The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-15

For my part do not propose to say
that the best citizens of st. Paul are
all liars
This was the statement made at the
meeting of the board of equalization
yesterday by Assessor Confey in reply
to insinuations made by County Com
missioner Nash to the effect that the
assessments made against number
F of prominent citizens were too low
and that their returns had been made
with knowledge that they were too
low.
At the requst of Mr.. Nash the sece-
tary had read list of the assessments
made against a number of the citizens
of the Seventh ward and comparison
Of their taxes this year was made with
the assessment made against them
sessments were found to be lower this
year, but the decrease was explained
by Assessor Conley.
Mr.. Conley stated to the board that
where the assessments appeared to be
lower this year the difference was due
to the raises made by the state board
last year after the county board had
completed it's work.
Mr.. Nash thought it might be pos
sible that some of them had not dis
closed the proper amount of property,
and he desired very much to see the
taxes equalized between the rich and
the poor.
Mr.. Conley had made the assess
ment he thought proper and he could
not see why he should consider that
every citizen was telling a lie when
making return of his property.
The board decided to accept the re-
turns as made by the assessor and the
objection of Mr.. Nash was of no avail.
"a Ann eric Cy,1c Txxrir
pany, through it's attorney, appeared
before the board yesterday to ask a
reduction of the assessment on the
personal property of the harvester
plant of the company, located at Hazel
Park. The company had made re-
turn of $45,200 and it had been raised
to $4,000.
1t was explained that the harvester
company was a new concern, which
was obliged to meet the strong COM
petition of the International Harvester
company. The company had not been
paying dividends, and it was unjust to
raise its assessment such an amount.
The board allowed the assessment to
stand as it had been returned by the
company.
The asses sment of the Armour Pack
ing company was also reduced from
ST. 900 to $4,000. The assessment Of
$Il ,UUU was mace IdSC year WQen a
number of refrigerator cars were as
sessed, but the cars could not be as
sessed this year on account of change
In the law, and the board decided to
reduce the assessment.
There was some question in the
minds of the members of the board as
to who should be assessed for the old
Gedney Picking works, at the end of
the Wabasha street bridge. The plant
is now occupied by the st. Paul Roof
ing and Cornice company, but Mr..
Pruden, of that concern, did not think
his company should pay the taxes for
the reason that they had not leased the
property until May II, after assess
ment time. Prior to that time it was
occupied by the Gedney company, but
Mr.. Gedney objected to paying because
he did not think it fair to have to pay
on two plants when they owned but
one.
The board decided that the taxes
should be paid by the Gedney COM
pany, inasmuch as it had held the
property ON the LIST day of May.
A number of breweries were raised
small amounts, agreed upon some
days ago, and the Blatz Brewing
company was allowed a reduction of
$4,000.
The board will hold its last meeting
today and will, in all probability, meet
both in the forenoon and afternoon.