The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-15
OPINIONS
On TAX BILL
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS
COMMENTED ON BY PROMINENT
TWIN CITY CITIZENS
D. R. MOVES ADVISES CAUTION
Says INSCRIPTIONS Citizens VIII Tn
doubtedIy Find Means to Evade
1t, to the Detriment of
Honest Men.
IS FAVORED IN MINNEAPOLIS

T e Gl b has endeavored to ascer-
tain the views of a number of the lead
ing business and professional men in the
Twin Cities regarding the report which
the tax commission submitted to the gov
ernor a few days ago. 1t has found, how
ever, that owing to the voluminous char
acter OF the report and the Importance
OF the question treated that most of those
approached were not prepared to give
their views at present, saying they had
not yet found time to peruse it carefully
and thoroughly digest its contents. Be
low will be found the views of some of
those who did express their opinions:
d. r. Noyes said: mo more important
matter for consideration has come before
the people of the state than the proposed
new state law for taxation 1t looks TO
me as If very carefully prepared ana
the result of much thought and study.
/ thlnk the work has been done by good
and competent men. 1t bears every marx
of faithfulness and care, and yet, | am
by no means sure that we are ready for
it. If it's objects, the taxation of all prop
erty, could be attained, and everyone
could make a tax statement showing in
full all his property, it might by the re-
duct1on Of the rate and by the correct
ness OF the list, prove a wise and bene-
f1cial law to all.
But human nature is the same in Min
EeSota as elsewhere, and the first point to
be considered will be as noW-hoW to pre-
vent unequal, and, therefore, unjust, tax
alton. An honest man making a complete
list of all his property at the present
time (and the law demands this) would
be most unfairly taxed, or be sent home
by the assessor himself with directions to
comply with the law as others are doing
1t is just as much a principle of law that
all shall be taxed equally as that all shall
be taxed fully.
Il have gone over this law carefully,
and some portions more than once. 1t is,
like all such laws seeking to enforce a
principle not fully recognized by many
as binding upon them a severe statute
in the power that 1t gives for search into
private affairs, and if administered harsh
". would be simply crushing to the bust
ness community While 1 would like TO
see all property reached and taxed equal
ly and fairly, do not believe that 1t can
be affected by this law, carefully framed
as it is. Some means of avoiding it's
provisions will be found not only by the
unscrupulous, but by honest and good
citizens, who feel that in It's practical
workings it bears more heavily upon
them than upon others.
Likely to Pc Modified.
''I am very much inclined to think that
the proposed statute will be greatly mod
flied before it becomes law, and that
the opposition to it will not be confined
to the unintelligent and unscrupulous, but
that the lear of it will cause many OF
cur best citizens to oppose it in its pres
ent shape.
IT dc not wish to appear opposed to any
wise and carefully prepared law to secure
the fullest possible listing of property.
1t is the ideal plan that all should be
listed, but l would like somewhat more
assurance that such a law as this, pre-
pared with care as it is, will not bear
unequalIy upon our taxpayers in it's ad-
ministration. Its possibilities of ineQual-
ity in its administration, are in my opin-
ion, very great.
"While the idea of the state board OF
review is q good one, yet / confess to
liking for the comfort one finds in the
name, if not in the actions, of our state
board of equalization"
Auditor Dunn Favors Bill.
State Auditor Robert c. Dunn, than
whom there is no man in the state bet
ter posted on the general subject of tax
alton, after a careful perusal of the re-
port of the tax commission, gives his
hearty approval. Mr.. Dunn says:
tI have read the report of the tax COM
mission twice, and it is what / expected
OF them. 1t is strong document, and
have very few changes to suggest There
are some things I do not quite agree
with, but I am going to talk them over
with the members of the commission be-
fore I make up my mind fully.
81 have suggestion to make to the leg
islature With all due respect to the
members of that body, it must be ad-
mitted that none of them, and, in fact,
no one outside of the tax commission,
knows anything like as much as the COM
.missioners do about the problem of taxa
ton. If the legislators go to amending
that bill to suit their ideas, they are go
ing to spoil the whole act unless they do
it intelligently Now I would suggest
that the legislature secure the attendance
of the commissioners at the capitol dur
ing the session and confer with them re-
garding all changes. The commission has
finished it's work and no longer exists,
but 1t would pay the legislature to pay
them SIS a day if necessary, to help them
in an advisory capacity.
There are a few changes that would
recommend from my experience. They
have re-enacted the old law limiting the
tax levy for county purposes. There
should be a limit, but it is placed too
low on the poorer counties. The limit is
mills in counties with an assessed val
ulation Of 81, 600 COO to $20O00,O00 That is not
enough for counties from NoU,VV0 10
S., ,00O0o0 In a county of $1,100000 valua-
ton it will only raise $500 for county
purposes. That is not enough. 1t
hardly pays the county officers. The limit
should be 10 mills for all counties
with less than s5,O0O,OoO valuation.
II favored keeping the state board Of
equalization, but that can't be done un-
der the system they have worked out, and
l must admit the truth of their argu-
ment for abolishing the board. The local
representatives are continually trying to
keep the assessments down in their local
tiles The meeting of county supervisors
with the state tax commission is good
thing. The expense Of this meeting
should be paid out of the state treasury,
| though, and not by the counties.
1.-The permanent tax commission is a
thing we need. 1t will take considerable
responsibility off the state auditors Office,
especially in the matter of attachments.
The permanent commission will keep the
laws up to date, too, and there will be
an end of haphazard amendments to
the tax laws, which throw them in con-
fusion. The tax commission will know
from their experience just what is need
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