The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-09
Beginning at the Wrong End.

State Auditor Iverson yesterday eX-
planned to the state board Of equalization
that the tendency in this state is for per-
sonal property to pay less and less taxes,
while real estate pays more and more.
Eighteen years ago the personal prop
erty Of the state constituted p per cent
Of the property on the tax rolls; to-day
It constitutes only Is per cent Of the taxed
property.
Eighteen years ago the personal prop
erty Of the state, per capita, as returned
by the assessors, was s74; to-day the
tax rolls show that the individual In this
state has on the average only seS6s worth
of personal property.
It is true that the population Of the
state has doubled in eighteen years, but
It would be strange, indeed, II the value
Of the personal property owned in the
state had not more than doubled In that
time. Two decades ago Minnesota was
frontier state, largely inhabited by poor
people. Since then they have become a
wealthy people.
It is not strange, however, that as peo-
pie have become richer they have paid
taxes on less personal property in proper
tion to their wealth. 1t Is hard to con-
ceal the personal property Of a poor man.
There are his horses and his cows, his
machinery and his furniture. They are
not easily hidden. But when the number
of a mans articles Of personal property
Of tangible nature increase it Is not so
easy to keep track of them. To keep
track Of what may be called intangible
personal property is impossible. The In
dividual doesn't want to help the tax
collector and public opinion Is opposed
But taxes must be paid on something,
because the expenses Of government must
be met. So onto houses and land and
lots goes the burden of taxation. No
man can conceal land and buildings.
Let a man keep his money in the bank
at interest and he goes scot free of taxa
ton; let him build house with that
money and he is staggered by the taxes.
It is wonder that any money is put into
improvements under such circumstances!
The situation is bad enough, and tho
Mr.. Iverson does public service in en-
phasizing it, his remedy of increasing the
valuation of personal property returned
for taxation would not cure or even re-
lieve the trouble. All the state board Of
equalization can do is to say that such
and such goods in certain counties should
be returned at higher valuation. That
means that the man who Is 80 unfortunate
or so honest as to get his name on the
tax rolls for some amount, while his tax
lodging neighbor has escaped altogether,
must pay still more taxes because of the
neighbours lodging. To proceed in that
way to equalize taxation between real
estate and personal property is to punish
the righteous for the sins of the wicked.
AS good does sometimes proceed from,
evil, so reform may proceed from Mr.
VERSIONS method of whipping the gooc
because the bad have been bad. Smart.
ing under the injustice and not desiring
a repetition Of the vicarious punishment
the men who are on the rolls this yea
and suffer from strange system of equal
ization that increases a burden already
too large, may next year be keen-eyed tc
see that their lodging neighbors ar,
forced to take up a part Of the burden.
But even If some small reforms wer'
effected, what would they amount to-
The essential evil would still remain-ant
that IS the system of taxing persona
property. 1t is bound to fail under mod
ern conditions, and even If successful 1
would be unjust.