St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-11
THE NEW VALUATION,

The method by which it is proposed
to revalue property in st. Paul, which
was presented to the public in yester-
days G l b e, was explained in great
er detail last evening to the citizens
advisory committee. On the face of it.
it appears to have the merit of exact
ness and as near mathematical &C
curacy as can be reached in a matter
so complicated and so beset by differ
ences of conditions as the assessment
of real estate in any large city. When
ever a new assessment is to be made.
there are but two methods of going
about it. The one is to take the old
rolls, note where property has fallen
off in value. deduct an arbitrary
amount until taxation will bear more
fairly upon it, and add an equal
amount arbitrarily to the valuation of
some other tract This is the practice
that has been followed in the past I'M
til our assessment has become unequal
and unfair. The other is to make an
entirely new valuation of all real prop
erty in the city; and this involves not
only an amount of labor but a bal
ancing and harmonizing of conflicting
opinions as to value that is simply ap-
palling.
The people of st. Paul who are prop
erty owners and tax payers demand
unanimously a complete revision of the
assessment lists. 1t is now admitted on
all sides that our valuations are too
high, out of all proportion to those in
the rest of the state, and also that they
are inconsistent with the commercial
values of the property. Much real es-
tate is assessed for more than its sell
ing price, and the public will not toll
crate the continuance of an assessment
system which imposes such hardships.
1t has therefore been determined to
make new valuation, from the be-
ginning, if possible within the allotted
time, of every piece of real property
within the city limits. The city asses
sor, with the advice of the citizens
committee, has enlisted the aid of Mr.. w.
A. Somers, who has begun work upon
lines Of his own, which we have al
ready indicated. If the outcome of this
is to secure an assessment that will do
equal justice to all property holders.
and reduce valuations to a reasonable
figure, it will be a gain not only for
fairness but for the whole city, whose
prosperity has been much retarded bv
inequalities of taxation.
Briefly described. Mr.. Somers' sys-
tenn starts with the valuation of a lot
30 feet in front by 100 feet deep in the
business section and $50 feet deep in the
residence districts, situated in the mid
die of the block. The confusing ele-
ment of the extra value added by loca-
ton on corner having been elimi-
mated, it is believed that such a valua-
ton can be made as will be agreed
upon as fair by all parties. From this
basis as the unit, the values of all other
lots in the block are calculated by
means Of diagrams which have been
constructed on mathematical PRINCIPLES.
These make the matter of valuation.
after the unit has been determined
no more difficult and much the same in
method as the finding of interest on a
given sum for fixed period by means
of set of interest tables. Differences
In the topography of the property hav-
ing been sent in by field men, and the
value of the Improvements having been
estimated. it is thought that a revalua-
ton may be arrived at by the first Of
July which will be generally accepta-
BILE and far more accurate not onlv
than any that we have ever had, but
than any reached in the other cities of
the country.
1t remains to be seen how far the ac-
knowledged difficulties of the work. in
agreeing upon the value of one lot in
each block front, and in valuing irreg-
ular plots, can be overcome But the
plan is certainly promising, and in
fnitely better than the hit-or-niss.
happy-go-lucky practice by which as