The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-10-22
STATE WILL BE BIG
LANDOWNER M'33
~ Per Cent of the Land in Is
Northern Counties Is
Affected
REMEDY Is DISCUSSED
Taxes On 4,166,000 Acres Are
Observation-Disclosures
Asked for Help

Recognizing that a critical situa.
ton exists in eighteen Northern
Minnesota counties due to the rap.
idly mounting tax delinquencies
yet confident that some plan car
be worked out that will increase
the number Of land owners, nearly
sixty representatives of the coun.
ties affected met at a meeting call
ed by a special committee of the
Bemidji Civic and Commerce AS.
ISOLATION to discuss the problem
and endeavor to arrive at sol,l.
ton.
The business meeting was pre-
coded by luncheon at the Mark
ham Hotel. Senator Harry Bridge
man presided and after reviewing
the existing tax situation, calling
particular attention to the 1927 tax
law under which land that has been
delinquent for five years passes in
to the hands of the state, explained
that considerable thought had been
given the matter and that a solu.
ton was imperative. He said that
one plan that had been proposed
was to amend the laws so that the
land reverting to the state might
be properly classified and then
thrown open to homesteaders with
the provision that the current taxes
be paid and certain improvements
made during the first five years, af-
ter which absolute title would be
given.
"This is a plan that mas been pro-
posed" he explained, "but we are
by no means insistent that it be
adopted. It is simply a starting
point, and may form the basis fol
discussion"
A. D. Johnson, county auditor OF
Beltrami county presented a let.
ter from the Pleasant Valley com.
munity outlining a plan which they
proposed for the disposition of the
tax delinquent lands, including the
sale to actual settlers at low price
and easy terms but providing. thai
spectators would be obliged to pay
the full amount of taxes. due. Other
provisions were also suggested and
the letter will be considered by the
committee that will work out the
final plan, ,,.lns,.x
Mr.. Johnson then presented the
figures. from the various counties
showing the acreage and will re.
vert to the state N 1888 and tho
relation it bears to the acreage Of
the county as a whole. In the il
counties there are, approximately
three and three-quarters million
acres, that the state will take ovel
In, 1893, an acreage that. will ybt
materially added 20 each year. This
acreage would accommodate nearly
fifty Thousand settlers with. eighty
acres each, provided all Of the LAND
was Of an agricultural nature.
3 The chairman read letter. from
Senator Peterson, of Lancaster, who
was, unable to be present, but who
suggested that the delinquent lands
should be9sold ana controlled by the
counties rather than the state, leav
ing the matter OF classification
price and terms to the county
board. Representative Ed Chilgren
of International Falls endorsed Mr.
Peterson's theory, calling attention
to the Wisconsin law which pro-
syides similar plan of operation
He warned the gathering against
any method which would attract
.improvident settlers who, might
eventually become a burden upon
the county. .,:esY.
That all Of the counties have not
the same problem to confront but
that variations would make it ex-
tremely difficult to work out a
proposed law that would benefit all
alike, was brought out by w. A.
Braggans, county attorney of Mar
shall county. In that county there
are some $1,3O0,OO0 worth of ditch
bonds of which 100000. have been
refunded by bonds now held by the
state. No new settlers could be
found to take the land with the
prospect Of such enormous taxes
as one necessarily facing them and
he suggested that some relief must
be sought along other lines before
new farmers could be secured. He
cited one township in. which, !, the
delinquent taxes were greater than
the assessed valuation of the en-
tire township and in which there
had been q delinquency of over 81
per cent. In the nineteen town
ships in which the ditch tax situa-
ton is most acute there was a 65
per cent delinquency in 1926, he ex+
planned. {
Mr.. Braggans endorsed a sale
plan provided that relief from the
existing burden might be found.
Despite this enormous load that
is being carried, Marshall county is
on a cash basis with the exception
of the revenue fund.-" he stated.
due to the limit Of levy and the
fact that from that fund the Moth
ers Pensions and the proportion Of
the Poor Relief borne by the county
as whole must be paid it is an
impossibility to keep out of the
red"
Representative Powers, represent
ing Mahnomen and Norman coun-
ties, explained that Norman coun-
ty was in excellent shape but that
a portion Of Mahnomen county
showed a high delinquency. I'm the
eastern half Of the county more
than thirty percent of the land will
go to the state in 1885," he declared.
1--WE can hardly expect the settlers
who are sticking to their farms to