Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-19
TIE MINNE4PULIS PLAN.
How They Levy 1axes tor Local Purposes
on Bogus Valuation.

How They Levy 1axes tor Local Purposes
on Bogus Valuation.
There is one thing thai Minneapolis and
Hennepin county eclipses st. Paul and
Ramsey county in, and that is the manner
OF levying an assessment of taxes for local
revenue.
They first look over the newspapers of
said city and find their statistical exhibits
of their supremacy over st. Paul, as pub
lished in their bragadocIo articles, and
notice that the "reliable' statician has
figured up the actual cash value of all
things at the astounding figures of $10,-
100000 and over. This sum is then taken
as the total estimate value upon which to
base their calculations for local reuef11e
on, and at twenty-three and one-half
mills on the dollar will realize the Ito them)
Insignificant sum of $1,625,0OO, tor focal
purposes only, when, in fact, they require
and must have 100000 more to Hquidate
their present due outstanding obligations.
But they are limited to twenty-tkree and
one-half mi for local purposes, and that
sum, upon the total estimate as furnished
by the editors of the city of Minneapolis
to its citizens and others who
may be interested in valuations,
of the different cities for taxable purpose,
must govern them as basis for local reve-
nue., and they will take their chances for
an extention of time for the payment of
the 100000 shortage.
The tax having been extended on the
proper books of Hennepin county for To-
cal purposes at 2315 mills upon the edi-
tors valuation of total of $70,00O,OO0
for local purposes only.
The state board of equalization then
look over the figures as returned to the
proper osicer at the capitol, they being a
body selected for their practical business
qualifications and conservative principle;
think it an anamoly for comfy land
city like Hennepin county, in which Min
neapolis is located, to show up such enor-
nous total valuations as compared with
Ramsey county wherein st. Paul is located
especially after looking over the figures of
the banking capital of st. Paul, and find
it exceeds by far the total banking capital
of the entire state of Minnesota outside of
st. Paul; together with the fact that the
city of st. Paul is the fourth
city in the United States 80
far as general building Improvements
go to indicate the status of city, and at
once discovers the secret and object is,
that Minneapolis is willing to pay nearly
double the amount of the state tax, that
st. Paul pays if they can only deceive the
public into the belief that their local taxes
are less than are the taxes of St. Paul for
all purposes. But the state board of
equalization are not to be fooled that way
by such chat, and knowing that the prop
erty owners in Minneapolis are tax rid
den community at best proceed to relieve
them from that portion oftthe state tax as
sessable upon their returns, over and
above the valuation of the city of st. Paul,
as returned by the proper officers of Ram
sey county, and not from estimates made
by publishers of LEGAL papers all of which
the Minneapolis schemers we'll knew would
be the result from the first. The taxes
for the city of Minneapolis and HenDepin
county for local purposes having been ex-
tended npon the books at 2315 mills on the
dollar upon total valuation of SIC, O00, 900,
and for state purposes after the reduction
upon the reduced valuation. as fixed by
the state board.
Thus Minneapolis has two valuations
for the foundation of levying assessments,
one $70,000,000, for local purposes only,
and one the reduced valuation for state
purposes only, as the Minneapolis officials
say. It is therefore plain that Minnesp-