Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-19
pended paper and $4,000 for mortgages, re-
ducing shares to 1856, and examining $3.50. 700

Northwestern National Bank-Capltal stock,
$500 1000; surplus, nominal (what nominal sur
estate (bank building assessed at $l4, 250),
$40, 995; balance, $478, 205 Shares should have
been assessed at $9564, but were assessed at
1892, the bank being allowed also to deduct
$12, 800 in bad and doubtful debts.'
Security Bank-Capital stock, $500, 900; no
surplus; real estate, $40, 557; balance $3.50 443.
Assessed at 1856; should have been $S64S.
City Bank-Capital stock, 5000, 400; no sur
plus or real estate. Assessed at 800 per share.
Correct
Citizens Bank-Capital stock, $4,000; no
surplus or real estate. Assessed at 300 per
share-cOrreCt.
Farmers & Mechanics Savings Bank-Capital
stock, $2l ,927.37; in surplus invested in real
estate and government bonds, $l1, Coz; balance
$40, 929.37, assessed at $96 per share. If return
was correct itshould have been but $49.6S, but
there being 22O shares, yet the bank returned it
at $96 and the assessor failed to discover the
mistake. We are Informed that the investment
should have been 81 100 instead of S1l 600; if
so the shares were worth $94.6S instead of
800.
Hennepin County Savings Bank-Capital
stock, $55. 500; surplus, 900; invested in real
estate, $l0,054; balance, $55, 446. Shares should
have been assessed at 5000, but the bank
forgot to add in the surplus and the assessors
did likewise reducing the valuation to 1872 per
share.
All of which shows that those wto make a
business of keeping other peoples money like
other people the safe side when the
question of taxes is involved and it looks as
though the amounts deducted because of real
estate elsewhere assessed, do not agree
with the figures at which it is assessed.
And it seems, further, that some of the banks
do not pay their taxes or real estate, and that
none of them have any office furniture.
Section % reads: All property shall be as
sod Oh ,&o FL
determining the true and full value of real or
personal property the assessor shall not adopt a
lower Or different standard of value, because
the same is to serve basis of taxation, nor
shall he adopt as a criterion of value the price
for which said property would sell at auction
or at forced sale, or III the aggregate with all
the property in the town or district,
but he shall value each article or descrip-
ton of property by itself and at such sum
or price as he believes the same to be fairly
worth in money at the time such assessment is
made. Money shall be entered at the
full amount thereof That this section is de-
liberately violated by the assessors, both in
nor is it questioned that large portion Of the
public sanction the violation. A few cases
may serve to illustrate the first proposition
The personal estate of the late Levi Butler was
assessed at $50. 4SS; yet an appraisement made
about the time and at low figures, footed
The personal estate of the late Stephen En-
erson, worth $40, 600 or more, as appears from
the evidence in the late contested will case, was
assessed at SO, 600.
Ovid Pinney was assessed for $40 401, includ-
ing $40 in household furniture, yet his execu-
tors were called upon to give bonds which in
dictate his estate to approach half million,
and an inventory filed shows nearly $40, 900 in
personal property.
The foregoing are cited because the real and
assessed valuations are both matters of record.
Let those who are in doubt, if any there are,
compare the value of personal property de-
stroyed by fires. mill explosions, ETC., on a
basis of two thirds insurance, with the value
of the same property on the assessors books,
and if still in doubt let them compare their
own returns of property with the figures
at which they would dispose of the same
they II need no further proof. Section 81 to
3S provides that the assessor shall call at the
place OF doing business or residence Of each
person and require him to make a correct list
of his taxable property under oath, upon which
the assessor shall fix the value; when palt les
are sick or absent refuse to list or swear, the
assessor is to note such fact in the appropriate
column and list the property himself
10 what extent parties are called on we do
not know-that many are not on the re tn ms is
evidenced from the number omitted on the re-
turns; in few, if any, do parties ''make
correct list" and although the lists show Cor
purport to SNOWY that they were sworn to, the
oath is seldom administered. As the assessors
books seldom show an entry that parties refuse
to list or swear, the inference might be drawn
that nearly all are listed, but the inference is
not fair one in view of the actual facts.
Section 1l6 provides for a fine of not less
than 5000 nor more than 81 1000 in every case
in which an assessor refuses or knowingly neg
lects to perform any duty enjoined on him by
this act, or who consents to or connives at any
n tC y1rOU Hyha rtxr
required to be listed for taxation is unlawfully
exempted on the valuation thereof is entered
on the tax list at less than it's true value"
Ii this provision was enforced in one case in
every hundred, it would at once solve the
whole question of how to reduce taxation
If the moneys and credits of assessors bonds
men held-by increasing the court revenues
one year and the valuations thereafter. It
might not be amiss to reduce the amount of
the fine, and by giving portion thereof to the
lnformer. induce one portion of the taxpayers
to ''meddle with the private business of 9TH
ers, as we are sure the corn exchange is now
doing. Possibly large number who are now
literally poor, might make such a provision
the stepping stone to wealth, and speedily con-
tribute to the public revenues by direct tax
alton.
Your committe would not insinuate that the
assessors are either better worse than men
generally. What IS most needed is not addi-
tional legislation, but the moulding of public
sentiment that will give assessors the backbone
necessary to enable them to execute the law
without perjuring themselves or winking at the
peri jury of others.
UNEQUAL ASSESSMENTS.
Another evil is in the many assessor system
(Which can be cured only by legislation) under
which piece of property, real or personal, de-
preciates or advances in value according as it
IS located on this or the other side of town
ship line. For instance, the household furni-
ture of e. M. Wilson, within the city limits, is
assessed at s. 500, while that OF Leonard Day,
in the town Of Minneapolis (the carpeting of
whose house actually cost 81 $50 and the fur
niture in which is likewise expensive) is as
sessed at $780, about the real value of his par
lor curtains.
Thomas Lowry's household furniture, in the
same town, is assessed at $1,000, and that of
D. R. Barber, in the city, at 300. Take the
horses as whole in various townships: in
Minnetonka they average 1888 each; in Min
netrista $22.oo; IN Richfeld, 1880; in the
city. $s1.45.
1t will be Seen that the inequalities as be-
tween towns is like unto that between individ-
uals in the matter of personal ASS essments
Now, as to real estate, the improvements. ex-
elusive of lands: M. L. Higgins, residence, cor
ner Ninth street and Hennepin avenue. is
assessed at $4,000; Peter G. Dague has a coun-
cotPe'A VI uLo sdAe uOuSe on CQe same avenue.
put beyond the city limits, which is assessed at
$l,lo0, including a barn, etc., in addition
thereto; c. 81. Pettit's residence is assessed at
$i9,0oo, and Leonard Days Gust over the line)
at Sl2,OOO, the latter costing the most, In
Murphys addition in the Sixth ward, in block
IL, lots are assessed at from $3.50 to 5000. Just
across the street and across the township line ia
Cooks addition, in which the lots are valued at
sou to $lOO. These are not isolated cases. The
rule holds good generally. To avert this evil
We believe it would be a wise change provided
he be elected by the people and not appointed