The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-27
JUSTICE PAYS.

we had occasion to refer few days
ago to the admirable work done in
this city by those in charge of the re-
valuation of real estate. Everybody is
satisfied and gratified at the result. be-
cause the work was governed from first
to last by a single desire to do JUS
tice to everybody and to apply scien-
t1fic and impartial methods to the new
assessment. The point is emphasized
by contrast with the condition Of af-
fairs in Minneapolis. We quote from
the Minneapolis Journal:
The taxes of every owner of buildings in
Minneapolis will go up
instead of helping along the people who
nave made Minneapolis what it is by building
up The city the revised assessment will in
crease their burdens
AS a rule MINNEAPOLIS does things better
than St Paul, but in the matter of the re-
duetion OF the real estate assessment the
elty down the river has come to the front
III a very credltable manner. st. Paul has
secured big reduction on its real estate val
uauons, but it is distributed over both kinds
o. real estate namely, lands and structures,
while the Minneapolis reduction is confined IN
a. large and sweeping cut on land values
alone made by the city board of equalization
at the eleventh hour and ratified by the
state board.
.sl As a result everybody, or nearly everybody
IN st, Paul Is satisfied. because the reduc-
tons there were made in advance by the
city assessor on the understanding that he
was 70 make big reductions in real estate
assessments to conform to the depreciation
or values. The reductions have been euuita-
bly, made and fairly distributed so that the
spuroens OF property owners of different classes
year.
j. In Minneapolis, on the other hand, there
Is great and general dissatisfaction. One por-
t uon OF the community is pleased at the ac-
tion OF the state board and another is frrt-
tated and even mcensed by it. The owner of
mousse which is worth several times the
value OF the lot has discovered that the re-
auction means that his taxes are to be in
creased this year while the vacant lot next
to his property will have it's taxes reduced.
The Justice Of this criticism is an
parent. Every canon of taxation is Of
Tended by increasing the burden on
improvements and lessening that on
land values. Even those who may not
be ready to go to extreme lengths with
Mr.. Henry George and concentrate all
taxes on land will follow him so far as
to say that to encourage speculation in
vacant lots and to discourage the erec-
ton of buildings upon them is the
worst possible policy for the commun
ity, as well as an injustice to the tax
payer. 1t is evident that a long legal
contest, together with other compli-
cations, will follow as the result of the
Minneapolis assessment, while there is
not, as far as we know, single dis
satisfied individual. in ST. Paul, al
though our entire assessment roll was
abolished, and new valuation placed
upon. every tract of real estate and ev-
cry improvement in this city. The
highest compliment that could be paid
to those who conducted this work and
to the business principle that for once
found expression in a municipal act is
contained in the comparison between
our new assessment and that of our
sister city, as set forth by the people
of Minneapolis themselves.