Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-03-08
F~IFTY-FIFTH DAY.
SENATE.

SENATE.
Senate convened at 2 p. III.
Prayer by the chaplain.
A concurrent resolution accepting the
military wood reservation on Rock Island,
Ramsey county, from congress, was intro
duced by Senator Arnold and passed.
BILLS INTRODUCED.
Senate bill No. 1876 (Plain): Fixing the
maximum compensation a railroad COM
pany may charge for stopover on cars in
transit between intermediate and terminal
points.
Senate bill No. 1877 (Gregory): Suspend
ing the appropriation for the Mandan Re-
form school until 1897.
SENATE BILLS PASSED
Senate bill No. los Committee Oh APP
propriations): Suspending the military
appropriations till the second Tuesday
in January, 1897.
SENATOR YOUNG said the committee
did not wish to repeal the military appro-
priation, but merely to suspend the appro-
priation because of Lace of funds in the
state treasury.
Senate bill No. 1853: Committee bill for
gross earnings tax.
Senate bill No. 1856: Repeating chapter
10. laws of 1890.
HOUSE BILLS PASSED.
House bill No. ID (Myers): Regulating
the practice of veterinary science.
SENATOR STEVENS objected to the
bill, as he considered it wrong to require a
man to be licen>ed to do right and GER
tainly he should not be licensed to do
wrong. So he voted no.
House bill No. is (Tyler): Drainage
law. Passed.
RIOS EARNINGS TAX.
The question being on the passage of
Mr.. Hodgson's house bill repeating the
gross earnings tax, Senator Gregory said
this bill was for the repeal of the only law
and every law that there is on the statute
books for the taxatatiOn of railroads. What
condition will that leave the state in? 1t
will leave the state without any law by
which it can tax the railroads.. There will
be left simply a constitutions! provision,
which will have no law to make it opera
tive. Senate bill No. 163 contains a pro-
vision repeating the old gross earnings law,
but it is folly to repeal the laws we have
until we have a law under which the roads
can be taxed.
it might be better to defer the considera-
ton of house bill No. s for a few days until
the other bills on the same subject had
been acted on. This was agreed to, but
later the bill was taken up and passed.
SENATOR WHITE believed the senate
was fully able to act upon this bill now.
The matter had been fully discussed.
SENATOR kOURKE said he believed
with Senator White that this was a good
time to vote on the question.
The bill passed-26 to 2.
Senate bill No. 1853, providing for a 8 per
doing over $4,000 per mile business.
The judiciary committee amended by
making the rate 4 per cent for roads doing
over $500 and less than $4,000 per mile
business: per cent for roads doing over
$1,000 and less than Sl.500 per mile bust
ness, and 3 per cent for roads doing less
than 81 1000 per mile business.
The judiciary committee amendments
We're adopted.
SENATOR McGILLlVRAY sought to
amend the bill by charging 3 per cent to
SENATOR BURKE said it was danger
Gus to try to put amendments on this bill.
1t is the best bill of the kind we have had.
If all the companies don't accept then the
law is imperative.
SENATOR MCGILLIVRAY said it
would be a good thing if the companies did
county would be benefited if the roads
were taxed the way other property was
taxed, and that kind Of taxation should be
good enough for the railroads.
BURkE said that no doubt
Starke county would be benefited, but it is
the state treasury that needs taxes, and this
gross earnings measure is the One that will
bring the most revenue to the state.
SENATOR GREGORY said Ward county
would also be benefited by direct, instead
Of by gross earnings. But he was here in
the interest of the state as we'll as his w
counties, and this gross earnings tax would
so per cent. of it go into the state treasury.
SENATOR STROM asked why farmers
should not be taxed on their gross earnings ?
He did not see why a system of taxation
that is good for one class of property is not
good for all property?
TIL bill was them passed by a vote of 26
by4.
Senate Bills Nos. 81 and 80, relating to the
same subject, were indefinitely postponed,
POSTPONED.
Senate Bill No. 1855, repeating appropria-
ton relating to school lands committee on
appropriations). Further action deferred
until next Tuesday.
Senator STROM'S warehouse bill, passed
Friday, was reconsidered, and after slight
verbal amendment was again passed.
unYSr