The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-29
REAL ESTATE is CUT DOWN
sAVING FOR THE PROPERTY OWN
ERS OF THREE CITIES
OF $4,000
CORPORATIONS TO PAY MORE
time Owners Raised $4,000, and
the Street Car Company Must
Come Up With 100000
in Taxes.

The state board of equalization con-
vened on the first Monday of this month,
and worked every day, every night, and
at times during the noon recess, either,
generally, or in committee, until yester-
day. when they adjourned, subject to the
call of the chairman.
The practice has been heretofore for
the board to adjourn sine die. The
reason for taking a different course this
time, and not following the precedent of
former boards, cannot be conjectured,
except that since the year 1897, the state
board has the power and jurisdiction to
raise the individual assessments Of firms,
corporations and individuals. To act un-
der this new law judiciously, each intend
ed increase in assessment must be care
fully prepared like a case in a court of
law, and for such purpose it is necessary
to have facts, figures, and careful eX-
cuination beforehand.
WHAT HAS THE BOARD ACCOM-
PLISHED AT THE PRESENT
SESSION.
It passed successfully and satisfactorily
upon the valuation of some odd eighty
four counties.
1t reduced the assessed valuation upon
real estate in the cities Of Duluth, st.
Paul and Minneapolis ten per cent below
the figures returned by the county boards
of equalization of the counties wherein
those cities are situated. That was an
act of justice, 1t is said, long, needed to
be executed. 1t took courage to make the
cut but it was done without fear or IA
Gift hoc
over-valued, as is we'll known. This re-
duction should have been made by the
assessors or local county boards, but,
they did not have the sand to do So This
is saving to tax payers in those cities
of SAFE, 900.
The state board has increased the as
sessed valuation of the corporate stock
of the Twin City Rapid Transit company,
operating in Henuepin, Ramsey and
Washington counties nearly $2,0OO 000,
making the assessment Of the company
S4,60O,0G0, upon which it will be required
to pay about S120,000 in actual taxes, be-
sides the car license charges in Minneap-
oils and St Paul, aggregating 5000,
whereas. during the previous year that
company paid taxes and assessments-in
all $4,000
The state board has increased the as
sessment upon the mines in ST. Louis
county S1,6O0,0O0, an addition of $4,000 to
the county treasury of that county.
Among other things, the lumber and
pine dealers of the state were raised up
on their assessments.
The taxes of all the national, state and
private banks were satisfactorily adjust
ed.
Every city, town, village and county
and subdivision has been carefully ex-
amined, and the assessments thereof
equitably fixed to the satisfaction of the
tax payers.
Gov. Lind, chairman, ex-offiicio mem
ber of the board, long prior to the time
for the assembling of the board employ
ed able counsel to examine the assess.
ments of the mines, street railways other
corporations, and had competent men to
look into the assessments of real estate
in the larger cities, where it appeared
that the assessments have been made in
boom times, and We're based on inflated
values. All such work was laid before
the board and by them was carefully
gone over, with the results herein gene
rally indicated.
1t required men of character and abil-
ity to bring the matter to such success
full conclusion. 1t was the aim Of the
board to treat fairly the corporations
rich men, merchants, farmers and own
ers Of small homes
The state board of equalization Gov
Lind and Mo-itz Helm, who acted as
special counsel. are the ones to whom the
people are indebted for more equality in
the taxation Of the state than hereto
for existed.