The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-27

board at the same time. The assessor
returned in his rolls to the board OF
equalization an assessed valuation OF
$4,000 as against the st. Paul Gas
Light company, the same being on per-
sonal property, franchises, royalties and
patent rights. The board of equaliZa-
ton, on the same day that it raised
the real estate in a certain district 20
per cent, raised the assessed valuation
of the st. Paul Gas cOmpany's fran
chise to $3.50, 900. On the same day the
board assessed the franchise of the
Edison Electric Light and Power COM
pany at $4,000 The attorneys of both
the Gas Light and Edison companies
as we'll as the officers of the corpora
tions, objected strongly to the assess
ment of the franchises, and the matter
was brought before the board of abare-
ment in January last. The board OF
abatement appears to have recognized
that a concession should be made IN
the valuation of the franchises of the
two companies mentioned, for the
abatement asked for was granted by
the Ramsey county board of abate-
ment This was all right so far as the
local board was concerned, but the law
provides that no abatement shall be
made without the consent of the state
auditor. Applications were duly pre-
pared, which set forth that the Gas
company, in making their return to
the assessor, did not make any return
OF value of any franchise, but sthat
the assessor did of his own motion list
as personal property certain franchises
OF the Gas company at $4,000 The
application Of the company further
stated that the board Of equalization
raised the assessment on this item TO
E25O,O0O. This the company claimed was
unconstitutional, for the reason that
hn 81
chises of other corporations, except the
Edison company and the Street Rail
way company. If allowed to stand the
Gas company claimed it would not be
legal, as there was no law for the
assessing of franchises, and that it was
In violation Of sections l and of the
constitution. The application sent to
the state auditor relating to the abate-
ment for the st. Paul Gas Light COM
pany was signed by Aid. BigelOw ana
Bell Assemblyman Thompson and
County Auditor Sullivan, by w. B.
Bourne, deputy auditor. All of the
signers were members of the board Of
abatement which had in August pre-
ceding voted to raise the assessed val
uation Of the franchise f Im 500. 900 70
S25O,OOO, with the exception of Deputy
Auditor Bourne.
The application for abatement of the
900 assessed on the franchise Of the
Edison Light & Power company was
also granted by the local board Of
abatement and sent to the state audi
tor The signatures on this abatement
were signed by Aldermen Bigelow and
Bell, f. b. DOran, who as mayor is
CHAIRMAN Of the board; Assemblyman
thompson and ID. NJ. Sullivan as county
auditor, by W. B. Bourne, deputy. The
application was based on the same
grounds as that of the st. Paul Gas
company, that there was no law by
which franchises could be assessed or
taxed, and if there were, other fran
ehises had been overlooked and for that
reason this discrimination made it void
state Auditor Dunn, when he received
the applications, did not follow the
recommendations of the local board of
Ibatement, but wrote ''Disapproved. r.
z. Dunn, state auditor on each ap-
plicatiOn and sent them back TO tb,1
county auditor Of Ramsey county. Thus
allowing the assessment to stand. This
hctlon was great surprise to the Off
Gals OF the company their attorneys,
and also those members of the board of
abatement who had approved of the
abatement. There were conferences
with state Auditor Dunn and a number
Df persons visited his office to induce
him to allow the abatement and ratifv
The action of the local board Report
has it that members of the city and
county government of st. Paul, took a
deep interest in the matter and it is
said County Auditor sullivan went to
The capitol, though not to the state
auditor, and asked certain officials. or
one official to use his influence with
Dunn to change his mind and allow
The abatement. IONS
State Auditor Dunn however. stood
firm and then it was that the point
now raised that the sitting of the
board of equalization was illegal IN
that it had exceeded the time men
TONED by the law first came up. To
the intimation that the action taken
by the board of equalization might be
taken into court and the entire lew
set aside, State Auditor Dunn is re-
ported to have said he didn't care if it
bnvalidated the whole St. Paul as
sessment it had to stand, unless the
Courts set it aside, and then they
would all have to pay double the taxes
next year.
Attorney Helm. seen yesterday, said
he was to appear before the senate
Judiciary committee today in opposi-
lion to the bill which sought to legalize
The illegal acts of the board of equali-
Eation. One of the property owners,
who is interested in having the 20 per
cent raise of valuation reduced, in
speaking of the matter yesterday, said
ne failed to see what difference there
was between the particular property
owners and the two companies which
had their valuations reduced by the
ocal board of abatement. The board
2ad abated the assessment on the
franchises of the Gas Light company
and the Edison company but when
the property owners asked for an
abatement the board could not hear
them.