Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, November 2, 1922, Page 3

THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 2, 1922 County Dwmen flWlll Reduce Taxes - /The Real Taxpayer Should ! i Yibratea ommmit ee &f Southern Beltrami County These opponents, eieouniynlmsm assert that Division should be defeated:- (1) BECAUSE—*“The division line should be at Red Lake rather. than-12 g m Real Facta Are— The Real Fact& AI'E > / \ miles north of the. Lake. The. tremendous-ditch liability . in the section immediately north of the Lake should not be thrust upon the South half of the county aloge.” This is a mere assumption made by men who have not been over the territory described, and whose wish is father to the thought. Ditch liens on the north of the A new county line are no more gilt edged than those The Real Facts Are.—b south of the line. Today: there are $1009 more delin- oY quent taxes in the east and west tier of six townships The north end has waited more than fifteen years for County Division. If the time is not' now ripe it never will be. There are always new problems to be met. The ditch problems are not new. We have had'ditches ‘for more than ten years. On many of those in the count,y‘ 3 about half of the liens have been pald = I LT L . north of the line than in the six townships south of the \ T, :i %‘: dl:lsa)ll‘txlslzt:lv:lere:nattlfs.;(:ul dks’e“;;firi:zp::;@‘y line. These lands belong to the same ditch system and COUNTY DIVISION means a reductlon in taxes for both. the‘ 8 o Am. o s are separated by an imaginary line only. The delin- north end and the south end. It will cut.off, b; erati “sw o would be obliged to assume. more. than-95 per-cent 'of will cut.p. Y operation ¢ A quent taxes on the double tier of twelve townships north of the line and the double tier of twelve town- ships south of the line are practically the same as shown by the tax records. So, absolutely no advantage in this respect is gained at the north end. the reason or excuse for waste. The tax-spender himself'ig a1 ways reluctant to apply the knifée: With county division, the law will apply it. Elimination of'all ‘waste now. incident proper distribution of the. ditch: debt? Isn’t the North to travel.and expense of county officeis; such as sheriff, coun- end playing more than fair by assuming 40 per cent of ty superintendent, commissioners, court officers, witnesses, the ditch liabilities while obtaining;only 25 per cent of (4) They Also Assert— ballot carriers, jurors and others; back and; forth between;the all the ditch indebtedness of the entire county and would take away only 40 per cent of the county as: sets. Can. any one, claim, in fairness, this - weuld be:the Bes - B the. total county dssets.- 7 . Bl R _ : north-end and the county seat, will, in itself, result in a lstge i Y . BECAUSE—“If county division carries, all future ditch work in the lands absolute saving. Anothe absolute saving is dueto the fact that just north of the Red Lake will have to be paid for by smaller the road from Bemidji north to Baudette become a state con- (2)They. Also Assert— il . / Bel‘("‘m‘ County.” structed. and maintained road in the cvent of division, under -t ¥ S et T v - . the Babcock law. This means a saving of thousands’of dollars BECAUSE—“Attarncys agree that under.the law passed in 1911, the new The Real F acts Are— for the-county in building and maintaining this road. It will fro'x;psetf }?om'lty astSl;rlrfe: ;n:b' th: diteh gé‘.blhf?y se:::::;“gfrz*: Six townships south of the line; namely, townships release.this money for use cn other roads in the south end-with- ands within, its_established boundary and is. for : 155 and 156, rnage 33, 34, and 35, have no judicial out increasing taxation. WHY assume that the north end will any ditch obligation arresting. the lands south of this boundary ditches excepting ditch No. 25 of which the north end getall'the benefit from this absolute saving. Figures on the line. The lands north of the proposed boundary line are practic- assumes more than one half, Four and one halfitown- \ varioug.economies to be effected in the County Revenue Fund ally all drained, a large number of rivers and: crecks giving ‘this shlps south of the line have: ho«dxtcheb at all. The south have beeh N " A oo = St 7 i published in detail in previous statements distributed land a natural drainage. The lands south of this division:Jine to, end-is the absolute judge of the need of further drain- o e = i ’ age in this area. If it Goesn’t want new’ ditches, the tsroughout the county, Red Lake forng practically a level floating peat bog, with no nat ) . south end will be. in a befter position after division to " tural drainage.” . B make a protest effect. These four and one-half town- WHY . SHOULD TAXES BE INCREASED “one dollar per acre” Shlgs are now gltl th}f tax list: iwithout any ditch:liens when-an assessment of twenty-three cents per acre would pay _ auL-are an, asset to, the, Q_oum.y; off-half of the total ditch liability of the south end-in-one year _The Real Facts Are— . 5 The ‘A] A sert—- if that amount defaulted? Our taxes are now high although The attorneys are not in agreement on this: propés:txon . ( ) {' 30 As S i ' * such a default in the payment of ditch liens has not yet occur- No county in the state has-been -divided since the BECAUSE—“According to figures carefully prepared we belicve that ed. If it did occur, there would be from ten to fifteen years in smaller Beltrami County, in case of division, will have to pay the new county approximately $‘30‘,~0100.00' in cash, the difference be- tween the new county’s share of the phiysiczl properties of = the ditch law was passed. The law does not say the north \ : . which to pay it off. N end would be free from liabilities for- defaulted liens in the south end. WHY assume the conclusion that the present county and its share of floatifig'indebtedness.” IF THE TERRITORY comprising the new county remains a North end is released? It may well be that the equities t ) ¢ A A > part of the old county it will hav ly 25 pe nt of of the matter will be with the south end and that the The Real Facts Are— . y ill have tq pay only 25 per cent o i any general levy made to pay off defaulted ditch liéns, no mat- The old county will not have to pay $30,000 to the ter whether the ditch is in the north or south end. Should div- new county in the event of division. The floating in- ision carry, the north end is compelled to assume and pay all debtedness only is considered in the above st the ditch bonds represented by ditch liens within its: bounda- Courts would hold that the bond holders have a right ° to look to.the entire county for the payment of all these obligations. The.law is plain, however, that the North end must assume and pay bonds for ditches within its . - The floating indebtedness consists of the outstanding iag: Thaga : . territory, That is the price of gOUNTY DIVISION. warrants. Tghe general bonded debt of the county nfei.hlhe?-lbor;?s am: ]:elfil.ambml,“t'to n;ldr(; than fo'rt'y p]oler cent The law does say that “All territory transferred shall | must also be considered in the calculation. The bond- Ol e W‘“? e m'us do this because the law SPe‘”f'“_ y says continue liable for its proportion.of the excess, if any ed debt of the county, exclusive of ditch and road that it must. Thf: law does not say t}nat the new c.ounity is there- of the indebtedness of the.original county above the bonds, plus the floating indebtedness amounts to upon released from any further ditch-bond obligation. The A e b $328,674, \The law on the subject provides that “all law does expressly say that its liability for its share of the pslus.of theetunes bl gl it the Dalpcsolie territory so transferred shall continue liable for its county indebtedness shall continue. In other ‘words, the liabl funds in the treasury.” IN POINT OF FACT (as.any - portion of the excess, if any, of the indebtedness of the ity remains the same just as it was befor dmsxm; If, theré one who has traveled the road north of’ Washkish ., # original county above the value of the county build- o oan these ditcl li fohi e It Z" 7 knows) the lands for twenty miles north of the new % ings and of the balance of funds in its treasury.” ore, any of these ditch liens in the old county default, and if- : county line are little, if any, different in the peat ., There appear to be no funds with a balance except the old‘c<‘)unty is compelled to levy a general tax to make good o ) o - . £ hi the ditch .and road funds. The value of the county the deficit, and the new county is liable for its just share, ... formation of the soil from the two tiers of townships buildings is- given in the last financial statement as i . N - L douth of 14§ ling and hetween thiflingiand Red Lake. © $159,550, Taking the last named sum from the gen- IT IS NOTE WORTHY that the statement published by the Ditch No. 25 was constructed. both’ north and, ‘soith of eral’ indebtedness of $323,674 above mentioned, we selfstyled “Taxpayers Committee” of southern Beltrami coiin- the line.as a single project;-designed as one system, to have $164,124 as the excess of general indebtedness t9" (5ot signed by anyone. There'bas besi ol fm'!; en'-" drain lands’of a similar character. This is the,only. over value of county buildings. One-fourth of $164,- ; Sig Yy anyone. 8 no gen- y laimed by th " Sessimistic to be doubtful - 124°i$41,031, which represents what the new county el'.dl' meeting of the tax payers of the south end on County, fh*mh .calme y. Uhe-most D ¥ will have'to pay the old county in cash. Of course, Division. The call sent out was for a meeting of these opposed in paying out. THE NEW COUNTY ASSUMES 5% PER % if the ditch bonds are an “indebtedness” of hte coun- to County Division, (people in favor of county division and CENT OF: THE COST-OF ‘THIS:DITCH. tgi/, the amounf to be paid b_v]the new c;untytl’lw lthe [ those who had not yet made up their minds were requested to # 3 . old county will be tremendously increased, as the law it says Speci¥ical]y that the liability shall continue. stay :_1way). fiot ovex: 18 persons responded. These 18 persons 3) They Also Assert— g . ) appointed this committee. BECAUSE—“The ditch liens on the land nofih of this line, we belive are (s) TheyAlm ASS o LET US GIVE THE NORTH END A SQUARE DEAL guilt edged and will be paid by the property owners, leaving no:. BECAUSE—“VYa believe that thg timr? 1c not ripe inr Count}lr Drvxsmn. They have handled the.matter fairly and their cards are all on obligation for the new county to meet; while a large percentago . ::‘:eg‘::;' {)’;"lt’}';‘“dsifc‘:e;"h:e‘:o‘t“ij'c:“t'm.“‘:::e:szg :’:y”:::f':’; the table. They are not shirking any responsibility by forming of the land just south of the division line will not be paid for o the principal of the ditch bends, in a few years wo will all be in . for"years and the bends will have to be paid by a general tax onj @beter-position to know how the ditch yroblem is working out. a new county. . the people of the County.” ,We il chcn be better able to vate intelligently on div 2y “ Vote “YI':‘S" on.County D.v,.wn and be both SAFE AND FAIR‘,, (Slgned) Beltrami County Division Committee A S By C. U. Taylor, Pitt, Minn., Farmer M. Robertson, Spooner, Minn., Barber . L J. R. Nortis, Wllhams, Minn., Farmer W. F. Zauche, Baudette: Minn., Merchant ..'Thos. Slmd, ,Wllhams, Minn.; Farmer - E. C. 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