St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-08
DOES INITIATION INITIATE.
Minneapolis Takes The Comics
siOnal and Claims to Have
a Bogus Boom.
AS the Result She Gets O Reduction
of Twenty Per Cent. on Her
Real Estate.
While the Whole State Has to Pay Five Per
Cent. More to Make Up the
Deficit.

The state board of equalization met at the
state capitol at 9 a. IN. yesterday, according
to adjournment.
Mr.. Bassett took the floor and gave MI
mute description of non plated sections in
the city of Minneapolis, which were embraced
in the Pratt, Hallaran, Rossell, Ankey, Lake
Herriot, Mississippi river bank near the
Short line, First, Second and Third wards,
localities in all covering nine and one-half
sections. He asked the board if in their opin-
ion ''chunk' was taken out of Minneapo-
lis as large as the city of st. Paul, if they
thought it would be fair not to raise the tax
alton of st. Paul. He wan ted taxation
equalized between the two cities.
He said that wealthy citizens of st. Paul the
day before asserted that their city assessor
was infallible and that his figures should not
be changai, and wanted the whole state
equalized ON the st. Paul basis. He did not
think the st. Paul assessor infallible, for Mr..
Dawson had made motion that the taxation
on Little Canada be raised 100 per cent,
which showed the st. Paul assessor got his
figures too low.
Mr.. Dawson explained that the assessment
on Little Canada was made by an assistant,
Mr. OConnor, whereupon Mr.. Bassett
claimed an equal right for Minneapolis as
sessor's assistants to also make mistakes.
After again asserting that if ''chunk' was
taken off of Minneapolis as large as St. Paul
it would then be as large as st. Paul, he con-
cluded By saying that he thought the best
portions of both cities had but little differ
ence in their actual worth of real estate.
Thos. Cochran, Jr., said that whatever
might be done to raise st. Paul taxation
would be oppression. He claimed that the
taxation of st. Paul real estate had been
levied on the real market value Of such real
estate and produced quite an array of facts to
prove it. Of these he cited within his own
S12, 600 had been sold for SS, 600; lots which
were assessed for S11 600 their owners
would be glad to get 81, 1000 for; lots as
sessed at $500 for sale now at $500 and $500;
a sale of property for S13, 200, which was as
sessed at S12, 900. On summit avenue where
property was held at the highest figure, lots
in the hands of millionaires and which they
valued at $3.50 per front foot
were assessed S110 per front foot
He stated that from his knowledge that the
valuation of Minneapolis property never
came up to its taxation, taking the Baptist
church property for a glaring illustration,
while st. Paul values wers always close on to
assessments. Minneapolis ought to stand
by itself on its 25 per cent. higher valuation
on the same property and st. Paul had
right to ask the board to confirm its assess
ment without reference to it. In answer to
Mr.. Bassett, Mr.. Cochran said that the real
estate in Minneapolis was held from 25 to
80 per cent. higher than st. Paul property.
Mr.. Dawson produced a map to show that
| if ten square miles of either city were picked
out, the st. Paul property would
be the most valuable. He did
not want any injustice done
to either city, buthe confirmed the remarks
of Mr.. Cochran, that there was considerable
property assessed in st. Paul for more than
could be got for it.
Mr.. Barrett asked Mr.. Dawson the plump
question if he believed Minneapolis ought to
pay tax on S24, ,000, 600 more valuation than
st. Paul, but before he answered, the ques-
ton was put to the Minneapolis assessor if
he was governed in making up his assess
ments by the opinion of the best men in the
city, to which he replied that he consulted
nobody, but made up his assessments with
out the opinion of any one and according to
| his own sweet will.
AT this point Mr. Barrett got in the pre-
vious question to Mr.. Dawson again
in quite peremptory manner
when that gentleman answered, 'I believe
that Minneapolis has got fictitious value on
| her real estate!''
| John De Laitre, large Minneapolis prop
erty holder, was called upon by Mr. Bassett,
and in fact he was the only outside repre-
sentative Of that city present. He said he
was a conservative man and had always
fought imitation and high taxation, as he had
seen that both cities would come to wanting
large sums of money for internal improve
ments, and in raising it it might oppress all
classes of citizenship. He thought the
present valuation of real estate in
| Minneapolis 10 per cent. higher
than sound basis. He went
on to show how the Syndicate block property
at valuation of S245 a front foot, had paid
the first year a tax of S170, when this year
its valuation had been put by the assessor at
at 5000 front foot. If he was the richest
man in the state he would not erect $40. 900
block in Minneapolis, to bankrupt tenant
! in getting the necessary rent out Of it to pay
his taxes and get z per cent on his money.
He had told Mr.. Case, the assessor, that he
was going it on too big boom and with too
much looseness, but instead of consulting
safe men of business, he had made his fig
ures in the big figures of real estate jobbers
and spectators. Business alone in this To-
cality makes real estate values, and Min neap-
oils business property was held too high all
around
A discussion then took place between
gentlemen in comparing Minneapolis and
st. Paul values on central business property
in which Messrs. Hahn, Bassett and others
participated, the valuation on the P. II. Kelly
property in both cities being brought up.
VIM. Lindeke took the floor and said, we
of st. Paul do not ask to have the Minneapo-
lis assessment raised or lowered, but to have
the St. Paul assessment stand where it is as a
fair and equitable assessment on real valua-
ton. 1t does not follow because Minneapo-
lis has done wrong that a load
must be put upon st. Paul in con-
sequence, but st. Paul will pay her
proportion with the whole state to help
it out. As proof that St. Paul real estate
was assessed for its full value, he cited the
Hotel Ryan property, which before it was
bought was assessed for 800, 900, for which
figure it was bought.
Mr. Bassett wanted to know If all the
world had got to revolve around st. Paul.
He would ask the gentleman to read the stat
ute. Does that say that st. Paul shall be a
precedent in deciding this matter! We have
a right as board to reduce the taxation in
Minneapolis if it is inflated if we think best,
and we have the same right under the law to
raise st. Paul taxation if we like.
Mr.. Lindeke thought the board had better
enlarge their views, and instead of confin-