Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-03-30

lnQucemenC IS there for an individual
to pay his taxes promptly if his
neutrality-suspicious. refuses to pay
his taxes for several years and then
secures an abatement of from 20 to
so per cent of the original taxes as
we'll as all the penalties and costs?
County commissioners have no pow
er under any circumstances to abate
taxes, interest, penalties or costs.
County treasurers cannot accept less
than the full amount of such taxes
interest, penalties and costs unless
the same have been legally abated
by the state auditor. Applications
for refundments will also be closely
scrutinized and none will be ap-
proved by this Office unless it is clear
ly shown that the applicant is en-
titled to it,
When the Pine Tree case was
before our county board
attention was called to this
circular, but they dismissed the sub
ject with the remark that bob
Dunn was not running Morrison
county" p
No one questions the right OF the:
Pine Tree people or any one else to5
seek an abatement of their taxes;
provided they can show that
they are taxed more in
proportion to their assessment
than others are taxed in the same
city or county. This they failed to
do. On the contrary it was shown
that their valuation was ten per
cent lower than other personal prop
erty in the city, viz: : The state
board OF equalization raised the
valuation OF all merchandise SO per
cent, while it raised the Pine Tree
but 40 per cent, or 10 per cent less
than other tax payers in the city yet
in the face OF this fact that the state
had favored the Pine Tree to this ex-
tent. Mr.. jacobson and the balance
Of the board recommended that the
remaining forty per cent should be
stricken from the tax rolls, thereby
reducing the Pine Tree taxes over
$1700, justitying this extraordinary
proceeding with the absurd plea that
some one up at Aitkin who was on
the state board chad it in for the
Pine Tree" Now if this man had it
in for the Pine Tree Co..; he must
have had it in for the rest OF the
tax payers Of Little Falls ten per
cent more. Another reasoni?) was
offered, lie. J. that the Pine Tree Co.
were assessed higher than other mills
in the estate, viz:-Minneapolis, Still
water. Brainerd and other points.
This may be true. but what has this
to do with the taxes in Morrison
county? Conditions might not be
the same at those places. The Eonly
point in this controversy having
weight is this: We're the Pine, Tree
Company. paying more taxes,
according to their assess
ment. than others in the city we're
paying? Certainly not. In fact. the
Pine Tree Co. paid taxes, thanks to
Mr.. jacobson. ct al, on a valuation
OF fifty per cent less than the bal
ance OF the city. Therefore the peo-
pie arejustly indignant at the men
who transferred nearly $4,000 from
the shoulders of two concerns in the
city to the taxes OF the balance of
the citizens. Whether they did this
through ignorance or otherwise, is
no matter, for in either case they
cannot escape condemnation for
these questionable proceedings.
c. D. Boom.
[NorE-In Justice to Mr.. Lakin, OF the
County Board, it must be said that he
was not present at the sessions OF the
County Board when the matters men
! toned by Mr.. Boom came up. Mr.. La
kin was laid up for some time, owing to
an injury received while working in the
woods-ED1roR.]