St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-06

at the time land grants were made to
railroads could not be abrogated by an
act of the legislature unless accepted
and agreed to by the railroads them
selves.
The courts have held that later acts
of the legislature affecting old con-
tracts by the state with railroads are
mere tenders to the railroads of prop
ositions to change the contracts or
amend the laws affecting railroads.
Then, if the railroads should consent
| to accept the tax on lands law, and the
gross earnings tax should be held to
be repealed by implication, the state
| may never be in position to re-
| establish the gross earnings tax. The
| position was taken that the state
| could not tax gross earnings as an
abstract proposition except that it had
| become a contract made with railroads
| which was agreed to in the past by
the railroads, with the understanding
that this form of tax was to take the
| place of other forms of taxation. If
| the state should violate this contract
| the railroads would not be bound any
| longer to stand by those contracts to
tax gross earnings, and the state, as a
consequence, would sustain a loss of
| taxes.
The best thing that can be claimed
| by the. friends of the bill is that it
would rip up the present system of
taxation. Then, with that done, inter-
state law would step in and prevent a
| return to the present system.
Senator McHale illustrated by telling
story to the effect that if the state
ever let go it's hold it would drop to
| the bottom of the well and could never
get back alive. The policy of adopting
the system in the early history of the
state as to taxing railroads was dis
| cussed in the light of it's advisability
| then, but Senator McHale claimed that
| 1t was now too late to relinquish the
| system when the lands are passing in
| to the hands of private owners. The
railroad property will annually de-
| crease, while on the other hand the
| gross earnings ARE increasing The
| state tax has increased in a third of a
| century from a few hundred dollars to
nearly a million and half dollars an
nually, and in time will amount to
more than enough to meet the current
expenses of the state. The bill under
consideration has three provisions, in
the opinion of the senator, that would
slaughter the provisions of the gross
earnings tax, and as men who, after
looking deeply into the effects of the
bill, he felt it the duty of the commit
tee to save to the people the gross
earnings tax.
Senator Thompson argued in favor
of proposition to impose a land tax,
and claimed that such tax would not
lnhibit the state from imposing a. gross
earnings tax as to roads that have Sc
cured rights in the state since 1858,
although it might prevent the con-
tract made with the older land grant
railroads. He stated that the valua-
ton of roads in the state is $229, 600, 900.
and a tax on this valuation would
bring in 100000 aa direct tax.
Several others expressed a desire to
speak upon the bill, and the sugges-
ton to vote at once was withdrawn
until after a fuller discussion should
be had. 1t was decided to take it up
again tomorrow
MONEY FOR GRASS SEED.
The senate finance committee rec
commended for passage H. F. 337. This
is a bill introduced by Representative
Ferris, appropriating money for the
furnishing of grass seed in certain
counties afflicted by forest fires in
| 1894.
A subcommittee reported s. F. $50
to pass after certain amendments. II
is the Jones Russian thistle bill
Tne Stebbins bill establishing a
fourth asylum for the insane was
taken up, and the amendment limit
ing the cost of the site to $4,000 was
| adopted. The amendment providing
| that the hospital shall not be located
IN Minneapolis or st. Paul was voted
down The size of the minimum re-
| CURED tract was made $40 acres in
| stead OF 500 acres. The bill was then
| recommended for passage.
3. f. 349 was recommended for pass
age. II is the bill reimbursing Prof.
Otto Lugger for services as state en-,
tomologist. The same action was
| taken regarding S. F. 1853, the bill Gre
ating the office of state entomologist.
5. f. 316, introduced by Senator
| Ringdal, establishes two additional
agricultural experiment stations. and
appropriates $4,000 for this purpose.
The bill was discussed to some ex.
tent, but was finally laid over without
| action.
ii. f. 40 was recommended for in.
dehnte postponement. 1t is DR.. Rob,
lizards bill establishing a medical
corps in the national guard
| OILY TALK.
The senate committee on illuminat
ing oils had about the first meeting OF
the session yesterday, but in less thar
two minutes took steps to kill two bills
the only ones under consideration
One was S. f. 20, introduced by Sen
ator Ringdal. 1t transfers the state
Oil inspecting department to the sec
rotary of states department. The
| other was Senator Sheehan's bill pro
vlding for inspection of Oil in small
| quantities. Both were recommended
for indefinite postponement
The senate committee on printing
will recommend for passage H. F. 1888
bill introduced by the house com
mittee on printing, requiring the publ
cation of annual statements ofreceipt:
and disbursements, of incorporated
villages, towns, etc.
The committee will also recommend
for passage substitute for Senate
Files 142 and 28S, amendments to tn,
law defining what shall constitute &
legal newspaper. The bill is intended
to help out publishers whose plants
are destroyed by fire, ETC., but which
resume business, and the case of the
paper at Hinckley is the particular
case under consideration.
Colonial Free Trade.
OTTAWA, Ont, March 5.-Cape Col.
ony has offered free trade with Can.
ada with all the gain that that means