The producers news., 1932-06-17
Bv A TAXPAYER

4ayps" In KOochiching county
~SiIe the first is still quite GER
toin it is lot at all certain that
sSa impoverished farmers in this
EGward Wellington bailiwick of
tba north will continue to pay
tbeir taxes. They are beginning
- realize that they have been
rohbed for years to line the pock-
se Of a bunch of exploiterS and
grafters. They are learning at
last that this graft has been al
Iowed to the politicians as pay
ment for being the instruments of
Ae exploiters; the timber barons,
oamelv Backus, the railroads and
tbe rich, in wholesale plundering
of the impoverished farmers thru
pxorbitant taxes, while the big
landowners, the timber barOns, and
tbe rich, have been allowed to go
practically tax free.
Aroused by Years of Graft
This is not an idle statement.
The people of the county have be-
come aroused to the belief that
much of the money they have been
paving to the county in taxes has
gone, not into county roads and
Sther county improvements, but
into private pockets. They are
beginning to ralize that this has
probably been going on for years
to a much greater extent than
they had imagined.
A recent occurrance has been
very Illuminating in this direction
and many people are demanding a
thorough investigation of all the
departments of the county govern
ment. Here is the story:
Farmers Donate Work for Road
Some time ago the people down
In the southern end of the county
near Northome, realizing the prac-
tically bankrupt condition of the
county, proposed to the county
that the farmers in that locality
would donate the labor to fix uI
certain road near Northome ov-
er which school bus must trans
port children to the Northomt
school, providing the county would
furnish the gas. This was done
and many of the farmers and 9th
ers in the community turned out
and contributed labor, mong then
Mr.. Ernest Carlson who had ths
contract to drive the bus. AS ;
result of this fine, public spiri
the road was put into fair shap'
without any needless expense II
me county to speak of, but whicl
did not save the county a cent a,
will be seen by what followed.
Bus Driver Got $118.OO?
Sometime later when the com
mlSStoners' proceedings were pub
hshed, one of the farmers who ha'
helped to fix the road noticed il
the published proceedings tina
three claims, totaling something
over S118, had been allowed to Er
nest Carlson seemingly for tina
particular work, in spite Of tn
lact that all that work had bee
Donated and that Ernest Carlso,
had himself put in only coupl
Of days or such a matter Will
many others had put in muc
more time. Can you imagine tn
Indignation among those farmers
Some of them went to Carlso
and confronted him with the mat
YER and asked him why he ha
cone this when everyone under
gOod the work had been donated
carlson said he had never put j
claim for that werk and that h
mad never received any money o
It either.
Checks Endorsed in CarlsOn's
Name
This opened the eyes of thos
farmers. They secured an ol
Dank check on the back of whic
was Carlson's signature and ser
u 70 the county seat as a san1p
9 Carlson's signature with the r,
guest that the three claims mel
u.oned above be examined to lean
I Carlson had endorsed them /;
Tne time they were cashed at Il
rlrSt National Bank of Intern;
aOnal Fails and if the hand wri
ing corresponded to that of Il
sample signature of Carlson sci
Sh the bank check. This examin
uon was made and while the s1I
aVores on all three claims we,
T. tne same hand, they were plai
Carlson.
LARSON was much disturbed o
the matter and asked some
nI Is nelghbors what he ought to +,
SIOut it. They advised him
Ae the matter up with the cou
y attorney. This he did by cit
writing letter or sending wo
NJ, n county Attorney Hadler. In l
s,y Mr. Hadler asked him to cor
~. = the county seat for consult
county Engineer Indicted
Ihe result of the whole thil
,I Vas that it was brought befc
s grand jury in May last for
Pouc of County Engine
10Y Martin, for illegally endol
and cashing the three CLAIM
VOW comes the most astonishi
M Ssrt Of this story, that part IL
s 70 90 with the evidence Il