St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-13
TEMPERATURES
THE COMEDY OF TAXATION.

IL the replies OF our DuluIn con-
temporaries, the Herald and the News
Tribune. do not shed any light
on the question asked them, the
amount and value of the shipping of
their port, they do throw some light
on the queer notions of taxation and
Its objects held by them, and betray
quite as derse Indifference to that pro-
vision of the constitution of the state
which requires that "all property on
which taxes are to be levied shall
have a cash valuation and be equalized
and uniform throughout the state,' as
the latest Legislature displayed. The
Herald advises us that 1.-The bill was
passed to encourage the registration
of vessels at Duluth" If a higher tax
were laid the vessels would not hail
from that port and ''the state would
not get even the $6799 a year."
The News-Tribune makes substan-
TALLY the same explanation of the pur-
pose of the bill. 1t was ITO encourage
home ownership and registration of
vessels" With that airy hopefulness
that Springs eternal in the Duluth
ian breast, the News-Tribune says
that the measure will prove to be
"munificent one" and SO much so that
another legislature will "be justified
in removing the tax entirely" and
asks the G. O b e to wait and see Du-
luth's shipping list boom. We agree
with our contemporary that the act is
"munificent," but would probably diff
fer as to The recipients of the mu-
nificence. We doubt not that there
will be a cordial assent by the vessel
owners to the 'munificence" Of the
act unless, indeed, they are also in
spired with the hope that another
legislature will remove the tax en-
tirely," and thus increase it's munifi-
cence. The ordinary taxpayer, sweat
Ing under his own burden, may, as he
contemplates this release from burden
bearing of his neighbor, question the
munificence as we'll as the legality
the man who puts his money into
vessel should be so ''munificently" rec
ogniZed, and the man who merely
puts his into a home or business be
deemed unworthy of the states "mu-
niicence." But the common taxpayer
Is always the Forgotten Man, and his
duty is to grin and bear his burdens
and never kick
The Herald says "the Globe is
very much worried because the state
tonnage tax on vessels yielded only
$685. and the News-Tribune says
the G e should not feel so badly
over it." Bless you, boys, the G 10 b e
is neither :Worried' nor does it 'feel
badly over it. 1t regards the whole
affair as being quite as funny as the
best of Charley Hoyt's farces. Just
picture it. Those suave and plausible
Duluth representatives pulling the
wool over the eyes Of the country
members and getting them to pract-
ically exempt vessel property in Du-
1utk-but nowhere elSe-from taxation.
under the delusion that three-cent
tonnage tax meant a three-cent tax
on the freight tonnage carried during
the season. The adroitness of the one
and the gullibility of the other produce
an effect that would draw a laugh
from the Iron Range Then there. in
the state treasurer's report of receipts.
among the big items, footing UP into
the hundred thousands, is that little
brownie item of S6799 received from
the "steamboat tax" A Lilliputian
among the Brobdingnagians, a wart on
Ossa.
But why stop the 'nunif1cent" hand
of the state at vessels? Why not cen
courage other things? If a tax, little
more thar nothing, will encourage
home ownership of vessels, why not en-
courage home ownership of decks and
stores and stocks and manufactures
and homes. and "munificently'' release
them all from taxation? Where is the
line that divides and sanctifies vessels
from other property? True, a YES
sci owner may make any port the hail
ing port of his vessel, and, naturally.
be will select the port that taxes him
least. But is it good policy for the state
to put premium on the evasion Of tax
es? is it sound policy to sacrifice the