Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-19

as between the amounts of money loaned or
mortgages, as shown by the records in the reg
cages taxed. shown by the records in the
auditors office, shrinkage the more remark
| able because the assessors are furnished with
full list by the register.
Lewis Kelly, loan agents, have hundreds
OF thousands of dollars loaned, but are not as
many residents with thousands and tens Of
thousands of dollars loaned on mortgage secu-
rites which do not appear to be assessed (un
| less their liabilities exceed their as
sets). Among the many fine
such names as D. r. Barber, G.. r. Bushnell
Bean George q. Christian, A. r. Camp, F. R.
E. Cornell, E. 8. Corser, G. F. Douglass, W. w
Eastman, Eastman Borey q Co., First Nationa
bank, Farmers and Mechanics Savings bank
| Fletcher & Co., Betsey +. Gulpip, s. G. Gale,
J. B. Gilfllan, J. G. Higgins, Hennepin County
Savings bank, Anthony Kelly. Grace D.. Kim
| ball, B. A. Lee, E. j. Libby, John Martin, Mer-
chants National bank, Winsor Moury, w. w
McNair, National Exchange bank, John S. Pills
bury, Mordecai Parry, A. G. Rand, George H
Rush, State National bank, o. It. Sweet, J. H.
Thompson, W. ]. Van DYKE and Winthrop
Young, to say nothing of non-residents (real
and nominaD represented by agents. If mort.
cages were taxed according to law, and such
tax collected, it would reduce the rate of tax
alton very materially.
BACK TAXES.
Your committee find that sundry large prop
| erty owners allow their taxes, real and per-
sonal, to remain unpaid, frequently waiting
until they amount to large sums, when they
apply to the commissioners for a rebate of say
one-half to the whole. and in times past too
often with success. Among the many who
| of the State National bank, which now owes
$3,57O.T for real estate tax and over $4,000
| for personal taxes long since due. Then again,
| the law if enforced provides a remedy (see
section 1874, chapter l. laws of 1874, as amend
| ed lS77) where any piece of real estate shall be
bid in by the State, the county auditor may
file an affidavit with the clerk of the court
showing that the same is producing rent, and
| upon the affidavit being presented to the dis
| trict Judge he shall issue an order attaching
the rents as they become due. If this provision
should be enforced rigidly it would keep the
sheriff busy for while and bring many dol
lar into the treasury.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS.
Under this head should be enumerated fur
niture, carpets, bedding, clothing, etc., yet
many mans wife attends fashionable party
carrying on her person more wealth than the
total return. Comparisons are odious," vet
we give a few figures showing sundry house
hold assessments w. u. Washburn, $500; D.
R. Barber, 300; F. Steele, Jr., $500; Jacob
Myers, $3.50; John Wensinger, 300; Claude
Won Trotha, $500; John DeLaittre $3.50; R. H.
HEankinson, $500; George A. Camp $500;
A. A. A z Ames e $780, Edga R Na s6oo 5000;
seeley, $50; George B. Shepard, 200; Ed.
OBrien, $3.50; R. B. Langdon, 5000; E. u.
Collins, $4OO; o. J. Evans, 5000; P. j. Oberst,
$3.50; Frank Beebe, $500; Chris. Peterson
5000; Ole Oleson, 800; Ovid Pinney, $1OO.
There seems to be no general rule-no fixed
standard of value-but the whole being a mat
ter Of guesswork, and poor guessing at that
On the east side Of the river man is permit
ted by the assessor to own more than $500 in
household goods On the west side in excep-
tional cases the value reaches 81 900, and occa-
sionally $1,000.
LOGS AND LUMBER.
We are Informed that there are few if any
logs owned in this city, and it is evident that
there was big falling off in the stock OF lum-
Der on hand when the assessments were made
stocks valued at a few thousand dollars being
owned by men who have since that time carried
insurance on lumber Enormously supposed to
be the same) to the amount of $780, OO and
upwards. Mill machinery, the assessors in
form us, is included in the valuation of the
real estate which no one would have supposed
by glancing at the figures.
ERRORS.
The books show numerous errors as hereto
fore stated, and in some cases have two indexes.
Some of the errors are decidedly ludicrous, as
foc instance taxing the sedate Senator
Glltillan for saloon fixtures, and we'll known
bachelor with household goods. Your commit
tee from double indexes) have enormously
reported a few parties, but street rumor
charged them with errors not committed. NJ.
L. Higgings and A. M. Arson are assessed as
reported, but j. G. Whitney, Globe Gaslight
company, J. B. Ames, s. J. Daniels, and pos
sibly one or two others reported not assessed
are assessed to some extent. w. w. McNair's
horses were assessed at $l10 each instead of
$55. Mr.. Hedderly was not a member of the
tax committee recommending the Edwards
abatement-Mr. Edwards alone serving
thereon.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
Your committee is not yet prepared to recon-
mend additional legislation, save as suggested
in the foregoing, except that we believe pro-
vision requiring the publication of the per-
sonal assessment, with proper headings and
exclusive of bank stock, of each person or
firm assessed in the sum of - dollars
or more, be made before the meeting of the
board Of equalization. The expense would be
but small percentage of the amounts that
would be added to the lists because parties
knew publicity would be made, and by the
amounts added after such publication. More
anon. Respectfully submitted,
Ed A. STEVENS,
THos. A. CLARK
Committee on Taxation,
January 18, 1879.