Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-10-28

AA0 SAOAV 40. O0Au9 AAo'O >" SASAO
district to make the Anderson"
bill one of the issues of the CAM
paign, and as far as we know it is
the only district in the state whore
that bill is regarded a. political
issue at this time. The Royalton
Banner was energetic in trying TO
make that bill an issue during the,
campaign for the senatorial nom.
ination, but it was dismal failure,
and the frantic efforts made by
that paper to excite prejudice,
against Fuller because of his attl-
tudc on that bill in 1895 had no
apparent effect. The men who
opposed Fuller's nomination this
year would have opposed him if he
voted the other way on the bill, or
if there had meyer been such, a
bill under consideration. But the
Buchanan papers take such an IL.
terest in the bill, without even
stating what the bill is likely to
accomplish, if it ever accomplishes
anything, that the people should
know just what the facts are.
The Anderson hill proposed to
make certain changes in the laws
and contracts under which rail.
roads are taxed in Minnesota.
Under laws and contracts made
over thirty years ago the railroads
have been paying 3 per cent Of
their gross earnings into the state
treasury in lieu of all other taxa.
ton on the property necessary to
the operation of the road aud ON
the Immigrant lands given to the
roads to secure their construction.
Under these contracts and laws
the railroad companies pay the
state Of Minnesota over 81. O00, 900
a year. This Is the largest item of
income in the states resources:
It brings into the state treasury
more money than is received by
the state from direct taxes. It is a
constantly increasing item as the
business of the railroads incr case.
The An 'erson bill proposed to
change the laws and contracts so
that the Immigrant lands should
be taxed in addition to the 3 pre-
cent tax on gross earnings. It
was an effort to break an agree
ment under which the state is re.
ceivlnq over $1,000, 900. for the
sake of taxing for short time the
comparatively small amount Of
railroad land remaining in the
hands of the railroad companies.
The total amount Of land granted
the railroad companies in
Minnesota was 1900, 600 acres,
OF this amount but little more than
1900, 900 remains in the hands of
the companies. Over 100000
acres have been sold, are owned by
privat parties, and areno longer
under the influence Of the con-
tracts between the railroads
and the state by which, the
taxes on raiload property
necessary for the operation of the
road and the Immigrant lands
were paid by 3 per cent of all the
railroad companies earnings.
The proposition to change the
contract regarding the taxation of
the Immigrant lands, and thus en-.
danger the standing of the whole
contract providing for the pay.
ment to the state of the 3 per
cent, was as dangerous as propo-
sition to provide for some new
method to tax depots, or freight
cars, or sldetracka, or any other
property upon which taxes were
paid under the contracts by the
8 per cent gross earnings.
The people are unanimously in
favor of ret.ining the 3 per cent
tax on gross earnings. The
richer railroads in the southern
part Of the state had sold practi.
cally all their railroad lands, and
were perfectly willing that the
state should now break the old
contract under which the pay
ments to the state were steadily
increasing. The railroads own.