The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-04-20
ASSESSORS HELD
PREP" SCHOOL
County Tax Men We're Drill
led For Their Labors
GIVEN GOOD HINTS
Who Should Be Exempt Ex-
planned; How To Perform
All Duties

An assessment school, for all
assessors of Blue Earth county was
held yesterday afternoon during
their session in the commissioners
chambers at the court house. Ques-
tions relating TO the listing of per
sonal property were discussed at
length and the solution of the var
iOus perpleXing problems given ito
the assessors by Thomas Il. Phelps.
representative Of the state tax COM
mission.
A schedule of the four classes of
personal property taxes was taken
and each OF the problems troubling
assessors in various districts were
discussed and some form of a solu.
ton arrived at Mr.. Phelps and c. L.
Kennedy, county auditor, advised
the assessors on several of matters
which were up before the meeting
on open discussion.
To start the meeting yesterday
afternoon Mr. Phelps asked the ques
ton If the assessors were going to
assess property this year at the
true and full value, and was an
swered in the affirmative by all pres
ent. A short time after he asked
the question of what serious OBJ
jections there were to assessing at
the true and full value. Many
brought up the issue of whether
grain belonging to farmers used for
feeding purposes should be exempt
eG.
Discussion Follows Question
A lengthy discussion followed the
question. Farmers, it was stated by
many of the assessors, had become
- 1a, h.
grain in the past and had not be-
come adapted to the recent change.
One assessor favoring the assess
ment Of grain remarked that,
there was no more need for assess
ment of feed for horses than for
man"
The assessors were advised to as
sess everything they knew of that
could be listed as personal property
on a place. IL the party was over
assessed they had no worry as the
adjustments would be left to the
county commissioner, auditor and
the tax commission. .
Mr.. Phelps emphatically declared
that 1t was far better to have
person double assessed than to allow
anything to be missed in a mans
assessment = -seea
|, All personal property on farm
to be assessed to that property.
1t lived on the farm or not, was an
other point brought out. Under the
same clause the assessors were ad
yised to collect taxes for whatever
was located in their villages or
townships when they start work
May /. The tax expert declared that
wherever there was a headquarters
for certain something" that was
the place where the assessment
should be made. s..
Who Is Exempt?
The definition for assessors as to
who was really exempt from taxa
ton on personal property was given
as, ANY person who has dependents
is entitled to exemption"
Assessors were told to be more
explicit in making out the tax re-
ports by stating definitely the arti-
Placing the correct name of the par
ty assessed on to the report
A new feature of assessments this
year which was brought out WIS
that anything assessable on rail-
road property UT public property
should be listed on the personal
property return. improvements made
during the last year should also be
listed and the assessment on burn.
Ell property assessors were told to
cut off assessments.
That it was the work of the coun-'
ty auditor to drop people off the tax
books and not the assessors, was the
warning Mr.. Phelps gave the as
SCISSORS in telling them to choke
your books" with everything that
everybody in you district has that
is assessable as personal property"