The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-07
STATEi[Ak BOARD
FACES A SHORTAGE
Personal fpperty Schedules OF
Minnesota Seven Millions
Less Than Last Year

The state board Of equalization,
which organized at the state capitol
yesterday, is confronted by a shortage
| In the personal property assessment as
compared with the equalization year
ago OF s7045,815, and Ramsey county
furnishes about So, 40O. zoe OF the short
age. c. M. Sprague, who was elected
chairman of the state board, yester-
! day said significantly that Ramsey
county would be required to make up
part of the, shortage.
The deficit in the assessment of
ramsey county is not hard to ex-
plain. III. w. Fagley, the Ramsey
I county member Of the state board, in
| an informal discussion of the situation
Yesterday after the adjournment of the
Eoard FOR the day, told his fellow mem-
bers where to look for nearly $4,000, geo
or the apparent loss we, have lost
| $l,ooo'e 300 in the assessment Of the
Northern Pacific property in this
| county, ne said, as compared to a
1 year ago. Then the St Paul Rapid
transit company returned its personal
property valuation at 100000 less than
| the state board equalized it az year
| ago, and there is a further loss Of $780,
goo In the item of household furniture.
Inc ramsey county assessor has re-
FUSED TO raise this class to the figures
that the state board left it at when it
| equallzed the assessment of 1903"
Raise Assessment or Tax Rate
! State board members called the at
tention of Mr.. Fagley to one of two
| things which must be done in connec-
| ton with the equalization of the RAM
sey county assessment. Either the as
sessment must be increased to approxi-
mately the figures Of year ago or
there must de higher tax rate.
There is class 49," said Chairman
Sprague to mir. Fagley. IF you will
look carefully you may find one cause
OF the shortage in the valuations put
on stocks Of. goods and merchandise"
Compare Them" Mr.. Fagley said.
Investigation will show that st. Paul
Jobbers and department stores put in
1 their stocks at the same figures that
/ the state board left them last year.
1 There has been no decrease in the past
| five years in the return on these big
stocks
Gov. Van SAINT called, the board of
| equalization to order in the Office of
the state auditor yesterday afternoo1l.
! All the eighteen members, with the
| three ex-officio MEMBERS were pres
ent except Hans Mo, of Sleepy Eye,
| and A. III. Fowler, of Slayton.a g. M.
/ Sprague, OF Sank Center, was nomi-
! mated for chairman by J. G. Lawrence,
OF Wabasha, and unanimously elected.
| j. I'll. Cooley. of Duluth, was chosen
| secretary and L, Fl. PhiIley, Of Louis
1 burg, was made reading clerk.
Spraeue Made Chairman
Chairman Sprague was authorized
in a motion made by Mr. Cooley to
| name the necessary committees, and
Mr.. Sprague VIZ. announce his COM
| number, and it is expected that the
old members of the board, because of
their experience, will be assigned to the
more prominent committees.
Gov. Van SAINT, when the board had
| completed it's Organization, briefly adj
dressed its members. The governor
expressed the hope that the work, OF
/ the board would result in the highest
| good to the people of the state, and
| that its members would recognize that
they were representatives of the en-
| tire state rather than Of the locality
In which they live. He hoped the re-
| suit would be equal taxation, for there
| Is no subject more important than
that.
L..
| governor promised to present matters
/ which he thought should receive the
year.
| State Auditor Iverson announced
that all the statements and figures
| necessary for the use of the board had
| been compiled, and this included spe-
c1al reports of the county auditors as
to banks, etc. He detailed Frank Prac-
| ma as a clerk from his office to act as
clerk of the board, and said he himself
would be at the service of the board
| at any time for consultation when
needed. ~
In assuming the chair Chairman
| Sprague called attention to the big
shortage in the personal property as
sessment. Sixty-three of the eighty
three counties, of the state had returned
their personal property assessments at
less figure than it had been left by
the state board of 1903, and there was
shortage of nearly seven and a half
millions.
Must Be Made Up
This must be brought up to the
figures OF the previous year." Mr..
Sprague said, and he suggested that
some basis of the valuation Of per-
sonal property be made from which
TO make the valuation. He suggested
oe per cent Of the actual valuation,
and On motion of Louis G. Nelson, Of
OWatonna, SO per cent was established
as the basis.
Mr.: Nelson said he had understood
that the. state auditor in his instruc-
tons to the county auditors had in
sisted on this being made the basis of
the assessments, and he supposed they
had done so.
Il md in my own county that the
assessors have forgotten their instruc-
uons,' Chairman Sprague said in re-
Spouse. 'They have done as they al
ways have done-as they please
The complete returns from all the
counties in the state have now been-re-
celved by the state auditor and show
the total value of personal property
OF the state as returned by the county
boards of equalization as $148,6S4181.
as compared to $156, 729, 996, loss from
1903 of 81, 045,S15.
The value of all real estate for 1904
was returned at 3652.797,7S3, as against
$647. 253. PSI for 1902 a gain in valua-
ton of $5,5a4,522
The number of persons assessed in
1904 was 26S,3D1, as compared with
1855 in 1903, a gain of 1915.
Inc average value of land per acre
without improvements for 1904 is 1888
as compared to 1902 of 50, loss of Z
cents per acre, and for land with inn
proyementsi the value per acre for 1894
is $1027, as against $1e.e9, an Increase
Of Is cents per acre.
Personnel Of Board
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