The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-13

their owners 1t would seem that the
town is supplied altogether with Wa
terbury watches and nickel alarm
clocks. An average increase Of 26 per
cent was agreed on to apply to this
item, and the average value of the
watches and clocks Is now officially
stated at s11.76.
The source Of the joke about the girl
Who fflanages to get suoh fearful sounds
out of the piano was also aScertained.
From the estimate of value placed by
the owners of these instruments 1t is
evident that an ordinance should be
passed to prevent the girl next door
from playing ION the Banks of the
Wabash" for more than three hours
each day. The instruments were re-
turned at an average of little better
than $40. There were only few doz-
en- of them in the town 1T appeared,
and the whole item was given a raise
of 10 per cent, placing the average
value at $7S.S0-the so cents to stand
for the music rack and stool.
There are still malodeons and organs
in use, 1t appears, from the returns,
and the modest individuals who have
to be satisfied to have their souls har-
rowed by that sort of music tried to
convince the assessor that the instru-
mentS were worth about SIS each. The
board helped to brace them up by
adding 10 per cent. The owners Of
wagons and carriages of all descrip-
lions will have to pay 10 per cent more
than they contemplated, for the whole
list was lifted just that much-leaving
the average Of all vehicles, graded
from the Cedar street express wagon
to the gorgeous brougham at SASH.
The board went in for some large
individual returns during the day, but,
although this is the last day upon
which legal revision of the assessment
roll can be made, nothing was done
in the important matter of the street
railway company. A member of the
board said that, Of course, some atten-
ton had been given 1t by the board
If there has been such consideration,
1t has been gone into in executive ses-
sion. The assessment was not provid-
ed for, and will be disposed of at to-
days meeting by simple motion to
make the amount so much. 1t is pos
Sible that there will be some members
in opposition to this proceeding. 1t
Is known that at least one member and
possibly two, will be inclined to go into
the matter Of this assessment very
thoroughly and that may force a
discussion.
The brewers came in for hearing in
the afternoon, but there were few per-
soral appearances and the board was
guided to a considerable extent by the
figures of last year and the returns
for this year. The hrewerieS and
brewers agents will have to settle for
tfeir share of tax on a total of $4,000
OF this total the Hamm plant is put
in at $4,000, the Pahst agency at $15,-
0O0 Schlitz, $500; Yoerg Brewing COM
pany, $500; Val. Blatz. $4,000; Brugee-
mann, $4,000; brewery & Son, $4,000; st.
Paul Brewing company. $4,000; North
Star, $4,000; Funk Brewing company,
$1,000; Emmert, S4,S50; Lemp, $4,000.
These had all been gone over separate
ly and the lot were passed in bunch
The National Biscuit company had
been raised $4,000 on the return, and
the officers of the company came in
with a protest that they backed up
with a specifically itemized sworn
statement. The board took off the $780,
900 and let the trust off with an assess
ment of S27,500
The coal companies were not easily
disposed of. There is always a sus-
picion on the part Of the board that the
coal man is a difficult customer. The
members Of the board gave it out that
1t was clear that there was a combine
and that the companies traded with
the people, from whom they bought to
shift their stocks about so as to beat
the assessment in various localities.
Assessor Seng said that the best evil
dence he knew Of a combine, was in
the fact that If an Individual or a
small dealer tried to get cars to ship
fuel in here he would find it impossible
Mr.. Seng had tried to get a car OF
wood in and had to give it up. The
coal companies were due to have thar
returns raised and they were not dis
appointed They sent in representa-
tives some Of them to protest, but the
protests were generally Intellectual. The
uEanimity with which the companies
had acted in pushing down the figures
on their stocks and the assiduity of
the board in pushing up the values
Of the stocks is shown in comparison
between the assessment of last year,
the return for this year and the figures
at which the board finally placed the
current assessments.