St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-27
PLUN1MER's IDEAS.
He Suggests Radical Changes. but
Does Nor Advocota S;noaa Cax

AAO ouS.SCStS hdu!Cdi Cndn2eS. out
Does Not Advocate Single Tax.
1t appears that the recommendations
that City Assessor Plummer will make
In his annual report to the council Fri
day will not border so closely upon the
single tax idea as has been reported;
still the changes he proposes are rather
radical. In the collection of personal
taxes he. in cases of assessments on
goods OF merchandise, believes that
instead of assessing the amount
OF goods and merchandise on
hand at a given time there
should be suitable tax imposed on the
gross sales for the year, that tax to be
equivalent in money-raising power to
the rate levied on other property. be-
lleve we would get more equitable
distribution of the tax than we now do
under the present system. Honest men
would pay no more than under the
present system. Tax evaderS would be
obliged to come to the front and pay
their just proportion. Manufacturers
would be relieved from the injustice Of
paying tax on the same article often
times, as now happens, for two or three
years before the articles even arrive in
the city. Such system would work in
justice to none.
In assessments upon household goods
he suggests that the exemption be in
creased to $500 and poll-taX of 81 i'm
posed. AS 1t is now many people make
returns to the assessor upon their house
hold goods of more than their real value
from feeling OF pride, and others un-
dereStlmate in order to lessen their
taxes.
He makes the good suggestion in re-
gard to additions to the city that no
proposed new additions, as subdivisions
of land shall be accepted by the city
until the owners thereof shall have con-
spicuOusly marked them in blocks and
lots, with suitable permanent stakes,
and shall have graded the streets there
in to conform to the grade established
by the city; let them make their prop
erty recognizable from the adjacent
prairie, and accessible. before asking
the city to recognize it and improve
it, and before inviting people to make
homes on it.
The assessor will also have rather
hot shot for the board of state equaiiZa-
ton concerning its action in raising the
valuation on household goods and fur
uiture in Minneapolis 25 per cent, dia-
monds and jewelry 25 per cent and bank
| stock 3 per cent. He characterizeS this
+ as unfair and unjust.
Our bank stock" he says, twas first
assessed at the same rate as that of St.
Paul. 1t is well-known fact among
business men, and the board could have
readily ascertained that st. Paul bank
stock is worth as much as ours. Yet 1t
was equalization to raise ours per
cent above that of st. Paul. To justify
their act 1t was necessary to 20 behind
| the regular returns made by the
assessor according to the law to
returns made to the comptroller
at some previous time, which
was clearly illegal. Minneapolis pays
! two-ninths of the entire tax of the en-
tire state; it has representation on
the board of One-siXteenth. While such
a disparity exists in the makeup of the
board, and with jealous rivalry to meet
before the board, will not we be liable
to have similar experiences hereafter?
VIII they not again strain at the gnat of
our goods and merchandise. and swal-
low the camel of our household goods
and furniture?"