The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-01
AUDITOR KRAHMER
MAKES ANOTHER
POLITICAL MOVE
Would Raise 20 Per Cent Alas
sessments for Goods and
Merchandise County Asses
sor ConIey Gives His Opinion.

Twenty per cent increase on all as
sessments for goods and merchandise
is the most recent scheme of County
Auditor Krahmer for raising the total
of the personal property tax assess
ment. His plan also places manufac-
tured materials and manufactured ar
ticIes on the increased list.
Following his fruitless attempt of
Thursday to secure general increase,
Mr.. Krahmer yesterday made the prop
osition for the 20 per cent increase,
which would increase the total tax roll
81, 1885
The auditor feared that something
to increase the personal property tax
roll would have to be done, as much
property in lower town, purchased BIZ
the railroads, would shortly become
exempt from taxation under the gross
earnings law. e4s@
There is no cause to worry over
that this year." said Assessor Conley.
1.-The tax will be paid on that prop
erty this year and every year until the
tracks are laid on it"
ConIey's Assessment Satisfactory.
'Tt seems to be a pretty well ac-
cepted fact among the members of this
board that the assessments as return
ed by Mr.. Conley are as nearly correct
as they could be, and if there are any
changes made let them be made by the
state board of equalization" said May
or Smith. "The board has to go over
all of this work after We get through
with it,
st is the duty of this board to fix
the assessments as we think they
should be-" replied Mr.. Krahmer.
"The majority of the members of the
board apparently think they should be
left as returned by the assessor" sug-
gested another member of the board.
There is no use Of our assuming re-
sponsibilities we don't have to-" said
the mayor.
It was remarked by Assessor Conley
that it was rather peculiar that Mr..
Krahmer was making such light
against the merchants when none OF
them was present to care for his own
interests.
eff he was so anxious to make this
increase of 20 per cent" continued Mr.
Conley, why did he not bring the mat
ter up yesterday when Mr.. Lindeke
and a number of other merchants were
present. and when they could have
been called upon for explanations? 1t
looks as though the auditor would like
to push this matter. through. without
giving the merchants "a chance, and
then later, when the procedure is for
gotten, the raise could be charged to
the Democratic board.
Matters We're growing warm, when
Aid Dobner came to the rescue by
suggesting that the matter go over
until today, which was finally decided
upon by the board. 4rs
Declare Auditors Move Political.
Members of the board declare the
efforts of the county auditor to make
a 20 per cent increase in the assess
ment of goods and merchandise is in
line with his former attempt to in
crease all wholesalers and manufac-
turers, and that it is a political move
with an object of finding fault with
the assessor more than with the as
sessment. For this reason it is be-
lieved the proposition will be turned
down as was the first one
County Commissioner Pottgieser,
chairman of the committee on hotels
and saloons, objected to- the manner in
which outside breweries had been as
sessed. He said the horses of the
Hamm Brewing company had been as
sessed at 500, and those Of the Schmidt
Brewing company at $74, while those
of the Anheuser- Busch had been listed
at but $50, and those of the Schl1tz
company at even less.
The wholesale committee will inves-
tigate the matter.
County Assessor Conley said foreign
corporations usually had their ware
houses almost empty on May 1, when
the assessment is made, and the board
will ask the next Legislature to change
the law so that assessments may be
made at any time during the month OF
May. A law of this kind, would pre-
vent goods being removed from the
city Just before May. L. ~