St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-16
The Des:rability of Providing for Re-
vision of the Personal Property
Exemption Laws.
A West st. Paul Lady Tries to Suicide
by Taking a Dose OF Bel
lItiOnna.
Mass Meeting of Indignant Boarders to Pro.
test Against the Bill for the Pro-
lection of Landladies.
The Story of Young Girl Who Was Basely
Betrayed and Then Deserted by
Her Lover.
PERSONAL TAXATION.
The Exemption Laws If Minnesota Said to
Work an Injustice on the
Poor Classes


bill was discussed in the legislature a
few days ago providing for the exemption
from taxation of personal property to the ex-
tent of at least $500, it being considered that
the present exemption of only 500 works a
great Injustice and hardship on the poorer
81 sses.
The rr sent c. Exemption laws were formed
in the Terri .ofial DAYS of the north vest and
WHEN the government had no other means of
raising revenue. or late wears the taxation
Il VS. Of Minnesota have undergone many
u cha g 5 with the single exception of
the personal exem pt.on law which levies the
saline tax on tna nIan or woman residing in
sianty as n lie nab lb'
In mnlority q, the older states personal
| properly Is exc rpt ID to the extent of from
$500 to $500, and IN many instances special
provisions Oh $50 are made for widows and
unmalIie women.
A number of ,ogent reasons are urged
why the exempt On of personal property
should be made greater, as will be seen by
the subjoined interviews:
ASSESSOR BEAUMONT.
On being interviewed on this subject,
Assessor Beaumont said he not only consid-
cred 500 exemption an act of hardship to
the poorer classes of the state, but an abso-
lutte injustice. To illustrate in reference tie
single class of people, he cited the case of
city drayman, who was obliged to pay Il s.
license for the privilege of being
one. He turned to his assessor
books where opposite the names of several of
this class was the inventory of $3.50 and S175
worth Of personal property, of which tue
horse and wagon and sleigh made up 500 or
Sl25, the balance of $50 or SIS over 800 be-
| ing taxed on kitchen furniture. This paltry
| taxation was so numerous in this county, he
said, that its recording filed up good sized
| book. Judgment had to be issued on these
miuuow taxes, sherffs piled up fees in try
| ing TO collect them rs many could in no WAY
be collected, clerks had to be paid for writing
up papers and books, heap of valuable time
was consumed, while what was paid in on
them did not half liquidate the expense
| of the pen and ink work aloue-in fact the
| whole business of assessing and trying to
collect these baby taxes, varying from IS
| cents TO 80 cents, he declared To- be an abom-
| Unable nuisance. To further EN- phasize this
view of the subject, Mr.. Beaumont, whose
| long experience in and thorough knowledge
of his work as an assessor, eut. ties his opinion
| 10 general public consideration brought out
lis tax lists, not ON city residents, but Gu a
rural district Claiming this to be fair test
! heading therein OF Mounds View
township. Here he pointed out personal
! property lists in surprising numbers in which
the whole assessed value ranged from $40,
| sll6, 1928 and $3.50, Qn every one of which
lists horse or COW and sometimes more
were included), aud in all OF which the
household furniture. which in reality paid
the tax, was set down, all told, at $50, s25,
SIS and in a majority of cases at SO and So.
| Why, said Mr.. Beaumont, in such cases the
| deputy assessors say they would not pay the
tax on this miserable furniture for it., and
two town assessors present backed him
| up In the statement. In conclusion
| Mr. Beaumont said that he thought the least
possible amount Of personal property which
| should be exempted 10 this state should be
! to the amount of $500.
TREASURER BURTON
Of Ramsey county was next approached on
this subject, ana sal that in his estimation
the personal property exemption in the state
should not be less than $500, while $500
would not be q penny too much. or course
our present law was necessity when it was
enacted, but now the state has got
firmly on its legs there is no
longer any excuse for its being
kept in that shape. Instead Of its adding to
the county treasures, be- held that the ex
pense attendant in trying TO enforce II was
/ positive drain upon them. In fact it was the
| expenditure OF tfty cents In the majority of
/ instances in trying or falling to collect %
or 40 cent tax from those who could not AZ
/ ford and ought not to be asked to pay il, and
who shirked IL when they could. The taking
/ out of 4 Judgment for u % or 40 cent per-
soua property tax was farce, az was also its
/ assessment, aud il was no credit
[ to us that such law
| remained on our statute books. He knew
that It was wrong inflicted on the poorer
! classes OF the entire stale while It's perpetra-
! ilOn resulted I'm all the counties being out of
! pocket. II there was any general measure
which the legislature should suspend the
/ rules upon and pass mp TO the governor for
signature at this session, ii was one to rele-
gate 500 exemption on personal property to
| the rear and raise tho figures TO respectable
amount.
| Mr.. Burton said he had understood that
| some wise member Of the present legislature
had introduced bill into one or the other Of
/ the branchts for raising this exemption to
! $500 aud that he himself had felt such an
| interest In the measure that be had pcnncd
and forwarded letter to one OF oar county
/ representatives on this subject. from which
/ We were permitted to make the following alb
/ stract:
Il believe that our state has reached that
! point where a greater exemption can safely
/ be allowed the tax payer on personal prop
! crty assessed for taxes. Other states are
much more liberal in this respect, notably
/ so Michigan, Nebraska and Kansas, our
/ nearer neighbOrs. Sc also Massachusetts,.
| Under this bead in Michigan the exemp-
| iion Is 500 In all, while Mas
/ sachusetts With exemptions almost as literal
az Michigan, further exempts $500 to
| widows, unmarried women Of age, minors
/ without fathers snd TO all persons over
/ scvruiy-fiye years Of age.
Our exemption Is only 500. which means
/ that nearly every one Is assessed. Out Of
/ 1000 names on tire Ramsey county personal
: tax rull fully 1900 are taxed on valuation
/ Of 800 or less. or this number returning
/ PERSONAL property OF over 500 and less Than
/ 5000 probably more than one-half, frum the
/ smsliness OF their incomes, shouli not be
/ required 10 contribute 10 the main;eu aBce Of
/ gov-rnment,sud none Of such would be taxed
/ did they live in other states. Il is from
I the uumber Of this latter cass that most If
I the deiiDqueuts. Of wlom the county treas
/ urrr is unable to collect the tx b. ans
/ means. is made up
Z II constitutional, provision that no one
/ should lie assessed unless possessing $500,
/ and then an exemption OF only 500 be al
( lowed, would remove from the tax roll al
names ealing for less than 81 tax, and be
4 errat improvement over our present law. :"
WEST ST. PAUL SENSATION.
Young NarTiel Wonln Is Driven Prom
Home and Attempts Suicide