The Princeton union., 1897-04-29

y %, 1917. %
Ringdal to. the legislature no one could
find fault with them. Senator Culkin,
OF Wright county, was the especial
champion of Sixth district interests;
in point OF ability he had few equals
and no superiors in the senate. Sena-,
tor McHale, the Democratic war-horse
from Scott county, was an influential
legislator. He always commanded the
respect and attention of his colleagues.
/ almost forgot to mention Senator
Hodge, of Pine. He is another Sixth.
district man Of whom we are all proud.
He ranked high in the senate, and was
classed with such mon as Wyman,
Barr, Thorpe, Yale and Miller.
Princely Senator Y ale, Of Winona, is
one of the old school; he is the per-
sonifcation of honor and honesty.
Another man who made an excellent
record for new senator was Whitney.
of Wadena.
:. :. i5.2
There is one sin of omission that the
legislature just adjourned is blamable
for and will be held responsible by the
people of the State failure to pro-
vide for the erection of a fourth hos
pital for the insane. The three insane
hospitals at present existing are
crowded to overfowing. A fourth hos
pital will be absolutely necessary long
before it can be. built and put in shape
to house the unfortunate wards of the
State.
!. .* i.
Another bill that ought to have be-
come a law, but which died in the SEN
ate, was the measure that provided for
an increase in the taxes paid by insur-
ance companies. The insurance com
panies receive annually from the peo-
pie of this State several million dollars
more for premiums than is paid out in
losses, and it would not hurt the rich
companies to pay a few thousand dol
lars more taxes into the State treasury.
!.
Despite the protests of inte rested
parties, the governor signed the Sperry
printing bill. Under its provisions it
will be impossible to publish a lot of
worthless reports that no one ever
reads, but if there. was not a report
published in the next two years a ma
jority of the people of Minnesota would
manage to pull through. Certainly
that bill will be the means of saving a
good many thousand dollars.
!. !. I.
4 The bill which provided that wheat
shall be taxed in the elevators whereit
is found on the first of May each year,
was signed by the governor last Satur-
day. Several Of the big elevator com
panies opposed the passage of the bill,
and also urged the governor to veto it.
Under the old law wheat was supposed
to be assessed at the terminal points,
but as matter OF fact three-fourths Of
the wheat escaped taxation altogether.
i. :.
Another good law enacted was one
which gives the State board of equali-
zation the power to raise individual
assessments. That law is more far
reaching than some people are aware
of. 1t applies with equal force to the
wholesale jobbers of St. Paul and Min
neapolis and the mine-owners of: ST..
Louis county
Several of the country papers and at
least one of the St. Paul dailies are
disposed to criticize the senate for its
failure to pass the Reeves tonnage tax
bill. My views on this question are
we'll known to the readers of the
UNION. Perhaps am more response
BILE than any other individual for the
defeat of the Reeves bill in the senate.
The Sleepy Eye Dispatch remarks:
''But suppose the assessor of ST. Louis
county makes the same return on his
rolls as heretofore, that is $3,922, ,791;
how is the State bettered? and the fact
that the ST. Louis county assessor
values the mines at S3,922, ,791 rather
proves that a direct valuation tax can
be evaded. - The Dispatch should re-
member that this is the first year the
mines were ever assessed Heretofore
the one cent per ton tax was in opera
alton. Last April the State auditor
by advice of the attorney general,
directed the auditor of ST. Louis
county to have mines and mineral
lands listed on the assessment rolls the
same as other real estate (see pages 12,
13 and IA State auditors report).
Everybody who knows anything about
the value Of mineral lands in st. Louis
county knows that an assessment of
S4, 100000 is ridiculously low. But
even under a four million assessment
the State will realize more than ever
did when it received, or was supposed