St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-26
MIR. sEABURY

Action Of the state Board of
Equalization on the Hennepin
County Assessment.
To the Editor of the GLOBE.
l do not suppose anybody believes
anything that they read In a political pa
per published on the eve OF an election,
but the insulting roast" which appears
in your columns this morning %provokes
a word of reply from me on my own
behalf, and for my fellow members on
the state board of equalization.
| have been a member of the board for
the past three years. aud am nc mans
creature" l aim to do my duty in any
position of trust which l may occupy
so far as | have the requisite ability aud
Information to act upon, and. as your
article is grossly unfair and insulting to
u board, l ask you to publish the fol-
lowing facts.
The assessed valuation of the real
property in Hennepin county. as sub
mitted to our board, was as follows:
1892. 1894.
Acre property In Hen
nepin county, out
side Of city ;:;..- S1s,o59. 442 SIS, ~, o19
City lots, exclusive OF
structures -. &c.. rs, &c., O1 80, 7ss, os5
Our board reduced the assessment of
city lots 4 per cent (S3,2 8 ,523), ana
raised the assessment of acre property
in Hennepin county, outside the city of
Minneapolis, various percentages in
the different townships, ~aggregating
So, 4S7. ISL, thus increasing the total as
SeSsed valuation of real property in the
entire county Of Hennepin about $780,
900. and not affecting any other portion
of the state. We did this after fully
investigating the matter, and acting
upon the conviction that the change we
were making was just and equitable,
and for no other reason.
After making this reduction, city lots
in Hennepin county, exclusive Of
structures thereon, will stand assessed
at ST, $50, 562. against SIS, 500, DOL in 1892,
a shIinkage of ST. 1852, 439. The corre-
spending item in Ramsey county has
declined, as shown upon the rolls SUBJ
mitted to our board. from $50, 546, 679 in
1892, to SS5, 491, 703 i'll 1894, a shrinkage
OF 81, 1854, g76. | think there is no lust
cause of complaint in this, since values
have undoubtedly declined fully as
much as is shown above. in both Minne-
apolis and st. Paul, within the past two
years.
NOW as to the increase on the acre
property outside of Minneapolis. After
adding the amount fixed by the state
board, the acre lands in Hennepin
county will stand assessed at an aver
age of s27.57 per acre, which is GER
tainly not an excessive average valua!
ton.
What political capital can you make
out Of the facts and figures given you
above? Such as you can find you are
welcome to-.
Your article makes it appear that our
board has done a terrible Injustice TO
the people of the state in general, and
for political purposes. while you can
see that the action of our board con-
Germs Hennepin county alone. Being
asked for by our member from that
county, and appearing 10 be equitable
las 1T simply results in about the same
relative standing that the two items
showed in 1922, we made the change.
Your uncalled for reference to
Governor Nelson. and the siurs in your
article upon the members of our board.
will have no weight with inteIligea at
men when the facts are trutbfulIy
given. and. fer myself and every other
member of the state board of euualiza-
ton now in session, L emphatically
resent the insults you have lleaped
upon both him aud every member OF
the board. Respectfully.
CLAIMING SEABURY.
0@,faltls Sept. Is, E9A.