The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-03
A BOOST FOR TAXES
The State Board Of Equalization
Takes Up Twin City Public =
Service Companies.
Assessments of the Two Gas Com
panies Are Raised-General
Electric Not Molested.

The state board Of equalization this
morning raised the assessment Of the Min
neapolis Gas company to 100000. an in
crease Of $150,000.
The st. Paul Gas Light company was
raised from S675,000 to 100000.
The Minneapo General Electric COM
pany was left at $589,930.
The street railway companies OF the
twin cities were taken up this afternoon.
State Auditor Dunn announced at the
noon recess that he would fight for total
assessment Of $70o0.0o0 He would raise
the Minneapolis Street Railway company
from $2.9O5,o65 to $4,132,SO0. and the st.
Paul City Railway company from 1885,
557 to 81, 755, 200, leaving the Saltwater line
at Sill. 1929.
The sub committee on franchises had
not agreed on report at noon, as to- the
street railway companies.
Governor Van SAINT, who returned this
morning from his drainage trip, joined in
the deliberations Of the board to-day, and
before the hearings made the board a
short talk. In the course Of it he said:
II believe these public service fran
chises should pay their just share Of taxes,
and hope that this board will be able to
arrive at fair assessment. You have
done some excellent things, and have
properly raised many classes Of property
and If you raise these franchises as I ex-
pect you will, you will only be acting
along the same line. They ought to be
raised"
Political Talk Dragged In.
The first corporation considered was
the st. Paul Gas Light company.
The franchise committee recommended
through Chairman Cooley an increase
from $675, 900 to 100000. No representa-
tive of the company appeared to protest,
and s125,000 was added to Ramsey
| county's assessment roll.
The committee recommended no in
crease in the assessment Of the Mime
apois General Electric company. State
Auditor Dunn protested and held that the
| assessment returned by the city asses
sor should be allowed to stand. This had
been reduced $4,000 by the county board,
leaving it at $569,930.
Chairman Cooley said that the raise
made over last year amounting to 48 per
cent was considered sufficient by citizens
| Of Minneapolis.
Mr.. Dunn said that the company had
81, 920, 900 Of capital stock outstanding, and
it should pay on a third Of that amount.
Mr.. McKibben of St. Paul said that the
committee report was fair, and he thought
ought to stand. The board might gain
some political capital by attacking cor
porations, and the temptation to do that
| was great.
Mr.. Dunn replied with some heat that
he had hoped politics would not be men,
toned. Il am not a candidate for any
office" he said, and don't know that
1 ever shall be. I only want to see these
| corporations pay the same as any one
else, and if you assess the farmer a third
Of his actual value, you should put the
big corporation on the same basis"
Emerson Cole of Minneapolis said it
would be to the best interests of con-
sumers to leave the assessment as it
| stands.
Mr.. Brainerd of Blooming Prairie and
Mr.. Palm Of Worthington upheld Mr.
Dunn's ideas. The latter said he could
not see why these companies should be
put on different basis from banks or any
other corporations
President Sprague said he considered
the raise made this year fair and suffi-
Client.
Mr.. Dunn called attention to the fact
estate.
The roll was called and the report Of
the committee was adopted IL to 8. Those
voting for the committee report were
Messrs. Johnson, McKibbin, Cole
Sprague, Greiner, Hodson, Cooley, Cor
don, Shook. Thorp, Anderson and Gov.
ernor Van SAINT.
Those voting no were Messrs. Law.
renee, Brainerd, Nelson, Laugen, Philley
Palm, Strong, and Auditor Dunn.
, Minneapolis Gas Assessment.
The committee recommended an in
\ crease in the assessment Of the Mime
apolis Gas Light company to s900,000 O.
$50, 900 more than the return of tn
county board.
w. H. Levings appeared for the com
pany. He said that the stock Of his com
pany did pay per cent, and that Their
was 100000 Of it. But applying MI
Dunn's reasoning, and deducting from
t $1.600, O00,-the market value of the cap
ital stock,-the value Of tangible property
3 the proposed assessment of 5000, 900 woul
be more than SO per cent, instead of one
l third. He said that the last years as
. sessment taxed them 4 per cent on thet
/ gross income and that a 100000 assess
= ment would put them, far beyond tina
rate, which should be the limit. Raisin
s it to $500, 900 would be a fifty per cent as
e sessment. Taking one-third Of the value
8 would reduce 1t below his voluntary. re
h turn Of 100000. He would like to kno,
$ by what method of figuring the board ar
d rived at a 100000 assessment. TIL
. company was charging just the sam
;. price, and paying more for its three item
of expense, coal, oil and labor. At tn
d end of the year the balance sheet woul
,, show that the company had done NOR
n business, and made less money than, eve
e before.
s Mr.. Lawrence Of Wabasha asked M
s Levings whether the total of stocks an
e bonds did not represent the value Of tn
y plant. Mr.. Levings said that it did no
that the bonds represented the comps
ny's capacity to borrow.
Chairman Cooley, for the committe
l. said that Assessor Fort had assessed tt
d company at $1,O99,0Oo, and that mar
IS citizens had wanted it restored to thu
2. figure.
Mr.. Levings said he would not prote