St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-21
BUSINESS MEMS ADVICE
rs AGAINST MdTsRfAL REDUCTION IN
VALUATIONS
AS GIVEN TO THE ASSESSOR.

Assessor Johnstone Writes to the
an. Board OF Equalization, Ex-
E, planning the Peculiar situation
!; of Affairs. and Asking an Ex-
sd animation of the New System
doi of Personal Assessment.
The board of equalization Is proceed
ing every afternoon TO hear and act
upon applications for corrections in as
sessments. A number of small changes
were made yesterday. Peter DAILY. of
the board of county commissioners, is
presiding
Assessor tombstone has submitted to
the board communication giving in
formation on the difficulties encountered
IN his work. The letter is as follows:
II have the honor to call your atten-
ton to few salient points in connec-
ton with the city real estate assessment
for 1875 and the personally assess.
ment for 1894.
The realty assessment, exempt ex-
cluded, shows total OF Sl09, 142. 099,
being an increase of Sl0,544 from the
assessment for 1892. Recognizing the
difficulty attending an assessment dur
ing times of business depression and
stagnation in the real estate market, as
long ago as last November met with a
number of the largest taxpayers of st.
Paul, the meeting being held in the
mayors reception room. Those present
were William Dawson ST., Archbishop
Ireland, f. P. Wright, then mayor;
Charming Seabury, member of the state
board of equalization; L. S. Cushing.
general manager of the Boston North
west Real Estate company; A. Ii. Lin
deke. OF Lindeke, Warner q Schur.
meier; G. Il. Smith, of Smith IL Taylor:
Capt. K. l.. German, president of the
board OF public works; Hon. Alexander
Ramsey, and others equally prominent.
| asked these gentlemen whether, in
their judgment, it would be advisable
appreciably to reduce the valuations in
The coming assessment.
After considerable discussion. and
without dissenting voice, they advised
against such reduction, and for the fol-
lowing reasons:
First-Reduction would not give re-
lief, since it could only result in an in
creased tax rate.
Second-The state board of equaIiza-
ton could not be induced to accept an
appreciably lower assessment.
Third-HundredS of thousands of dol
lars had beeu loaned by outside parties
on valuations winch had for basis the
assessment rolls.
Following the meeting blue-line prints
of various districts were sent to resi-
dents presumably best informed as to
values, and estimates as to such values
were requested. The re turns when
made at all were not satisfactory, being
influenced by local views or views so
widely divergent as to be almost value
less.
Ihave endeavored in the present as
sessment to arrange the values so as to
more nearly correspond with apparent
changed conditions. This has resulted
in reductions in some localities and in
creaSes in others. The specific instances
can readily be determined from the
books and from detailed memoranda,
which are at your service when called
for.
PER SoNALTY.
The personal assessment for 1894
amounts to 5,242, AS. a loss of $l.661.-
$50 from that CT 1898. Or this loss
S1.000.000 in round numbers is directly
traceable To the banks-the National
'German-Ameaican, the Peoples and
the Seven Corners serving as notable
examples. There are more names on
The rolls this year than there were last,
and fully 20 per cent more sworn re-
turns were received than ever before
In almost every instance the sworn
Eeiurnis much smaller than the arbi-
trary assessment of previous. years.
= His more than accounts for the de-
felt other than that arising from reduc-
fully invite examination by your honor
able body Of the system of making
personal assessments in vogue for the
| hrSt time this year.