The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-23


Mr. Buell. thinks an examination of Clay
county's statistics would support the sim
gle tax theory. Let us see. There are,
according to the auditors report, A1,S07
acres Of farm lands which, including the
structures thereon. are assessed at 81,
446. The improvements are assessed at
$21S196 This would leave the farms, ex-
elusive of the structures, worth 1884, $50
The total value of all property assessed for
taxation is $3,52s742. OF this the total
value of personal property is $697 Ola lit
tie less than one-seventh of the whole
The structures on town and city lots are
assessed at $314,OO4. The total value of
the lots and improvements Is $756,076 If
the tax was taken off the improvements in
the villages and cities, there would be a
balance of value assessed against the in
habltants OF the towns and villages of
N42,o72. On the other hand. the property
of the farmers, less the improvements,
would be assessed at 1884 go. The total
valuation of the manufacturers tools. ETC.,
money in banks, bank credits, bonds,
stocks, bank shares saloon fixtures, ele-
vators, household and Office furniture, gold
and silver ware, diamonds and jewelry,
goods and merchandise, etc, amounts to
$S3S,s97. On the other hand. the assessed
value of the farmers sheep, hogs, cattle,
COWS. oxen, horses, mules, wagons, ETC.,
amounts to $5O2O66. The farmers, there
fore, would have their assessment reduced
as follows:
Stock, cattle, etc. $500 O66
In structures OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 218 1886
Iotal Observation-Disclosures. $72l 262
The townspeople would have their assess
ment reduced as follows:
Assessment on bank stock, etc.,. 1888 897
structures ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 314 ,Oel
Aotai OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. .S6o1, Vl
Therefore, the townspeope would have
their assessment reduced 1862 SOL and pay
taxes on only $442,O7o, while the farmers
would have their assessment reduced $72O.-
066 but still pay taxes on $1.9S4, $50
But the reduction of the assessment does
not mean reduction Of the taxes. The
state, county, municipal and township taxes
must be paid just the same: and the bur
den taken off personal property and struc-
lures must go upon the land This being
the case. which will pay the most-the city
and village people with $442O72 of land, or
the farmers with 81, 1884, go? AS $442,O72 is to
$l.9S425O so will be the increased burden of
the townspeople to the increased burden of
the farmers. And behind all this the lands
Of Clay county will have to pay their share
of the million dollars now collected from
railroads and corporations; and the half a
billion dollars of taxes year derived from
imports on foreign goods-for part of the
single tax theory is absolute free trade and
direct taxation to support the national gov
ernment.
1t is true that in this state the assessed
valuation of the city and town lots is four
times as great as the structures; but that
is due to the spreading out of our great
cities and the covering of tens of thousands
of acres of farm land with additions, far
beyond the demands; of population. But if
Mr. Buell. will turn to page so of the Audit
ors' Report for 1892, and will deduct the
| assessment of three chief cities of the state,
Minneapolis, St Paul and Duluth, and con-
fine the comparison to the numerous
smaller towns and cites, he will find that
the improvements worth more than half
the value of the lots. The improvements
are So, 800, 4S1 and the lots $42 0S4 &c. And a
great many of these wildcat additions, if
the single tax was applied to Them would
be found to be worth less than the tax.
and 1t would have to fall eventually on the
farms The truth is that many of them
have already fallen into the hands of the
state for the personal tax and will have to
be vacated and turned back into farm lands
and their sham values will disappear
[. d.