The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-30
FARM TOOLS COUP
State Board Raises the Tax on
the implements.
Blue Earth County is Affected
BY the Increase.
Raise is Ten Per Cent; Others
Higher Yet.
Fifteen Per Cent Higher on
Threshing Machines.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
Much debate arose at the meeting of
the state equalization board yesterday
over the question of raising the assess
ments on farm machinery and tools.
Chairman Sprague suggested a raise
of 10 per cent over the 1903 valuation,
but this was objected to by other mem
bers of the board, who contendcd that
little new machinery had been purchased
during the past year by the farmers,
and that the machinery which they al
ready possessed had decreased in value.
Members from the southern part of
the state argued that farmers there
were largely raising corn, which re-
quired but little machinery, and that
therefore the assessment in that part
of the state, should be allowed to stand
as it was without being raised. On the
question of the sale of machinery III
1894, Mr.. Fagley, the St. Paul mem
Der, contended that it had been as large
as in any previous year. The Walton
wan county representative objected to
the increase of so pc rcent suggested for
his county, but the increase was voted
nevertheless. He said he would see that
the increase was abated before the board
finally adjourned.
The equalization was based on the
population, acreage and tillage of the
various counties. 1t was the intention
of the board to restore the valuation
on farm implements to the 1903 figure,
$477 ,O6S, at least, the 1904 returns
| from the counties showing a falling off
of about $25l, 376 throughout the state.
As they proceeded to equalize the vari-
GUS counties, however, the equalizers
found that where adjoining counties
showed very wide difference in valu-
alton which was not justified by condi-
tions, it was necessary to raise the low
which will bring the valuation on farm
implements throughout the state to
about Is per cent higher than 1908, or,
in other words, the approximate valua-
ton to be fixed by the board this year
will amount to 5,493,62S.
Nearly every county in the state was
|
raised from 10 to 100 per cent. The
counties and the percentage of increase
are as follows:
Itasca, 20 per cent? Anoka, 90; Bel
trami, 20; Big Stone, so; Brown, 20;
Chippewa, so; Clay, Is; Cottonwood,
&C 2-3; Dakota, so; Fillmore, %; Free
born, SO Is; Hennepin, 33 ID; Hous-
ton, Is; Jackson, 40; Kandiyohi, %;
LIE Sueur, 20; Martin, %; Meeker, so;
Morrison, %; Mower, so; Murray, 90;
Nicollet, 20; Mobiles, 20; Olmsted, 20;
Otter Tail, 25; Pipestone, 33 1-3; Polk,
20; Pope, &c 2-3; Red Lake, &C 2-3; Red
wood, 20; Renville, so; Rock, so; Sher-
burne, 50; Sibley, so; Stearns, 25; Stew
ems, 20; Swift, 100; Todd, 33 1-3; Tray
erse, 1907 Wabasha, So; Wadena, 20;
Yellow Medicine, 25; Waseca, Washing
ton and Winona, so; Blue Earth, 10;
Clay, Is; Crow Wing, 10; Dodge, s.;
Douglas, 10; Faribault, 10.
In all other counties not listed the
valuations were allowed to remain as in
1903. As rule, the valuation return
ed in counties which were raised great
ly, was small, as for instance, in 1tasca
county, where the valuation was raised
100 per cent, the returned valuation was
only $445. While the raise appears to
be exceedingly great the individual as
sessment upon the farmers will not be
much higher than last year.
The raise in the special class, in which
the threshing machines and engines are
listed, is as follows by counties:
Aitkin, 80 per cent; Blue Earth, 10;
Chippewa, 20; Cottonwood, so; Dodge
25; Faribault, 10; Isanti, 25; Itasca,
100; Kandiyohi, 10; Lincoln, 20; Mar
shall, 10; Pine, 80 l-3; Rice, Is; Wash
ington, 33 l-3; Redwood, 10; Renville
25; Rock, 33 l3; Sherburne, so;
Stearns, Is; Sibley, 80 l-3; Swift, so;
Todd, 10; Wadena, 20; Yellof Medicine
10; Anoka, Is; Beltrami, 80; Fillmore