The Irish standard., 1903-06-27
A TAX FARCE.

Liz SllCElll vi llclulSplu SOuulJ 10
playing the chief part now in little
farce comedy which has for it's founda-
tion the tax code of the state of Min
nesota. The tax code is the best in
that line produced by the statesman
ship of Minnesota i'll the past fifty
years. AS Il farce it is a glittering
success and the sheriff besides per-
forming the duty which the law puts
upon him is performing distinctive
public service in bringing forcibly be-
fore the public mind one Of the many
defects in our patch work of tax laws.
1t is the first time within our recollec-
ton that any attempt has been made
to distrain for the nonpayment Of tax
es OH household goods. Heretofore the
officials have seemingly been satisfied
to enter judgments against delinqucnts
which We're docketed in the Office of
the clerk of the district court, and
which were often never paid. The
officers of the law are to be commend
cd in their efforts to enforce the law.
But what shall we say Of a system of
taxation which works so inequitably
us our personal property tax? In the
first place our laws provide that all
property shall be assessed ut it's full
value except certain property which is
exempt from taxation. The statute
enumerates thirty different items or
classes of personal property required
to be listed. One of those items is
household furniture. 1t is not one Of
the largest items of personal property
by any means. The efforts at enforced
collection now being made in this city
are directed i'm almost every case to
taxes levied on household goods. This
class Of property produces no income
in and of itself. 1t is Il necessity Of
every home, but makes 10 money for
its pOssessOr. 1t is Il class of proper
ty which the poor must have as well
as the wealthy, and it is the one class
of personal property which is most
uniformly taxed. The great bulk of
personal property consisting of bank
stocks, moneys, mortgages. credits and
corporate stocks of all kinds escape
taxation entirely. These latter claS
scS of property produce incomes for
their posscssors and are the very cl;ls-
~ ,x,1,i,.h S.lnt11I fhn
bulk of the public burdens. The per-
sOnal property tax as levied anu col
lectcd in the state of Minnesota is II
rank failure. 1t is Il vicious tax be-
cause it is for the most part unasscss-
able and even when assessed is often
not collected. 1t is probable that the
personal property owned in Alinncap-
oils very nearly equals in value the to-
tai value of Minneapolis real estate In
any event the value Of personal prop
erty all over the country is Increasing
at Il faster rate than real estate values.
We have not at hand the last fiscal
statement Of Hennepin county but we
venture the assertion that the total as
sessed valuation of personal property
in the city of Minneapolis as assessed by
the assessing officers will not amount
to more than one-eighth or possibly
one-tenth of the real estate valuation.
We will further venture the statement
that we can name two dozens persons
in this city whose combined personal
property aggregates more than the total
assessed personal property valuation of
the entire city. Amy one interested in
comparing the real estate valuation
and personal property valuation can
easily do so by calling ut the county
auditors office and inspecting the last
financial statement or settlement. And
even this tax ON household goods which
| we are now making such fuss to col
lect is not assessed in an equitable
manner Run down the tax lists fol
the residence districts of the fourth
| fifth and eighth wards and it will be
| found that the assessed valuations diff
fer little from those made in the wards
| Of the city where laboring men reside