The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-10-27
FARMERS PAY THE TAX
The Result Of the Articles Which
Appeared In This Column Re.
Gently Are Beginning to
he Realize6
Raise of Fifteen Per Cent
On the Large Wholesalers
in the Cities the
Result.

Some six weeks ago we called the at
tention of our readers to the gross in
justice which the farmers of this state
endured by the system of taxation which
existed in which the jobbers, banking and
corporate interests of the large cities were
paying in some cases as low as 10 per
cent on the stock Of merchandise which
they carried or were not on the tax rolls
at all. We called the attention of the
readers of the Representative at the time
to the matter and gave list of the
members of the state board of equaliza-
ton and requested the different districts
to write to their member and ask him to
do something. The result was that many
Of the members were written to and the
first time in the history of that board
they tried to do something. The small
tax payers were there in force assisted by
the Twin City Guardian, who is waging a
strong and continuous fight against this
set of tax dodgers who own or control
the tax officials of this county at least
We found that this favored class list
their personal property without the re-
quiste of an oath as required by law.
and which all citizens without pull
must subscribe to. We appeared before
the board" as a representative OF the
alliance of Minnesota a couple Of times,
and was told by Chairman Potter that
the Popuists were to blame for not having
laws enacted that would enable a COM
mission to be appointed which would hold
session until every tax dodger in the
state was upon the tax rolls. l informed
the board that all the farmers were not
PopuiStS and that possibly II they were
we would be able to get legislation that
would compel the large jobbers and cor
pOrations to pay their share of the taxes
Of the commonwealth.
The following was portion of letter
which presented to the board clipped
C,,o dion
Mr. j. c. Hanley was present as secre-
tary of the National Farmers Alliance and
Industrial Union of America, and defenoeo
the interest of the farmer In a commun-
cation to the state board synopsis OF
which IS here given:
1.-The Natioral Farmers Alliance ana IN
dustrial Union of America, representing
some 5000 farmers In Minnesota, enter
protest against the unjust discrimination
in the personal property tax of this state
1t further complains that the large Whole
sale houses banking institutions, chartered
corporations and franchises in the large
cities of this state are not taxed in proper
ton to their holdings, as compared WITH
the agricultural interests. Further, sys-
TEN which enables one class over anotnel
to list their property without the farmallt!
of an oath, is wrong and permits large IN
| terests to go wholly untaXed. full casf
! value system should be adopted as tn
| safest basis for your honorable body. Ant
we demand further, that your honorable
| body take up the property of the at presen
! favored class and compel them to pay the1l
| just and equitable share of the taxes O.
| this commonwealth"
Mr.. Hanley rose to further emphasize, anC
| he ran out the cinder path with the chair
| man of the board, Mr.. Potter, who asked
! why Mr. Hanleys Populistic friends had no
voted for relief measures at the last legis
lature and how it was that Senator Cronk
hite was spirited away from the senate last
winter. Mr.. H. answered that he did no
know about these things, and thought this
was not Populistic measure at all, but one
in which all the citizens could be heard.
1t will be seen that start in the right
direction has been made, and what we mus
have is at least one-half of that State
| Equalization Board composed of farmers,
| AS it is now they are about one-Quarter OIL
one-third of the board. See to it that agri
cultural districts shall be represented by &
farmer. We will get them all by and by
We got a raise of Is per cent this time, ano
also the knowledge that 1t was the farmers
fault that the proper laws could not bt
passed to get it before now. Watch the
farmer members vote in the next legisla
ture. If the hidden wealth in the cities
was compelled to pay it's share the tax OF
this state being about 2h cents would be
~ cents.