The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-05-02
ments on all property belonging

ments on all property belonging
to all persons, corporations and
firms, they wanted all property as
sessed alike, without any variation,
List all property in your district,
said Mr.. McVey, "put your own
value on it and the assement is
made" If you don't use the full
value would suggest that you
use the straight forty per cent
value. If you use this on timber,
assess the fifty per cent value on
It wherever located"
Mr.. McVey said that we had a
serious situation here. The expendi.
ture of the tcounty exceed the
receipts. He was not interested in
the matter of making assessments
higher in this county in order to
fderive more revenue for running the
county. That was entirely local
matter.
At this point C. Christensen,
manager of the Evening News, got
into the conversation and the follow
ing colloquy took place:
Mr.! Christensen: Will you let
me call your attention to three
important propositions that I think
you have overlooked?
Mr.. McVey: What are they?
Nh. Christensen, Well they are
three vital propositions that affe cts
this county and the city of Bemidji,
namely: the assessment of private
railroads, the assessment of saw logs
and manufactured lumber. With
due respect to yourself and the tax
commission wish to call your atten.
ton to the three matters that ]
believe that you have overlooked.
Mr.. McVey: In the matter OF
logging railroads, the assessment
against the logging railroad is on
the basis of its vu]ue at the home OF
place where the logging railroad is
in. If the logging railroad is owned
in this city or any part of this
county the assessment should be
made against the parties where the
logging railroad is owned, and if the
logging railroad is not owned in
this county then the auditor here
should send to the auditor of the
county in which it is owned state.
ment so that it can be taken up
there properly and assessed where it
should be assessed. ..@,
Now in regard to logs, which ap.
pears to be of course necessarily one
of the problems that you have here:
The assessment of logs, if the logs
are going out of the state, if they
are cut and going out Of the state,
then the assessment is against the
logs wherever they are found, on the
part of the owner. If the logs, how.
ever, are going to be manufactured
inside of the state, then the assess
ment is against the owner at his
principal place of business; that is
the law, and the rule and the assess
ment should be made against logs
or against railroads or against any
other property, mill property or the
like, should be on the same basis
and in the same way as other pro
perty is assessed.
| No exception or exemption should
be made on that account and the
assessment against logs should be
made on the bias of the value of the
logs. Now if you should ask me on
what value they should be assessed ]
couldn't tell you for the simple reason
that logs vary as much as horses
they vary as much as houses they
vary in their location, and they
should be assessed wherever they
may be found, so that the assessor
must make the assessment against
them on the bias of their value, and
that is fifty per cent of their value.
Mr.. Christianson: Are all logs
manufactured in Beltrami county
assessable in Beltrami county?
Mr.. McVey; Yes sir, if their
owners have their principal place
of business here.
Mr.. Christlanson: If their office
is here?
Mr., McVey: Yes sir.
Mr.. Christianson: It their
office is in Minneapolis, where are
thew aSSeSSed7