The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-08
s $50. .......S144, 223, $40 s137,24O. Oe4
State Auditor Talks.

c. M. Sprague, chairman Of the board
caAed IL TO order this morning. and in
troduced State Auditor Iverson, who
serves on the board for the first time.
Mr.. 1verson read statement showing
the comparative increase in population,
assessments and taxes, from which he
adduced that personal property has been
paying less and less proportion of the
tax burdens. His address was in part
as follows:
With Your permission shall read you some
nsures bearing upon the assessments for the years
1850 and 1902 covering Il period of eighteen
years. Those years fairly rerre sent the drift
of personal property assessments in Minnesota
In 1888 the total assessment Of real and per-
amount of taxes levied for state, county, city
village township and school purposes was SIS, 1885,
so667. or $3.50 for ench inha bitant in the state
% th r, lime TO produce that sum an average of
In 1902 the total assessed valuation was $761.
s2o94G or $102s Tor each inhabitant To pro-
duce that sum an average tax rate of 24.3 mills
on each dollar was necessary. .I'~, = :
These figures do not include railroad and other
corporation taxes and fees paid directly into the
state treasury. =. r.. 80 ~ =
From 1885 to 1902 the total assessed valua-
amount OF taxes increased 100 per cent OF
the total taxes levied in. 1855 $3.50 900 was for
stale revenue purposes and In 1902 1t was $780,
600, an Increase of co per cent :.
Cur population increased from 1,117,79S to
about 1900, GEO., about 10 per cent, while
the number of individuals ssed increased only
W per cent, from l5o, ~ to 243, 6S5.
Taxes Increase Faster.
From these figures we discover that the total
amount of taxes levied the burden upon prop.
erty owners for the maintenance of the various
municipal corporations. Is increasing faster than
the increase In valuation or population This
very large charge should be under the constitu
tion and laws of our state, equally and uniform
~ distributed over all classes and kinds Of tax
able property.
Let us further examine the abstracts and see
II each dollar Of taxable property has equally
shared the public cost. Bear in mind that the
lied by state boards of equalization.
In 1856 the real property valuation was $31T
ons s64 and d.. IN ioos It was $647 654. 7eo an in
rolls in 1851 So, 72O,0f2. which was about q
per cent Of the total taxable property. 1t amount
ed to S74 for each inhabitant In 1902 persona
property represented only Is per cent of the tax
That was an increase Of $31 1884, 812 since 1885
or little less than 40 per cent. The per capt.;
valuation in 1902 was $6338, q decrease Of $1O.6
Tor each inhabtant,
Decrease in Per Capita.
We thus learn that between 1885 and 100
population In the state increased 20 per cent
number Of individuals assessed increased 80 pc
cent; all taxable property increased 30 per cent
total taxes levied increased 120 per cent; rea
property assessments increased over 100 per cent
personal property assessments increased only 4
per cent, and the per capita of personal propert
decreased Sit. 81. or 141h per cent.
Farm lands and city lots each show health
Increase In valuation In 1885 city and villag
lots with improvements were assessed at $t39
i an0o7s .ss and there ely, we're acres
$f.46 per acre. In 1902 city and village lot
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