The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-05-02
ASSESSMENT OF MINES.
assessors Receive Instructions as to How
& to Proceed in the Matter.

| rs W TOCetu la the MaCCcT.
Real estate is assessed this year,
aud the principal item of interest
about the assessment will be the valu
ations that are to pe placed upon the
iron mines says the Herald.
Since the assessments were made
two years ago, which placed the real
estate valuations at about 100000
on all the iron mining property of st.
Louis county, good deal of new light
has been thrown on the value of iron
properties, and it has been discover
ed that they have been getting off
with very light assessments in the
past.
This year there is a determination
| that the iron mines shall be assessed
ia such a manner as to bring them up
TO where they will pay the same pro-
portion Of taxes, as nearly as possible
that other property pays.
County Auditor Halden has begun
at the bottom of this movement by
issuing Instructions to the assessors
in villages and townships where
mining property is located, calling
! their attention to the condition, and
showing them their duty in the mat
! ter.
| THE circular letter that will be
given to each of them is as follows:
| 81 would suggest that it is the duty
Of the assessors Cf st. Louis county to
| Day more direct and careful attention
| Ia the iron mines and mining locat-
IONS of the Mesaba and Vermilon
iron ranges this year than ever before.
| "There are many pieces of property
that were assessed two years ago as
wild lands, on which iron deposits
have since been discovered.
"There are many pieces of property
that were assessed two years ago as
undeveloped iron prospects, that have
since then become shipping mines of
known value.
There are many mines that have
been shipping for years that, in the
absence of definite information on
the part of assessing officials, have
been very much uuder-assessed in the
past.
| ut is the duty of the assessors of
! So. Louis county to look into all OF
these matters carefully. When the
real estate assessment was made two
years ago. few people had any idea of
the actual value Of the mining prop
erty of the county. The result was
that all of the iron mines were asses
| sed at rat s far below those at which
other property was assessed.
1.-THE iron mines must be made to
pay the same proportion of the taxes
This year as other property. The
only way to bring this about is to
make their assessments on the same
basis and in the same proportion as
other property. The assessors, hav-
| ing the first review of this and other
property, will help matters immen-
sely by making proper assessments of
talI mining property. They have
access to tile same information as the
higher taxing officialals, and in many
cases their knowledge may be better,
| because Of ther being on the ground.
Where the value Of mine has be-
come known by The terms Of sale,
| lease or other transfer. this may be
used in arriving at the proper assess
ment. The mines should not be
assessed at more than their value,
| but they should be assessed in the
same proportion of their actual value
as other property, and it is common
knowledge today that they are not
now so assessed, because of the lack
of information that has been supplied
since the last assessment.
"The assessors can do much to rem
edy this, and it is their duty to do
what they can, honestly, fairly, i'm
partially and with regard to their
oaths of office. Very truly yours,
0. HALDEN,
County Auditor, st. Louis County"