The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-03
CARD FROM RAILROAD MAN.

CARD FROM RAILROAD MAN.
Mankato, Mimi. January 26. 1911.
TO The Free Press: Through the
columns of your valuable paper, if l
may be permitted, | would very
much like to air my views of the
method that is being practiced rela-
tive to the personal taxation" 1t
appears to us as though this might
properly be termed taxation without
representation" The assessor calls
at the house while the man of the
house is away, his questions are an
swered by the lady of the house. OF
| course the assessor could not ar
range his work so as to meet the
man of the house at home. If he did
his undertaking would be a long drawn
out task, but, as j understand it,
he is to exercise his good judgment
in enumerating the personal effects.
After this his work, as far as the
assessorship is concerned, is at an
end. He is not, nor do we hold him
!
board sees fit to change, but ne
should be held responsible if he does
not discharge his duty in an un.
biased manner, treating all alike in
fair manner. If party has tax
able property, | say tax it. and if a
party comes within the bonds of the
free limit" say give him the bene-
fit of that.
Now | have kept house for over
fifteen years. two of which have been
in the city of Mankato, and this is
the first time that | have been called
upon to pay cent Of personal prop
erty tax. 1t occurs to me that
have been very much moderated in
the past or that | have been very
much overtaxed this year. A $5.07
Increase at one time appears to me
to be a very large increase, and
when it is to be taken into consid-
Grafton that, outside of a new dresser
and a new bureau which did not cost
to exceed SIS, we have no more
personal property than we had last
year or two years ago, the amount
of $5.C7 We believe to be exorbitant
We would not feel SO aggrieved over
the matter if every one were served
alike, or in fair manner, but to
our knowledge people who own cost
ly musical instruments and furnish
ings as valuable, if not more so than
ours, are taxed the same rate as we,
we having no musical instrument
whatever, we feel that an Injustice
is certainly being melted out to us.
We have been told, but are loath
to believe it, that the equalization
board in changing the figures of the
assessor, when they come to a rail-
road man they Unfortunately raise
the figures. If this is fact l beg
to ask the justice of such a step.
The railroad man works as hard for
his money as any citizen, he, as
rule is not overpaid and it would
appear to railroad man" that he
should be entitled to as fair a treat
ment as taxpayer outside of a rail-
road position.
From remark dropped by the one
who called to assess my property
one might believe that it was a
crime to be a good hOusekeeper, as
he remarked: you keep things too
nice, and have things too nice, to
let you off without paying some
thing" Now we do not want to mis-
Judge the official do not know
as it was the assessor himself-and
possibly he did not mean anything
by this remark, but if such thing
be true. and we are penalized for
being good housekeeper" pre-
sumo we should feel complimented
to the extent Of $5O7, instead of
feeling aggrieved.
! 1t has been something of "seven
day wonder to some why the pop-
ulation of Mankato should have de-
creased since the taking of the last
census, it should not be when you
take into consideration the apparent
manifestly unjust, and absolutely I'M
fair method of taxation.
| would ask why the necessity of
an assessor if the board of equaliza-
ton raises his figures in nine cases
out of ten, as he claims.
My comment on this is that in
stead of offering inducements to out
siders to come here to live, you are
driving those already residents away.
d. o. Tenney, railroad man.
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