The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-01-16
ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

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Governor Pingree, in his message TO the
| legislature, points out some of the de-
fects in our state laws and urges upon
the law-naking power the necessity OF
amending the tax law. 80 that the nom
resident millionaire shall bear his burden
OF the taxation on the lands owned by
him in this state and not be permitted to
SHIFT portion Of his responsibility onto
the shoulders of the homesteaders and
miners who reside la the state.
The governor clearly proves To the
people whom he ropressnt~, i'm his mess-
age, that it II his hope and desire To inn
prove theircOndition during his admins
tration.
We are forced to commend his bold
and fearless utterauce to- the law makers
of Michigan, an he points out To them
the inadequacy of the laws OF our state
in governing state banks and the manner
IN which they are conducted. lilo says
that a large number OF the failures OF tue
past year were caused by excessive loans
made To the stockhOlders of tho banks
and suggests To the legislature thata law
be enacted making IL crime for the
cashier To loan money or discount mo-
gotitble paper, without authority shown
ON the records OF the bank. Continuing
ON this subject he says: "In this coun-
try, where sudden fortunes ARE often
made by somo fortunate speculative en-
terpriHo, the temptation to make unsafe
and lllegitimate investments with depos-
itors' money il often too great To be
overcome. Severe punishment should
bo neted out TO those officers and mum
ayers of banks who arc thus led 10 be-
tray their trusts" III the legislature
follows his advice in this regard, State
hank failures in Michigan will continue
To decrease from the Cay the law takes
effect.
The governors views on "Taxes on
Timber Lands" are equally as sound
and fOrcible. He says: "rhe principle
object of the owners has been to strip
the lands OF valuable timber and refuse
to pay taxes during the time the strip
ping process has gone on" We might
add to what the governor has said in his
message, that this class ofwealthy people,
to whom ho feiefn, and who own nearly ali
the pine and mineral lnnLls i'm the upper
peninsula, do more than that. There
are thousands of acres OF land in this
portion of our state that one could no
more purchase from these land sharks,
without a. reservation of the mineral
rights, than he could shoulder and walk
in it's hills. They strip the .and OF the
pine that grows uponitand then instruct
their agents To go before the boards OF
review and swear that they are Stands
and reduce the valuation To one, two
and three dollars nm acre. thus evading
the payment of their just proportion of
taxes. Such practice ought not To be
tolerated and we hope that the township
officers Of the townships Of Iron county,
at lcant, will not be fooled by this class
OF people any longer.
Why should they not be made to pay
nn equal share al the taxes?
Why should the mine owners, mer-
chants and homesteaders who improve
this country and give employment To
lubof he compelled to pay high tax,
while this class of lords live in luxury
and idlencss and defeat justicc2
The men who operate our mines and
give employment to labor have their
property assessod at it's cash value and
they are not only Obliged to pay taxes
on their machinery and other property,
but they must also pay the tax on the
ore that is dug out of the earth. And
moro than that: They are forced To pay
"A high royalty on every ton OF orc that
they mine to these same men that are all
the time fighting and evading taxes. Then
why should not the lnnd owners prop
erty he assessed AT it's cash value? Let
them pay their just proportion OF taxes
the same as other people d0-the same
ns the man who suffers the hardships Of
clearing ~ piece OF land for a homestead.
and who, after yeTrs OF toll amidst hun
ger and want, obtains u patent from the
government fcr the land he hns earned
The homcsteatler's land is taxed at its
cash value and he must pay his taxes,
even though his children are crying for
bread, or his lands are sold. Ho can
not employ legal talent 10 go about the
country Co examine the records Of the
townships TO see whether there IN not
some ir.ogelirity or technicalty by
which ho can defeat Ills tax. No; il
takes all his time TO keep his family
clothed and fed and pay his tax. But
how is IL with n member of the tax
assOciation2. Oh, he can sit in ease and
luxury In his palatial residence and with
| the money he receives from the royalties
of far more valuable land, upon which
| he pays less, or no tax, no can have his
agents buy up county and township
warrants at discount OF twenty to
thirty per cent, from men who, with
| their labor, have built highways aud
| bridges and schools and other public inn
provemcnts, thereby making their lands
n hundred times moro valuable. We
applaud the efforts of tho governor TO
bring about such legislation as will stop
this unjust and unequal method OF tax
alton. Let the press and the people aid
the governor in the task he has begun.
Let the people petition their representa-
tivcs Mt Lansing To amend thc tax law,
30 that II a tax IN decrccd void 10y the
courts of the state, by reason OF some
irrpgularity or technicality of the taxing
power, the tax so dccreed void shall be
added to tho tax assessed agninst the
same lands on the following year.
let the legislature clothe tho super
visor, or assessing officer, with this
power and the people who live in and
improve this country will not be robbed
of hall their labor In this Wholesale
dealing IN county and township war
rants by these moneyed autocrats.
They will then, be able 90 take their
| orders to the tOwnshin or countv