The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-15

Are Assessed at Two DOllars ana
Upward.
1t is pretty generally understood among
| the members of the board that quite an
extended inquiry will be instituted into
the returns made by the jobbers. A men,
Der of the board said yesterday: Il have
no direct knowledge that the jobbers OF
the twin cities and Duluth are not taxed
upon a fair basis, but there Is feeling
| through the state that the country mer-
! chant pays more than his share of the
| tax. Country merchants are taxed on
a basis of about one-third the value Of
| their stocks and it has been said that
the jobbers do not pay anyways near
this figure. have heard 1t charged that
not over ten per cent of the actual value
of the wholesalers stocks was taxed, but
do not know this to be the case. There
is no antagonistic feeling among the
| country members of the board towards
the cities, and any investigation that is
| made Is merely with a view to getting
| at the true figures. We are representa-.
| tives of the state at large as we'll as
| our own districts, and it is our duty to
make as equitable adjustment of the as
sessment as 1t is possible to make"
Yesterdays sessions of the board were
dry and prosy, the little breeze of the
| day before passing off during the morn
i ing. The representatives of the three
| cities of the state having electric railway
systems agreed to ask for a statement
from the assessor giving the number OF
cars included in the returns made under
/ the head of "vehicles.'
| The value of pianos was fixed on basis
| of $40 and up. Some Of the country
| members thought the figure should be
| lower, as the instrument owned in the
| country was as a rule not as expensive
a variety as that listed in the city. Mr..
Fiddes theuht $40 none too high for any
one that could afford the luxury. AS no
maximum limit was placed the city peo
pie could be made to pay on basis OF
$1,000 for their music if the assessors
| thought the instruments worth that much
| money. The returns showed 1870 pianos
/ owned in Ramsey county and 6,142 in the
| other twin. The basis of valuation in st.
I Paul was SOL and in Minneapolis $3.50.
The figures were left substantially the
! same as last year.
| MelOdeOns and organs were left at last
| years figures, SIS and up. Beltrami re-
| ported three organs. Scott county also
reported very small number and Mr..
| Naehbar explained that the Germans
| down his way were not strong on organs,
| Oul lIiCS lido SOltlC pIlAt WlHIllil5 HOUISIS
The next item on the abstract was that
of sewing and knitting machines. The
rate last year was Sc to ST and that was
| made the basis this year, although M.
| Meighan thought the rate should be low
| ered his contention being that the p ice
of sewing machines had fallen consid-
| erably.
/ The total number of machines in the
state, according to last years report, was
| 1U3, 25S, at a ValuatiO of S731 $40
Hennepin county returns 1888 and
Ramsey 67,212.
Watches and clocks were rated at So
and upwards.
Today the board will pass to some OF
the more important items ON the sheet
The third item In order Is that of fran
,chtses, but owing to the request of the;
j governor to have this laid over the board
| will pass it until the chief executive re-
turns Stocks and merchants, unler
which the jobbers are assessed, will be
taken up tomorrow or next day.