The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-24
MEMBERS OF THE MINNESora
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
ARE PUT OUT
AT THE COORDINATE BRANCH
hh SAY 1T WAS SELFISH IN DIS,
POSING OF IT'S OWN
BILLS.
TAX ON EXPRESS RECEEpTS
Hro"ises NO End of Trouble i'm thu
Courts Before 1t Can Be Col
Iected.

since the adjournment of the houst
early Wednesday morning relations be.
| tween the members of that body and
the state senate have been SERIOUSLY
strained, as result Of what the mem.
bers of the larger house are pleased I'd
term the selfish conduct Of the mem.
bers of the other branch. They say
that while they spent all night trying
to pass the senate bills, which had
| been advanced to their calendar thu
senators made but a feeble trial to
dispose of the house bills, which Were
equally well along, and adjourned
hours earlier without any anxiety as
to what became of the cherished house
measures. Inquiry by the G 0 b intd
the figures shows that there is at least
a color of reason for the complaint Of
the house members.
There were nearly 700 bills originat-
ing in the senate as compared with
over 1000 in the house, and yet of the
3S2 bills which went to the governor
for his signature, 100 were from the
senate and only 1872 from the house It
will be seen at once that more house
bills were slaughtered. 1t is true that
459 Of the house bills were slaughtered
right there, only 317 or the remaining
600 were sent to the senate but the
house Of lords was so deliberate with
these that while it killed but 81 by pos
tive act, it only passed the 1872 men,
toned above, leaving practically a
hundred which were not credited with
any formal consideration.
OF the senate bills, on the other hand.
O.
265 to the house, and of these the house
passed 100, killed SO and left but 81
hanging in midair at the time of the
adjournment at day break Wednesday.
Just what the net result of the pas
sage Of the Dyer bill for a gross earn
ings tax on express companies Is, IL
seems probable that the courts will
have to determine. 1t is understood
that the companies will claim that they
are liable to taxation Hereunder, only
on the business which Is carried wholly
and solely within this state. For in
stance, they would be taxable on a
package shipped from st. Paul to AL
bert Lea, but not for the same package
in it's carriage to the state line if it's
destination were Chicago via the same
route. This Interpretation of the law
was not intended by the author, Sen
atOr Miller, who drew the original Dill,
and, in fact he fought that interpreta-
ton when it was suggested in the
hearing before the taxes and tax laws
committee, at which the different
phases of the subject were argued be-
fore the committee, by M. d. Grover
and others. As a matter of fact the
wording Of the law seems to be direct
and clear to the effect that the tax
shall be on all the business done in the
state, although it is not strictly speak
ing, a gross earnings tax as it is eX-
pressly provided that the basis of tax
alton shall be arrived ar by the state
auditor by deducting from the total
earnings on the aforesaid business
within the state the amounts paid
thereon to the railroad companies. This
was done in order to obviate the OBJ
lection that the tax would be double
and therefore unconstitutional as the
state is already, supposed at least to
be, receiving 3 per cent of the receipts
which are thus repaid to the railroad
company.
The railroads pay a prOportionate tax
on shipments going out of the state,
the amount being fixed by the number
of miles the freight is carried in Min
resota to it's total carriage the rate
received then being divided to cor
respond with this division.
Senator Miller contends that there is
no reason for assuming that it was the
intention of the legislature 70 prescribe
a different basis by eXempting express
companies from paying taxes on earn
ings on interstate freight, as that COM
prises the lions share of all their busi-
ness