The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-03-26
TAKING llIN.ER4AL a NDS.

TAXING MINERAL LANDS.
Hon. J. g. Cooley, member of the
State board of Equalization from ST.
Louis county, told the taxation con-
ference in Minneapolis, last Monday.
how the law taxing mining corpora
tions worked with references to his
county. Were the regular valuation,
tax in force on mineral lands, as upon
other property, St. Louis county could
assess and collect taxes from nearly
one hundred million. dollars worth of
mineral lands on the two ranges. But
the State law prohibits ST. Louis
county 'liy from assessi ag and levying such
tax. The law says that all CORPORA
lions organized to carry on mining
shall be taxed only upon their actual
output of ore, and upon that. only one
cent a ton. Ninety-nine out of 100 al
legged mining companies organized in
this State produce no ore whatever.
Nevertheless, they are organized, or
alleged to be organized, for that .pur-
pose, and so escape all taxation what
ever. NJ,
The law exempts fall the taxes or
assessments upon the capital stock.
personal property, income, and real
estate of such corporation in or upon
which real estate such business of
mining may be carried on, or which
real estate is connected Herewith and
set apart for such business Under
this provision, all mining land, or al
legged mining land, can be claimed to
be connected herewith and aset
apart for such business" even if not a
stroke of mining work is done upon It.
Ii few test pits are sunk, it can be
maintained that mining business is be-
ing prosecuted upon it. in this way
there is scarcely any limit to the
wholesale exemption of lands on the
mineral ranges or in the mining dis
trict, whether mineral bearing or not.
from assessment and taxation,
Mr.. Cooley tells how the prolonged,
costly, and multitudinous litigation
over mining properties is vast drain
upon his county in the cost of main
tanning courts, and how these costs
amount to more than all the revenue
derived from the petty one cent a ton
tax. TO think that practically the en-
tire mineral district Of the State, sone
OF the richest and most valuable on the
globe, pays only paltry $40, 900 of
taxes, and that this even is swallowed
up in the litigation costs which the
county and State pay in the settlement
OF mineral land disputes is surely
enough { to make taxpayers 'fred-
headed as Mr.. Cooley says it. makes
him. It is an outrage which St. Louis
county ought to help the nextflegisla-
ture to right. The trouble .isssright in
st. Louis county, when it comes toget-
ting the proper legislation There are
so many benefciaries of the exemption
up there, that it is almost impossible
to get right legislation through the
State legislature. Not all the mineral.
land benefciaries, however, are. To-
Gated in St. Louis county. Many of
them live in the Twin Cities. Nearly
every large capitalist in the State is
more or less interested. And some of
the beneficiaries live in Chicago, New
York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus,
and numerous eastern cities. All this
powerful company of interested parties
will combine to their best to keep the
existing exemption of mineral lands on
the Statute books. But if the citizens
and taxpayers of ST. Louis county get
''red-headed'' enough to carry their
own county on this subject, the first
great difficulty will be overcome, and
the united taxpayers and voters of the
State can defeat outside interests.