County
PUBLISHED SEin-VTEEKLY
VOL. XIX
DALLAS, POLK COUNTY, OREGON, FEBRUARY 7, 1908.
NO. 50
WILL TAX SALE BE LEGAL?
Following Deadly Parallel Shows How Publisher
Charging More Than Lawful Rate For
Printing Notice of Sale.
Is
(As set in Brevier type by West Side.) (Same matter set In Nonpariel, the
H. S. Montgomery, rails City
Lumber Co., agent, beginnings.
81 degrees 31 minutes, W 15
feet and N. 50 degrees W 1.15
chaios from N E corner of bik
D, Montgomery's Falls City, N
50 degrees W 10.75 chains, N 14
degrees 30 minutes, E 5.40
chains to bank of Lucklamute
R S Easterly along said E 15.80
chains, S 52 degrees 30 minutes,
W 1.70 chains, S Easterly 3.80
chains, N 83 degrees 30 minutes,
V 5.70 chains, S 81 degrees 30
minutes, W 1.48 chains to P O
B, Sec 20, Tp 8, S It 6 W, con
taining 10 acres. Tax $4 14,
penalties $0.82, printers costs
$3.32, total $8.28
B. A. Bush, S. E. quarter and E.
half of N. E. quarter of Sec. 17, -T.
9, S. E. 6 W. containing 240
acres. Tax $24.43, penalties,
$4.88, printer's costs $1.05; to
tal $30.36
type required by law.)
II. S. Montgomery, Falls City Lumber Co.
agent, beginning 8 61 degrees 31 miuutes
W 15 feet and N 60 degreeg W 1.15 chains
from N E corner of bile D, Montgomery's
Falls City, N 50 degrees W 10.75 chains, N
14 degrees 30 minutes E 5.40 chains to bank
of Luckiamute R 8 Easterly along said R
15.80 chains, 8 52 degrees 30 minutes W 1.70
chains, 8 Easterly 3.80 chains, N 83 degrees
30 minutes W 5.70 chains, 8 81 degrees 30
minutes W 1.48 chains to P O B, Sec 20, Tp
8 8 R 6 W. containing 10 acres. Tax 14.14.
penalties 0.82, printers costs, 3.2ft, total 8.21
B. A. Bush, S. E. quarter and E. half of N.
E. quarter of Sec. 17, T. 9 8, R 6 W, con
taining 240 acres. Tax 124.43. penalties.
14.88, printers costs $1.00, total $30.31
The Observer is often asked why it
has steadfastly refused to bid on pub
lishing the notice of delinquent tax
sale each year. It knows of no better
answer than the above paragraphs. A
similar comparison of the manner in
which these notices are set in type, and
how they should be set, was made by
this paper several years ago, and is
doubtless remembered by many of our
older readers. The practice of bidding
a low rate per line and then setting
the type in such a manner as to enable
the publisher to collect twice or three
times his regular advertising rate had
long been pursued by certain news
paper men or tne county, ana pub
lishers who were unwilling to resort
to such methods were practically shut
outof the competition. The self
respecting publisher would bid a rate
that he knew to be fair and reasonable,
and one that would give him a living
profit, but some publisher with a more
elastic conscience would bid the rate
per line down to practically nothing,
and then, with the contract in his
possession, would set the type in such
a way as to make the sale bring him
twice or three times as much as the
first publisher would have received on
his honest bid.
The writer well remembers that in
one instance he looked over the Sher
iff's copy prior to the letting of the
contract by the County Court, and
estimated thatthe sale would be worth
about $250, at the regular rate charged
by all of the county papers for legal
notices where no bids were asked
When the bids were opened for the
publication of this notice, it was found
that one publisher had cut the rate
per line to less than one-half of his
own regular price for legal advertis
ing. At this low rate, with the type
fairly and honestly set, it would have
been impossible for this publisher to
have realized more than $150 for the
entire notice. But by padding it, and
juggling the type, and leaving holes
between the words that a cat could have
crawled through, and the Lord knows
what other processos, he managed to
squeeze enough lines out of it to make
it count up to something over $500.
And a fool court allowed the bill in
full.
Time after time, the court allowed
$500 and even $600 for these sales, and
in no instance would they have been
worth more than $150 or $200, had the
publisher been held down to the style
followed by him in setting other legal
notices. It was when a particularly
atrocious gouge of this sort was being
Perpetrated that the Observer exposed
the whole scheme to the people by put
ting the notice in type as it was being
Published under contract, and then
setting it up in type as it should have
been set. The expose was so plain that
it did not require a technical know
ledge of the printer's art to detect at a
glance that extortion of the worst sort
was being worked on the taxpayers
under the guise of economy.
no time, while this game was
dangerously near to being right, and
had that decision been allowed to
stand, it is not probable that any
delinquent taxpayer would have been
called upon to dig up more than the
maximum amount allowed by law for
publishing the sale of his property,
But later on, the court appears to have
changed its mind concerning the West
Side's bid, and we find in the docket
that "it now appearing to the court
that 17J cents a line, brevier, is not
more than 25 cents a line, nonpariel,
etc. the contract is hereby awarded to
the West Side." It would be interesting
to know how the court acquired that
wonderful information. Few, if any
. j . .
ui uur reauers are Drinters. mit we
would call their attention to the above
notices and ask them if they believe
that the court was right
lake the Montgomery property for
instance : The West Side notice is set
in brevier, and amounts to 19 lines,
which at 171 cents a line, amounts to
$3.32. The same notice set in non
pariel, (the type required by the law
of Oregon,) makes only 13 lines, which
at the full rate of 25 cents a line,
amounts to only $3.25. Not a great
difference, it is true, but just enough
to be greater than the law allows.
Most of us know old Mr. Montgomery
up in Falls City, and we know him to
be a pretty fair sort of an old man,
and there would seem no good reason
why the county should stick him up
for more than the law allows, merely
because he happened to be a little slow
of record as a guide for letting future
nnr.rnora Thto nrlvllAcn wna crrnterl
bv the fiourt. and a "fitvle card" set- ia PayinS taxes.
rino. frrh rh at nnrf hinA nf tvr. rhen tnere 8 Mr. Bush. Now, the
and the manner of t.ttna the same. Observer does not happen to have the
was duly prepared and recorded in the" Plee of his acquaintance butwe'll
court journal
The Observer could not demand,
neither did it expect, that the custom
of letting the tax publications by con
tract would be dispensed with, but in
justice to itself and for the protection
of its own business, it was interested
in getting the bidding on a basis
where every publisher would have to
live up to his bid or suffer the conse
quences. The Observer printed the
tax sale that year, and the cost to the
delinquent taxpayers was only $132,
although full legal rates were charged
for the publication. It might be added,
in passing, that $500 and $600 tax sales
have never been heard of in Polk
county since. Those plans and speci
fications prepared by the Observer
were bad medicine for gougers, and
succeeding courts have followed them
to the letter until the present year.
For the last several years, the tax
has been so closely collected that large
delinquent sales have become a thing legal notices are set, and it is the style
wager that he is a pretty good sort of
a fellow, and while he is doubtless
liberal with his money, it is hardly
likely that he will appreciate paying
for 6 lines in his notice, when the same
could have been set in 4. It is safe to
say that you could not convince him
that 6 lines at 17 cents is less than 4
lines at 25 cents, even if you argued
with him for as much as a day and a
half.
And to return to Mr. Montgomery.
If the old gentlemaD is to be charged
the very highest limit, and then a
little more, why not have his notice
set in this fashion :
H. 8. MONTGOMERY. Falls City Lumber Co..
agent, beginning 8 81 degrees 31 minutes, W 15
feet and N. 50 degrees W. 1.15 chains from N E
corner of blk D, Montgomery's Falls City, N 50
decrees W 10.75 chains, N 14 degrees 30 minutes,
E 5.40 chains to bank of Luckiamute R 8 East
erly along said R 15.80 .chains, B 52 degrees 30
minutes, W 1.70 chains, 3 Easterly 3.80 chains
N 83 degrees 30 minutes, W 5.70 chains, S 91 de
grees 30 minutes, W 1.48 chains toPOB, Sec. 20
Tp 8 8 R 6 W, containing 10 acres. Tax $4.14,
penalties $0.82, pouters costs $3.32, total. . . .$8.28
This is the style in which all regular
accepting a brevier bid, when the law
calls for a nonpariel bid, we don't
know but that he showed pretty good
business sense after all. But there
is no reason why he should be paid
more than the highest rate allowed
by law for work of this class.
Polk county is not a pauper, neither
should it be a spendthrift. It's busi
ness should be conducted just as any
other progressive business is con
ductedbuying only what it needs,
and paying a price that is fair and
reasonable. This is is all that the tax
payers desire, and no one desires less.
The Observer has always held to the
theory that the county should pay as
much for its printing as private
individuals are required to pay, quan
tity considered, and that it should not
be required to pay more. Under the
competitive bidding system, the county
has always had to pay more, as the
records will abundantly prove, and as
any citizen who has ever held publio
office will freely testify. The reason
for this is not far to seek, as another
glance at the above tax sale para
graphs will show. Is it any wonder
that owners of profitable and dignified
printing businesses steer clear of the
whole bidding mess?
of his neighbors, who succeeded in
subduing the flames before any ser
ious damage was done.
The infant child of Mr. and Mrs.
John Walker died Tuesday, as a result
of severe burns received on the day
before, by falling into the open fire
place. The accident occured while the
mother was out of the room for a
moment, and before the flames could
do extinguisnea tne little one was
fatally Injured. The funeral services
were held at the home of the child's
parents, Wednesday afternoon, and
the body was interred in the Monmouth
cemetery.
At
wmg worked on the court, was there
even a look-in at this business for the
Publisher who would not stoop to this
method, and the abuse finally grew so
flagrant that the Observer decided to
end it, ir it was possible to do it.
Accordingly, when Judge Sibley and
Commissioner Teal came into office,
tne writer went befora them ; and
guested that the bidding be dispensed
with for one year at least and that the
sale be given to the Observer at regu
lar advertising rates. He had never
before, (nor has he ever since.) asked a
wunty officer for a dollar's worth of
wrk, but in this instance he did ask
".explaining to the court at the time
that his only object in doing so was to
forever put at an end, if possible, the
ahod that had been practiced hy
Attain publishers to submitting ruis
"sly low figures on the tax . notions
and then charging three times what
were worth. He also asked that
he b; permitted to prepare the "plans
a&l specificati0C8.. Xor getting abe
niee in type, that it migbt be entered
of the past. : The courts, however, have
been following the custom of letting
the publication by contract, using the
same form of contract that was pre
pared by the Observer when that
paper published the sale. With this
cod tract staring them in the face, no
publisher dared to submit a low bid
per line in the hope of making it up
by padding out a large number of
extra lines. Under its provisions, a
publisher got exactly what he bid, and
no more. It was fair to all of the
papers, and it was fair to the delin
quent taxpayers. Extortion under its
provisions was absolutely impossible.
With the records of the old unfair and
malodorous system before it, it seems
almost Impossible of belief that any
court would have permitted itself to
be fooled into abandoning a plan
which experience had taught was bet
ter, fairer, and more economical in
every way. And yet that is just what
was done this year.
The Observer had hoped that it
would never again be called upon to
show how a printer who is so inclined
can bid less than the legal rate for
publishing a notice, and then set it so
as to receive more than the legal rate.
We thought that method of printing
tax sales had been abandoned for good
in Polk county, but it appears that we
were mistaken, so it is again neces
sary for us to take our type and pen in
hand and show how it is done.
It will be remembered that a few
weeks ago the court called for bids for
printing the tax notice. The law does
not say that it shall be let by bids, but
says that the court shall designate the
paper la which the notice shall be
published, such paper to be the one
most likely to give actual notice to
delinquent taxpayers, such notice to
be published for a price not to exceed
25 cents per Hoe, nonpariel type.
That's plain, is it not? The court
shall designate the paper, and that
paper must be the one that will give
the sale the greatest possible publicity,
and the price must not exceed 25 cents
a line.
Well, aswe remarked before, the
court called for bids, evidently desir
ing to make a little show of economy
to the taxpayers at the expense of the
printers. The Observer paid no atten
tion to the call, as the notice was so
small that it wasn't worth taking at
anything less than the usual legal
rates. The Itemizer submitted a bid
of 28 cents a line, nonpariel- measure,
the regular rate of that paper. The
West Side handed in a bid of 17 cents
per line, brevier measure. Aftr con
sidering the bids, the court rejected
both, givingas its reason that the
Itemizer's bid was above" the legal
limit of 25 cents, and thatthe West
Side's bid of 17 cents, brevier measure
was greater than 25 cents, nonpariel'
measure. Eight there, the court came
that Judge Coad or any other lawyer
would insist upon if the work was
being done for a client. It amounts to
exactly one inch of type, for which
any publisher in Polk county regularly
charges $2.50, and Is glad to get the
work at that figure. We ara not say
ing that the notice should be set in
this way, but isn't it just as plain and
convenient in every way as the other
form? It is the way all other legal
notices are set, and why not in this
instance, when more than the lawful
rate is being charged?
Now, the whole matter just comes to
this: The present court, like many
courts before it, in an effort to make a
little show of economy, has undertaken
to do so at the expense of the printers
of the county, apparently caring
nothing whether the printers make a
decent, legitimate profit, or not In so
doing, the Court has tackled some
thing it knows absolutely nothing
about, and as a result, it gets the
worst of it. The Observer does not
know that it particularly blames the
publisher of the West Side; in fact, if
Mr. Ralston could argue the court into
MONMOUTH.
William E. Foster of Dayton, vis
ited relatives in Monmouth last week
Editor Balston, of the Independence
Enterprise, was a business visitor in
Monmouth, Tuesday.
Uncle Sol" Crowley, of Rickreall,
was a Monmouth visitor during the
first part of this week.
Fred Huber, formerly the rural mail
carrier in this district, was a business
visitor In Portland over Sunday.
Elder Eichy and family moved to
Newberg, Monday, and will make
their home in that city in future.
Mrs. W. N. O'Kelley and daughter,
of Dilly, visited at the home of her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. Eobertson,
Sunday.
The grip is quite prevalent in our
city at this time, but it i3 believed that
the present rainy season will have a
tendency to stop it.
The mid-year commencement exer
cises will be held at the Normal school
next week. The class of graduates will
be very large this year.
Mr. Cunningham, of Whitman
County, Washington, visited at the
home of Mr" and Mrs. E. C. Eeynolds
last week, and said that he was well
pleased with this city.
The Evaporator and Cannery Com
pany is having the old fruit trees
grubbed out of the tract recently pur
chased from B. L. Murphy, and will
plant small fruit in their places.
The creamery for Monmouth Is an
assured thing, for the deficit caused
by one of the stockholders drawing
out of the enterprise was made up
almost immediately, and the work will
go on as if nothing happened.
The girls basketball team of the
Normal School defeated the Chemawa
girls Saturday night. This ties the
two teams in games, but the local
aggregation has a trifle the advantage
in score average.
The first snow of the season made
its appearance In our city Monday
morning, but a warm rain following
a few hours later, effectually put an
end to the dreams of coasting which
were entertained by the youth of Mon
mouth. The residence of A. N. Halleck
caught fireSunday morning, from the
flue, aud a serious conflagration was
prevented only by the prompt and
effective action of Mr. Halleck and one
M-aU fcJ
W frsiTi miSm wrm HI jr fkf.
a mi
In. FE)
and strictly prohibits
the sale of alum
baking powder
So does France
So does Germany
The sale of alum foods
has been made illegal in Washington and the District of Col no 1
bia, and alum baling powders are everywhere recognized as
injurious. jQ T0 yourself against alum, ;
when ordering baking powder?
Sap p!ai$i!ij" .
1MKH
and be very sure you get RoyaL
Royal is the only Baking Powder made from Royal Grape
Cream of Tartar. It adds to the digestlbiliry and whole-!
r .i r
someness or tne iooa.
dakc::g
FSVIPHO
AIRLIE.
Little damage was done in this
vicinity by the late freeze.
Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Newbill visited
in Independence, Tuesday.
Mrs. Otto Simpson is visiting at the
home of her parents in Woodburn.
George Conn's two little daughters
have been quite ill with the grippe.
Sam and Hugh Hanna wentto Inde
pendence, Tuesday, for a short visit
C. H. Dusenberry, of Portland, was
the guest of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Bevens
last week.
J. C, Nendel will plow up his hop
yard and devote his time to dairying
in future.
An express office has been estab
lished at this place and it is proving
to be a great accomodation to all.
The question of organizing a co-operative
creamery company in this
neighborhood is being seriously discussed.
The hounds belonging to E. E. Staata
caught another coyote Sunday. This
makes three that they have captured
in the course of four runs.
Quite a number of traveling men
were in Airlie this week, among whom
were John Brinkley and Eich Evans,
both former residents of this place. -
Three applications for membership
were balloted on at the last meeting of
the Mono Grange and two more appli
cations were received. The Grange
purposes to work actively in favor of
the parcels post.
John Eitner has begun work on the
new bridge which is to be built at
Turner's. The lumber arrived at this
place Tuesday and Superintendent
Hadley had several teams hauling it
away on the following day.
PEDEE HILLS.
Mrs. I. Eittner is reported to be very
ill.
Mrs. Joseph Edwards, who has been
very 111, is reported much better.
Plowing was stopped last week on
account of the freezing weather.
Lagrlppe i3 quite prevalent in this
neighborhood at the present time.
Emile Nombalaia will close a suc
cessful term of school at Condon this
week.
Mrs. Fred Eittner has been employed
to teach the spring term of school at
Pedee.
Miss Buelah Craton was quite ill
last week and was unable to attend
school for the first time this winter.
Mr. and Mrs. Eiley Burbank and
Mr. and Mrs. Pine Burbank visited at
the home of Thomas Kinchin, Sunday.
The first snow of the season made its
appearance here Monday morning
and by evening the hills were quite
white.
Mr. Truax is recovering nicely from
the broken arm received while work
ing in the woods a short time ago,
and, with the assistance of his two
little boys, is at work skidding logs.
The Simpson logging camp is the
only one in this vicinity running with
a full crew of hands at the present
time. It is currently reported that the
Spaulding Company will not contract
logs for the coming season.
Farmers in this vicinity are enter
ing into dairy farming more doeply
every year and cream will be shipped
next summer from the farms of C. S.
Craton, A. Womer, G. Pagenkopf, E.
Pagenkopf, Jesse Yost, Will Busb, E.
Hastings, Taylor Brothers and the
I. X. L. Dairy Eanch.
INDEPENDENCE.
Mrs. O. D. Butler was a Portland
visitor last week.
Miss Lorena Sperling returned to
her school work at Mt ADgel this
week.
Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Paddock enter
tained the Social Whist Club, Monday
evening.
Miss Frankie Doherty, of Portland,
i3 visiting at the home of her Bister,
Mrs. P. M. Kirkland.
Mr. and Mrs. David Collins, of
Tacoma, are visiting at the home of
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H.
Collins.
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Atkins will
move next week to Corvallis where he
will have the management of the
light and water plant
The Independence Dramatic Club
entertained a large audience at the
opera house, Saturday evening with,JJ)
an excellent presentation of the
comedy, "The Widow."
Overcoats
AND
Cravenetts
TO CLOSE OUT AT A
BARGAIN
SEE OUR WINDOW FOR PRICES
ALL NEW GOODS AND
THIS SEASON'S STYLES
Campbell & Hollister
Cash Store
Dallas,
Oregon
IlllgS
li
'he Most
mportfiit
Item in the Kitchen
(next to the cook) is
the
Th
KITCHEN RANGE
e "Quicli Meal"
Steel Range
Has all the desirable features
It is the most Economical
in the use of fuel
A good Baker, and Con
venient in all ways.
Come in and we will Surprise
you with some
Astonishingly Low Prices
Vm Faull
The Leading
Hardware Dealer
Dallas
Oregon
SSL
4 "
V
11
1
M arm v t m a
m I I lid i 1
On all shoes except Walk-Over
and St. Cecelia.
(Continued on Tage S.)
t-3
i'S
Thi Dallas Shoe Store, Hrs-
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