The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-22
GUT IN REALTY VALUES
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION TAKES
TEN PER CENT OFF ASSESSED
VALUATION
PUTS IT ON MERCHANDISE
The Board Thinks Owners of Real
Estate In st. Paul, MinneapO-
lis and Duluth Are
Taxed Too High.

The state board of equalization yester-
day reduced the assessed valuation of the
real estate of Ramsey county 10 per cent.
Hennepin county and st. Louis county
taxpayers received the same considera-
ton at the hands of the board.
1T is the most important action taken
by the board in years. said a gentleman
at the conclusion of the meeting. 1T
not only means saving Of a good many
thousand dollars in taxes to the proper
ty owners Of the three counties, or Of the
three cities of st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Duluth, but 1t is a precedent that ap-
proves of the board reducing realty val
ues when it becomes evident, as it has
been for ten years, that the owners of
real estate In these cities are compelled
to pay more than their just share of
taxes.
For years the people of ST. Paul who
own real estate have been compelled to
pay taxes on a valuation higher than the
porperty would sell for cash. 1t WASH
right, but none Of the board have ever
felt inclined to lessen the burden be-
cause If the valuation were lessened on
realty it would have to go up on per
sonal assessment. The friends of per-
sonal assessment were in majority, and
no change was made till this board de-
clded to raise the personal assessment,
and the result is a decrease In realty as
sessment''
The real estate owners of the Twin Cit
les are probably under obligation to Mr..
Mischief, Of Duluth, for this reduction.
He believed the real estate of Duluth was
assessed too highly. But to reduce it it
was necessary to raise something else,
so he favored raising the personal as
sessments, although the amount now
paid in Duluth Is heavy. When the board
had decided upon a 10 per cent raise of
merchandise. then Mr.. Mischief asked
for 10 per cent reduction in realty for
st. Louis county, and the board granted
it.
Mr.. Mcmillan, of Minneapolis, objected
to the raise in schedule 16, but as the
board decided that personal assessments
must go up, he then asked for the like
reduction for realty in MinneSpolis. The
board granted that.
Then it was up to Mr. McKibbin. of st.
PAU. He, too was opposed to raising
the assessments of merchandise, and
wanted the matter reconsidered and the
increase cut to per cent The board
wouldn't agree to this.
Ii EN- McKibbin, thinking this manifest
~ unfair, wanted to know why there
shouldn't be a reduction in the SANITY
City also. Some one thoughtlesslv
dropped the remark that st. Paul had
already been acted upon. Instantly Mr..
Mck1bbin got out his hammer and tongs
with the purpose of making feathers fly.
and they did fly, for in another half min
ute the reduction on st. Paul real estate
was agreed upon.
This means considerable for st. Paul.
The total value of the real property as
returned by the assessors Is SIS, 74S. $40.
The value of the real property in Min
neapolis is $9S039,42 A 10 per cent re-
duction was also agreed upon for Duluth.
The property is valued at SIS, 327, 1885,
In Sank Center (Stearns county, as
sessments on elevators were raised 10 per
cent and reduced on goods and merchan,
disc 10 per cent
The following changes were made yes
terday in acreage assessments in differ
ent counties: Brown, Chisago, Dakota,
Jackson, Meeker, Mile Laos, and Wa
dena, per cent raise: Anoka, Lion, Pine,
Yellow Medicine and Scott, 10 per cent
raise; Morrison, Is per cent raise; Pipe
stone, 40 per cent raise; Dodge and Lac
qui Parle, 5 per cent decrease.