The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-10
Two Documents Are Submitted-A Compre-
hensive Report and Complete
Tax Code.
The Commission Was Hampered by Constitu-
tional Provisions and Recommends Re-
..movaI by Amendment.

when taxes are due is changed from Jan.
to Jan. Is.
An oath is absolutely required of each
taxpayer at the time he certifies to- his
list.
Publicity is attained, not through the
newspapers, but through the mails.
When assessments are reported to the
county auditor, he is to have the full list
printed, and mail it to every taxpayer IN
the county that each one may see what
his neighbors are paying. It is intended
by this that man shall be worth as much
to the assessor as he Is to his Dank, or
to the commercial agency.
All property must be assessed at It's
full market value. Any other method, the
report declares, is productive of inequall-
ties. This will increase the personal
property valuation many fold.
Corporations will be reached IN every
manner possible to exact the full valua-
ton.
First, exhaustive reports will be re-
quired, not only of the tangible assets, but
Of amount of business done, capitallza-
ton, etc. These will serve to inform
the assessing officers of the real value
Franchises Of gas, water, electric, heat
| ing, power, wharf and boom companies
will be assessed. The value of each will
| be reached by adding together the value
of the capital stock and the funded or
bonded debt, and deducting therefrom the
value of real and personal property. This
will, in effect, assess the companies on
| the market value of their stocks and
| bonds.
| The street railways wanted gross
| earnings tax, but are held to the same
system of ad valorem taxation, including
franchises. This will increase the as
sessed valuation OF such companies many
| fold. ~-..@
| Telegraph, telephone, express, sleeping
! car freight line and equipment COM
| panies will report direct to the state au-
| ditor, and will be assessed by the tax
| commission on the basis of the value OF
the capital stock and funded debt. This
| will then be apportioned to localities on
| a mileage basis. This is radical change
| from the present gross earnings system.
J The commission would have preferred
| to tax mines on their output but was
! obliged to adopt an ad valorem basis.
The assessment will be made, not by local
| officers, but by the state board OF review,
| which will be informed as to the actual
value of the properties and will assess
( them as real estate. The assessment may
be changed from year to year. however
With regard to the collection of taxes,
| the tax title shark is discouraged. Such
safeguards surround tax sales that tax
| title will be practically as good as
| warranty deed. Instead of selling to the
highest bidder, the sheriff will sell to the
person bidding the property in for the
amount charged, at the lowest rate Of in
| terest.
The machinery of the new act is not ex
pensive. The state tax commits
| sioners will each receive $4,000
per year. County supervisors of
assessments will receive 81 per day
for the time employed, except in counties
| of over $4,000, where they will be kept at
! work continually. These are the only Off
| Gals added.
Advance sheets of the report went into
! the hands of State Printer C. G. Whitney
! last evening. Bound copies will be is
| sued from the press Monday morning, and
will at once be mailed to all members of
| the legislature.
! In view Of the Importance of the
changes. there is no doubt about the
calling OF an extra session. After suffi-
cient time for reading the report and
forming ideas upon it, the legislature will
be called together to adopt or reject 1t.
The report of the commission and the
: proposed bill follow in full: