The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-25
STREET RAILWAY RULES
LEGAL ADVICE AND BOW
TO IT'S WILL
REDUCE ASSESSMENT $4,000
Mayor Smith the Only Member Who
Stands by the Work of the
State Board of Equal
izatiOn

The advice of County Attorney T. r.
Kane that the work of the state board
of equalization could not legally be WHIP
ed out, was thrown to the winds by the
county commissioners yesterday when
the matter of deciding-upon the taxes Of
the Twin City Rapid Transit company
came up for final disposition. The COM
pany originally paid taxes in Ramsey
county on an assessment Of $4,000. The
equalization board raised this to $4,000
The street car company decided not to
pay on the additional $1,000, and the board
of county commissioners, with the eX-
ception of one member, Mayor Smith
readily acceded to corporations arbitrary
position.
When the subject came up County At
torney Kane opposed any compromise or
reduction, saying that he could see no
reason why he should change his orig
inal opinion. which sustained the find
ings of the state board of equalization.
Attorney M. D. Mum, counsel for the
street car company, was granted per-
mission to address the board, and he at
tempted to explain why, in his judgment,
the amount fixed by the state board was
excessive. He regarded the proposition
submitted by the company as not only
fair, but liberal.
A resolution was then offered ACCEPT
it was adopted by vote of five to one,
Mayor Smith voting in the negative,
Commissioner James Powers not voting.
Those voting for the resolution were:
Commissioners George B. Whitehorne,
w B. Webster, Ed B. Lott, David w.
Gray and A. P. Wright
RUN FOR COVER.
Several of the members explained their
M Nam ,i-cic Tntf Ool incr oft
ton to the fight in the courts, and 10
the loss that would be sustained provid-
ing the company won it's suit In view of
the circumstances, he thought the COM
promise should be accepted and the
money paid at once, without taking the
chances of long and expensive hugation.
Commissioner Wright and the other
members favOring the proposition thought
that the amount offered by the company
was equitable, the impression being that
it was better to have the money at once
than to have it tied UP indefinitely.
AS result of the settlement the COM
pany will pay on an assessed valuation
of $1,600000, which does not include $685..
COO of real estate. The money must be
paid within FIVE days.
Commissioner Powers expressed a de-
sire to have the case against the 500
Railroad company for neglecting to re-
palr the tClCS street crossing, ana OCner
streets over which it's tracks run, prose-
cuted. The case was to have been taken
UP for trial yesterday, but 1t went over
until the fall term of court.
Assistant County Attorney O'Neill eX-
planned that it had been the intention to
bring the case UP at the present term
of court but the rush of criminal work
made this impossible. After some pleas
antries had been exchanged, the subject
was dropped.
A resolution appropriating 5000 for the
recopying of records in the register of
deeds office was referred to the commit
tee on records and reports.
Estimate No. l for 5000, in favor of
Contractor Donahue for work on the new
jail building, was allowed, and the Fer
restal company was allowed $191,50 in
partial payment for work in removing the
old building.