The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-19

affairs the board believed was not
fair. the concensus of opinion seeming
to be that, except in isolated cases,
perhaps, the valuations should remain
at least as high as they were two
years ago. Acting on this assumption,
the board took up the third classifica-
ton of realty, acre lands, and pro-
ceeded to adopt motion that, unless
good reasons could be shown against
1t, the valuations in each county be
restored to the figures of 1894. This
would have increased the assessment
for Anoka county about Is per cent.
The point was raised, however, as
to whether, when these acre lands
were thus raised, similar raise
should not be made in city lots, the
fact that acre lands exist Immediately
adjoining town and city lots in many
cases being cited in support Of the
motion. Quite an extended discussion
of this proposition, after conSulta-
ton with the rules laid down for the
instruction and guidance of the board,
resulted in a messenger being dis
patched for Attorney General Childs
to get his advice concerning the linn
itation of the work of the board.
The last hour Of the day was de-
voted to a thorough discussion of the
intricacies of the rules governing the
conduct of the state and county
boards, and the result was an opinion
that, strictly speaking, the board can
only increase or reduce the aggregate
value of the realty in a county, re-
gardless Of it's subdivisions for the con-
venience Of the assessor into acre
tracts, lots, and vacant or built-up
property. 1t was suggested, however,
that the board, in arriving at the
or xxyhi oh 5oS1f a,ir 20
the county valuations, might consider
the respective classes as tabulated by
the assessors, that being the most con-
ven1ent way Of getting at the facts.
Officially, however, the decision of the
board must be a raise Of the aggre-
gate value Of the entire county, and
must be uniform on all classes Of
realty therein contained. This is
based on the apparent assumption of
the law that when the county board
has finished with valuation, the VAL
uations of the respective classes are
just as against each other. The prov
ince Of the state board, in this view,
is solely to maintain an equity Of
burdens between the different coun-
ties.
The members of the board recalled
the action Of two years ago in relation
to the Hennepin county assessments
where similar change was made
and the people Of Robbinsdale took it
into the courts, worsting the board.
After arriving at this decision, the
board adjourned until $50 this morn
ing.
A lively days work is promised the
board when it reaches the assessment
In Minneapolis, or Hennepin county,
which ought to be Monday, after the
decision of yesterday. Since the board
has been at work on the personal prop
erty, it has elevated the Minneapolis
valuation over 81 100000, which has
eral public Of the Mill city, as these
taxes have for the most part been
confined to limited classes The banks
are liable on 100000 of it, while the
elevator men and the mercantile es-
ia ADJUSTMENTS were revalued with heavy
increase. The street railway company
also came in for share When the
up, the board will be visited by a
deputation from the local tax league.
an organization which has for Its
avowed purpose the reduction to the
minimum amount compatible with
efficient government of the rate of
taxation for local purposes. Opposing
this will be another element, which
insists that municipal improvements
there are stagnating by reason Of the
reduction of the valuation. The as
SCISSOR cut off per cent-of the amount
of two years ago, and the local board
of equalization Topped off 80 per cent
more, which brought the valuation
down to point just above that re-
quired to comply with the constitu-
tional provision that the bonded debt
shall not exceed 5 per cent of the
taxable valuation. If the valuation is
left where it is by the state board.
the city Of Minneapolis cannot issue
any more bonds, and the reservoir and
other public improvements contem-
plated must be left far short of COM
pletion.
Between these opposing forces, the
board Is booked for lively session.