The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-07-31
AN INCREASE OF 500. 600 600.

The Total Increase in the Valuation of
" Property in the State This Year Will
be Close Around 100000, OOO-A Re-
duction in the State Tax Rate
I'VE are going to see great in
crease in the general valuation of the
State this year," said State Auditor
Dunn last evening. 'Of course, it is to
early to pretend to give any exact
figures, because the county boards are
just now in session, but from what I
hear from all parts of the State, am
convinced that the total increase will
not be far from 800, 100000.
IF this expectation is realized, it
means that there will be substantial
reduction in the State tax rate. Here
againqsit is too soon to make positive
promises, but the cuttwill probably exs
coed one-tenth of mill and may be
as much as two-tenths of a mill on the
dollar. We have been reducing the
tax rate for years, and T expect to see
a further reduction before the close of
Gov. Van SAINTS new term.
''St. Louis county has just given the
lie in a very forcible and satisfactory
manner to the charge that it is under
the heels of the iron barons,' contin-
ued Mr.. Dunn last night, after his re-
turn from Duluth, where he has been
watching the outcome of the struggle
between the St. Louis county board of
equalization and the owners of the
mines in that county.
''The county officials, of their own
motion, have raised the assessment on
the mining properties from about
S12, 100000, the figure for last year, to
$50, 154, 900, an increase of more than
$50 per cent They have done this in
the face of strong opposition, but they
have done much towards putting both
their county and the State on better
financial basis. -~Their action, more
over, will put an end to the agitation
for a tonnage tax, which has been
urged for years, because the State will
get more on the new valuation than it
would receive from the tonnage tax at
the highest rate ever proposed by the
advocates of that measure.
1.-The assessment of the iron proper
ties at $50, 100000 is, in my judgment,
very fair step, and the county board
is entitled to great credit for it's wise
and dignifed action. I say dignifed,
because the commissioners might have
put the assessment at fifteen or twenty
millions, and then it would have been
up to the State board to raise it. This
would have compelled US to 90 to q
great expenditure of time and money
to get together the necessary data on
which to make the Individual assess
ments. There would have been bills
for expert testimony, and you know
experts don't work for their health.
The St. Louis county board has saved
US all that trouble and expense, and its
action is better for all concerned, even
for the owners.
THE St. Louis county board con-
sists OF seven men, all of whom are en-
titled to credit for this assessment, but
very large share of public commend
alton is due to County Auditor Oldin
Haldin. It is to these men that I want
the credit to go. I claim none of it
for myself, beyond the fact that made
it known that if the county did not
raise the assessment, the State would.
The action of the county board" con
tinued Mr.. Dunn, ''meets with en-
thusiastic approval among all classes