The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-08

TIE LEGISLATURE.


| Mr.. Stivers Dem) of Crow Wing,
| favored the bill. He had no respect for
| the legislature of 1857. 1t had saddled
a large amount of railroad bonds on
/ the people of the state, beside grant
| ing charters which 1t was claimed fixed
| forever the gross earnings tax at per
cent. Subsequent legislatures did not
| think much of the territorial legisla-
| ture and had not held that contracts
| made by 1t were inviolable 1t was the
! business of II legislature to be fair
| to- the railroad companies. Party poll
ties should cut no. figure in voting for
the bill. The legal Question had never
been tested IN the courts, and. If the
! bill was passed 1t would allow the
question to be judicially settled.
| Mr.. Dwinnen Rep), of Hennepin,
| favored the passage of the bill. The
Only argument brought before the com
| rittee by the railroad representatives
was on the unconstitutionality of the
| law. He had taken figures from the
official reports and arrived at the con-
| cluSion that, based on the other taxes
paid throughout the state, the rail-
roads should pay s., 600, 600 taxes rather
| than S1,127 ,000
Mr.. Fosnes Union), of Chippewa,
| said the Minnesota supreme court had
| held in the Anderson case that there
was no contract right between the leg
| islature of 1857 and the present Great
Northern road
OPPOSED GROSS EARNINGS.
Mr. Guttersen (Rep.), of Blue Earth
did not favor the gross earnings sys-
TEN. One section of the bill, however
allowed the companies to choose be-
tween the gross earnings tax and the
system of taxation the same as other
property of the state was taxed He
favored the bill as being the best thing
possible
Mr. Staples Rep), of Dakota. called
attention to the fact that the railroad
companies of the state were protected
| by the state through the railroad ana
| warehouse commission, and this was
the reason the value Of property Of
Fthe railroads was kept up. He favored
| the bill.
MI Abbott asked for a vote on his
amendment for a sliding scale of taxa
| ton.
Mr. jacobson said the amendment
was not possible, as it attempted to
| fix the rate to be paid before the Dill
| became operative.
Mr. Roberts Rep.), of Hennepin
questioned If the bin was passed and
approved by the people how it was to
| be placed on the statute books.
| Mr. Staples did not agree with sec
| ton Of the bill, and was of the opin-
| ion that the state should, in case the
| companies refused to pay the gross
earnings tax, levy the tax. He, how
ever, deferred to the opinion Of the
| author of the bill as to the point as to
| how the personal and real property
| would be assessed. 1t would be the
same as any other property.
The amendment OF Mr.. Abbott for a.
sliding scale of increase was voted
down almost unanimously, and then
the two amendments offered by Mr.
Jacobson adopted.
On the roll call on the passage of
| the bill there were SO ayes and nays
Those voting in the negative were
Messrs Allen, Krayenbuhl, Nelson. W.,
finland and Winston. The absentees
were Messrs Ahlstrom, Beach, Benol-
| ken, Ferris, Fulton. Henderson, Lay
be urn. Munger Nyqufst, Pope, Simon
son, Thauwald and Yale.
AGAINST SUNDAY THEATERS.
Mr. Allen (Rep.), of Fillmore, intro
duced by request a bill prohibiting the
giving of theatrical performances or
public shows of any kind On Sundays.
! 1t was referred to the committee on
general legislation.
FOR DELINQUENT TAXES.
for the delinquent taxes on timber or
mineral lands becoming a lien on the
products Of the land. The lien to be-
come operative as soon as the taxes
. become delinquent.
FIXES COAL AND GRAIN RATES.
Fl. F. 24S, by Mr.. Larson Rep.), of
Redwood, providing for a reduction in
freight rates and fixing the tariff for
coal, grain and potatoes, introduced
yesterday, was referred to the commit
tee on railroads. The maximum rate
for grain and potatoes In carload lots
| from any point in the state to either
OF the cities mentioned, are fixed as
follows, rates are in cents per 100
| pounds:
Fifty miles or less, GA cents: from
fifty to seventy-five miles. rs cents;
| from severty-ive to 100 miles, 81
cents; 100 to 125 miles, 80 cents; LIS to
| 100 miles, ia cents; $50 to It's miles,
12.2 cents; IFS to 200 miles, 12.7 cents;
! zoo to 225 miles, 1872 cents; 225 to $50
miles, 1877 cents; $50 to 275 miles, 14.2
cents; 275 to 800 miles, 14.7 cents; 800
t. 800 miles, 1872 cents; S25 to $50 miles,
49, cents: $50 to 375 miles, 1862 cents;
| 375 to 400 miles, 1871 cents; 400 to AS
miles, 172 cents; AIS to 400 miles, III
!
to 500 miles, 1871 cents.
The coal schedule is as follows:
Twenty-Five miles or less, cents:
twenty-five to fifty miles, cents; fifty
to seventy-five miles, 8 cents; seventy
! five to fifty miles, cents; fifty to
| five to 100 miles, 5& cents; 100 to 135
miles, 61a cents; 1876 to 155 miles,
cents; 155 to It's miles, ~ cents; IFS to
zoo miles. S1s cents; 200 to 225 miles, 9
cents; 225 to $50 miles, 91a cents; $50 to
| 275 miles. 10 cents; 275 to 800 miles
1912 cents; 800 to 325 miles, II cents;
S25 to $50 miles, liz cents; $50 to 315
miles, u cents; 375 to 400 miles, 127s
cents; 400 to 425 miles, 12% cents; 425
to 45O miles, IS cents; 400 to 475 miles,
| 1917 cents; AIS to 500 miles. 1919 cents.
The word railroads in the bill is
| held to mean all bridges and ferries,
and also all the road including termi-
nails in use by any corporation.
KEEPING Az EYE ON TIE FUND.
A resolution introduced by Mr.. Won
Lehe Rep), of LIE Sue.lr. provided
that no bill appropridting money from
1.-The internal improvement fund be
passed, went over on notice of debate
given by Mr.. Larson <Rep9, Of Red
| weed Mr.. Won Lehe stated that the
fund was now ST 900 overdrawu, and
advised of the cnn iitiun Of he fund.
PIG IRON BOCN rY IN FAVOR.
The committee on manufactures rec
commended for passage the bill Of Mr..
! Laybourn Rep), Of St Louis, II. F.
| ITO, providing for the payment of SO
| cents Der ton bOllnIy IN all mig iron