more, it is
only to be expected that they will not
and can not collect all of such taxes.
If there is no road to the land. it is
wild and unOccupied, and the owner
sees no chance of selling for long
period of years, and it is giving no
income but all is outgoing, there is
every chance that the owner of such
land is going to give it up and save
further expense. School districts
should conform to the territory they
serve or nearly so. There are many
such in the county and they are the
ones that fare best. These conditions
were not brought about over night and
cannot be righted so quickly. Every
citizen applying himself to the task
and with due care in public expendi-
lures the condition will gradually
right itself. Certainly a delinquent
tax collector will not solve the prob
lem 1t is too big for that
Before the county commissioners
and in an article in last weeks Amer
lean Geo. w. Empey of Hinckley, who
is seeking the appointment of delin-
quent tax collector by the commits
sioners, brought out that in the dis
cusSion of this matter politics and
personalities should not be involved
Up to this time we have discussed it
on its merits and are prepared to con-
tinue that course, but if Mr.. Empey
insists on bringing in politics, all
right.
We have maintained right along
that we have enough officers in the
county now without creating any
more. There are five county commits
sioners who meet once a month. They
are elected to look after taxes and it
comes within their scope of work
They have the assistance of the coun-
ty auditor and he is conversant with
4 bo 81 cit he
county. AS we have suggested the
board might meet an extra day or
two each month for a while and
thresh out this matter thoroughly. If
it is necessary they can authorize the
auditor to engage stenographer for
few weeks or months to help with
the detail work, the sending out of
letters, etc. If there are to be any
reductions in delinquent taxes on wild
lands it will necessarily have to come
before the board anyway and also the
state tax commission.
Then we have three supervisors in
every township of the county and five
council members in each village. If
the taxable valuation of wild lands
high it would appear to us that it is
of more interest to the supervisors
of that township to have it lowered
than some tax expert or tax collector
not residing in that township and not
paying any taxes there, and further
more it would also appear that the
supervisors, elected by their neigh
bors, would be the logical ones to rep
resent their interests and would have
more bearing with the board. Let us
not reduce ourselves to children and
think we must have an expert for
this, that and the other. Use our
heads and make use of the available
officers.
Some folks are so afraid that per-
sonalities be used and there is usu-
ally a reason. But when we engage
man for public office we want to
know who he is and what he is, and
we have a right to know it. Up to
this time we have refrained from say
ing it, but when the opposition eggs
us on we may as well call a spade a