Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1918-04-24
COUNTY ASSESSORS
met HERE TODAY
Continued from page one)

. seen that little over 6S12 per cent OF
your entire tax this year will be de-
voted to education and. to roads and
bridges. OF each dollar of taxes to be
paid this year in Marshall county, only
little more than cents will be spent
for purely state purposes. while 93
cents will be spent for education, roads
and bridges and other local purposes
II the state levy Of 1-mill for school
purposes and the 1-mill road and bridge
levy be added to other SO-called state
levies, then the total Of all state levieS
this year in Marshall county would
amount to $685. This is the largest
amount the state has ever levied in the
county and is due in part to an ap-
preparation of 81 100000 made by the
last legislature to the Public Safety
Commission out of which sum each
member of the National Guard who
served on the Mexican border in 1916
was. to be paid an additional so cents
per day. the balance of the appropria
ton to be used hy the commission in
the interest of the state and nation in
the successful prosecution Of the great
world-war in which we are engaged. \
part Of the increase is due to larger
educational appropriations. These two
items alone represent an increase in
Legislative appropriations over the pre-
ceding year of fully $2,500,0OO.
As an offset, however. against total
state levy in your county of $55,S334
this year you received from the state
for the fiscal year ending July 81.
1917, the sum Of $6S.O6S in aid of
schools, roads and bridges, and other
received from the state last year $1.22
for each dollar you will pay in all
state taxes this year.
Mr.. Armson said that he did not call
attention to growing tax burdens for
the purpose Of condemning the in
crease. High tax rates are not always
to be condemned. If the money is wise
ly spent the benefits derived from the
expenditures may fully justify high
taxes. That was a matter for the peO-
pie to determine, for III the final an
alysiS tax rates are under the absolute
control of the people. He felt. how
ever, that at the present time when the
federal government is making such
heavy demands On the pocket books of
the people in order to finance the war
we should go slow in increasing our
already heavy tax burdens. He did not
believe that public improvements not
absolutely necessary should be under
taken at this time. Let public improve
ments not Immediately pressing be de-
ferred until the world is made safe
for democracy" and then when our
victorious troops return from Europe
we will have work for the soldier when
he again becomes a civilian until the
country assumes it's normal condition.
Mr.. ArmSon reminded the assessors
that while. their duties were important
and eXacting. the law also imposed GER
tain obligations on the taxpayer. 1t is
the duty of every taxpayer to make a
full and complete return Of all his tax
able personal property and any evasion
of this duty subjected him to severe
penalties. He urged the assessors to
be diligent, fair and impartial in their
work. He said that in 50 far as his
public duty was concerned an assessor
should have neither friends to reward
nor enemies to punish. Every tax
payer is entitled to the ''square DEAL
neither more nor less-and it is the
duty Of the assessor to see that every
: man gets what he is entitled to.
The assessors were also reminded
: that any intentional departure from
the basis of valuation laid down in law
waa a serious public offense and sub
jected the offending assessor to severe
penalties No honest taxpayer will
ask an assessor to violate his oath Of
office or commit perjury for him. but
this is just what the taxpayer does
when he asks an assessor to omit or
undervalue any Of his property. Such
a request will not come from an honest
man: if it comes from the other. class
an assessor can well afford to ignore it,
The basis of valuation under the law
is the price for which property would
sell at private sale on May LIST. This
is the sole and only rule recognized by
law and should be strictly followed.
Averages and former assessments
should be ignored. Let your assess
ment be based Oh present value re-
GardleSS of what the property was
assessed for last year Land worth
500 an acre should be assessed for
twice as much as horse worth $50.
If an assessor will follow the rule of
value in all his work. not only will
his assessment be made in compliance
with law, but he will have the salts
faction that comes from the knowledge
of duty well performed.
In conclusion Mr. Armson assured
the assessors that the tax commission
would gladly cooperate with them in
the full and proper discharge of their
difficult and. exacting -e,duties. The
equitable vaula ton Of property, is not
an easy task. It requires diligence in
seeking out all taxable property and
the exercise of sound judgment and I'M