The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-11-01

secret sessions Of the board. in which
members OF Gov: Johnson's kitchen cabi-
net participated. it was finally determined.
for political effect. to increase the assess
ment of the iron mines Is per cent. Then
it was given out that the assessment of
the the steel trust had been increased $15.-
ton 1853 of the Revised Laws of Mime
sofa, which is virtually Chaper 1874. Cen
eral Laws of 1907. which I had placed
upon the statute books.
to appear and show cause why the assess
ment should not be increased? No! In
order to increase the assessment of the
mines every fcot 2f real estate in the as
sessment district In which mine was To-
Gated was increased IS per cent. The
state board maas a horizontal raise of IS
per cent of all the real estate in every as
sessment district in which a mine is To-
make livelihood for himself and family,
had his taxes increased. The assessments
of owners of every little dwelling house,
grocery store, blacksmith shop, boarding
house, etc.. were increased IS per cent. In
fact, gross injustice was done all small
property owners in Tower, Ely, Sparta.
Iron Mountain, Eveleth, Virginia, Hibbing
and every range town. The small prop
erty owners were already assessed high
enough, and Gov. Johnson's model state
board of equalization added IS per cent ia
their 5urdens!
The county hoard returned the mining
property at S61O00.0O0 the Is per cent
by the state board raised the assessment
$9,15O OGO and not S15.OO0.OOO as claimed
total for the iron properties in st. Louis
county of $40. 150, 900. The increase in the
value of the mines, even if made for po-
litical effect. was proper. But why add to
small property owners? Gov. Johnson
has Il liberal contingent fund at his dis
posal. Why did he not do as Gov. Lind
had done and as / had done when I was
~t0f1
formation that would enable the state
board Of equalizatio to act intellisently
and increase the assessment of each in
dividual mine the proper per cent without
was already assessed high enough9
An Incident Of the 1904 Campaign.
Two years ago the Twin City jobbers
and their employees We're largely arrayed
against me in my candidacy for the GOV
ernorshlp. The reason for their OppOs1-
ton I never could understand. AS state
auditor and as a member of the state
board of equalization I always endeav-
can truthfully say otherwise. In matters
pertaining to taxation my disposition was
and always had been to treat all inter-
ests fairly. Here is an incident of the
the benefit of my friends!-the iobbers.
Along about the first of September
things were beginning to warm up and
there was not a dollar in the treasury OF
prospects. from a financial standpoint
were discoura ging. The closing up Of Re-
publican Headquarters was seriously con-
templated. At this iuncture prominent
member of the committee, not a resident
of st. Paul or Minneapolis, said to me:
Bob, of you will give your consent and
let me have free hand. I will guarantee
to raise a campaign fund of $4,000 with
pose to do it, remarked. He answered,
II will go to every jobber in both cities
and tell him to cough up or when you
are governor you will appoint board of
him. immediately said. NO you can
not get my consent to any such scheme
l will not stand for it. That would be
Matchmaking. I doubt whether you could
obtain money in the way you suggest
but in any event I am unalterably op-
posed to your plan. I would prefer that
the headquarters should be closed and re-
main closed than obtain money to keep
it open in the manner you suggest
AT the time l told Mr.. Hamlin, chair
man of the committee. of the proposition
and my answer. and he heartily approved
of my action.
Favcritism Shown minneapolis Job
Now, without the slightest personal
feeling in the matter. 1 ask, why was
jobbers by GOV. Johnson's state board Of
equaiizatlon? Why was there a reduction
or SAT-. 429 in the assessment of the
wholesalers of Minneapolis?
me assessor of Minneapolis and the
board OF equalization of Hennepin coun-
ty made what they believe to be a fair
assessment of the wholesalers of Mime
apolis. but in secret session the state
board decreased the figures in the amount
stated Why7 If the newspapers of Min
neapolis are to be believed. the jobbers of
tilat city were never more prosperous
IMAM at present. If there is any class of
men who can we'll afford to pay taxes on
a fair valuation it is the prosperous lob
bers. Draw your own Inference But
pear IN mind that Mr.. Johnson is deeply
lnueoied to the jobbers of Minneapolis
and their employees for services rendered
MN TWO years ago.
The Decrease Contrary to Law.
Was the decrease in the assessment of
!.iitiI wholesalers in accordance
with law? I unhesitatingly assert it was
not. Section S35 Of the revised laws pro-
woes how personal property shall be list
ca TOR taxation. There are thirty classes.
be listed in class sixteen-the wording of
the classification is 1.-The value of goods.
e ana t other personal property
vision in the law for the subdividing Of a
class. SUBDIVISION of said section SG3
reads reads: They dhe state board) shall
take from the aggregate valuation of
ANY CEAsS OF property in any county.
town. village or city. which they believe
to be valued above the true and full value
in money"
Mark the words. ANY CLASS. No ref
erence is made anywhere in the law to
the subdivision OF a class. Goods and
merchandise in Minneapolis were re-
turned in two subdivisions as follows:
.Wholesale. $4.724, 295: retail. S3.52S, $685.
The wholesalers were reduced S4T242
and the retailers were left as returned
Subdivision I Of section SG3 expressly
prohibits the decreasing of individual as
sessments in these words: But the state
board shall not decrease any such assess
ment below the valuation placed by the
county board Unquestionably the state
board had authority to reduce all of class
1e-al goods and merchandise in Mime
apolls-but the board had no legal right
to reduce a part of a class in Minneap polls
or elsewhere. Reducing part of Il class
is reducing individual assessments.
The large and innunlerable small store
keepers OF Minneapolis who believe in a
square deaI' did rot get it from Gov.
johnson and his board Of equalizat ion in
the year Of our Lord 1906
The state board also reduced the valua-
ton OF real estate in Minneapolis to the
extent of $6,O17,235. 1t looks as if Gov
Johnson was, through his board of equal
ization, making strong bid for support
at the polls in that city on the 9Th OF next
month. Besides. the action of the state
board is a reflection on the local taxing
officers of Minneapolis and Henneoin
county.
The Famous Mineral Lease.
I. notice in Gov. Johnson's keynote
SDeerl, single referonca To Ey,;porol