The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-24

l received, the other day, the fol
lowing letter from Col. Clough, the
distinguished vice-president of the
Great Northern railway line:
*x*
oRBAT NORTHERN
RAILWAY LINE,
ST. PAUL, MINI, jan IL, '94
HON. IGNATIUS DONNELLY.
Pres. Mimi. Farmers Alliance,
Hastings, Minn.
Dear SIR: This mornings Minneap.
oils Tribune reports that at the meet.
ing Of the farmers alliance, just
closed in Minneapolis, resolution
was adopted:
"Resolved, That we demand that
the ST. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba
railway, and all other railway com
panies maintaining a corporate exis.
tence, be required to pay to the sta tie
all taxes upon gross earnings received
by them and remaining due and un.
paid, even where such companies fail
to operate their lines Of road but
have gross earnings; and we call upon
the attorney general TO wind up all
such corporations as fail to them
selves operate their roads"
1t does not now occur to me tC
what this resolution refers, so far as
it concerns the St. Paul, Minneapolis,
and Manitoba railway. The only tax
now imposed by law upon the proper
ty of that railway is one of three pei
centum upon the gross earnings
made upon it. The St. Paul, Mime
apolis, and Manitoba railway compa-
ny, itself, has not operated any part
Of the lines owned by it since Feb
1st, 1890, and consequently that com
pany, since that date, has made nc
gross earnings which would be the
subject of tax.
Gross earnings, however, have been
made during all that period upon the
lines or portions thereof, by the fol
lowing mentioned companies: Great
Northern railway company; Northern
Pacific railway company; Chicago, St.
Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha com
pany: Chicago, Burlington and Nor
thern railway company; Wisconsin
Central railway company.
On all the gross earnings made up
on these lines, by each of these COM
panies, the three per cent tax has
been regularly paid. 1 presume the
resolution, in SO far as it relates to
the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Mani
toba railway company, was the result
of a misapprehensio on the part of
it's dra raftsman; and / would be much
obliged if you would give this correc-
tion publicity through your alliance
publications.
Yours very truly,
w. P. CLOUGH,
Vice President.
Xxx
| at once referred this letter to Mr..
John II. Burke, the author of the res
olution referred to, and asked him
to reply to the question raised by Mr..
Clough Mr.. Burke has sent me the
following letter, which will be read
WlUn great luUCIcSU dill OfCI UIlC SUCt UC
HON. IGNATIUS DONNELLY:
St. Paul, Minn.
That there may be no misapprehen
sion as to the facts, and the causes
leading to the adoption of the plank
complained of by Mr.. Clough, l will
state that on Dec. 18th last, l intro
duced, at the meeting of the Rem
vile County alliance, the following,
which was unanimously adopted.
"Whereas, 1t appears from recent
report of the St. Paul, Minneapolis
& Manitoba R'y Co. that the annual
gross earnings of said company, for
four years past, have been at least
the following amounts:
From leases, being dividends
guaranteed on stock of said oo mn =,
From leases. being Interest guar
anteed on debt of said Com
pany.. ..........,..-.......... o,44O.@oV4t
Total annual income. 81 GAO, ,2S6 Al
Total income for four years. 1890.
1891, 1892, and 1898. - s1s 56l, @ ,d456a 545 g
Three per ct. tax on same 556,s343e
Whereas, tits represented that the
said company is now justly and law
fully indebted to the state of Mime
sofa in the said sum of 1856, 1874 SO,
being the three per cent tax due by
said company upon it's gross earnings,
for the years 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1898,
the said company having failed, neg
lected, and refused to pay to the state
the taxes by it lawfully due for the
said years; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we hereby call upon
Knute Nelson, governor of the state
of Minnesota, and the other officials
thereof, to forthwith take the neces-
sary steps to cover into the state
treasury of this state, the said sum
of $556, ,834.36 due and owing to said
state, by the St. Paul, Minneapolis
and Manitoba railway company.
Resolved, That the chairman and
secretary of this alliance be directed
to transmit duly verified copy Of
these preambles and resolutions to
Knute Nelson, governor of the state.
Hon. 81. w. Childs, attorney general
of this state, and cause copy of the
h, v,racopfod Of ho novf on.