The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-03-08
MINNESOTA NEWS.
RAILROADS PAY UP.

RAILROADS PAY UP.
During the last month the railroad
companies operating in Minnesota have
paid into the state treasury nearly three
quarters of a million dollars in taxes
upon their gross earnings receipts
The total amount due from railroad
companies, as shown by their sworn
statement made to the railroad and ware
house commission this year is 81, POI 271 n,
being an increase of about $4,000 over
the previous year.
Some of the Minnesota companies set
tied with the state for their gross earn
ings tax as early as December, and
few paid up in January, but during the
last few days of February nearly quar-
ter of million dollars was received in
less than week.
The Great Northern leads the list with
gross receipts amounting to $S,92S 1926,
upon which a tax of per cent is levied,
netting the state $267, so, as against
SIG, 460.79 charged up against the North
ern Pacific, which was paid in lump
few days ago. The Great Northern has
settled with the state for the earnings of
all its branch lines but the returns from
the main line have not been received.
Under the gross earnings tax law taxes
upon the gross receipts of railroad COM
panies are graduated according to the
length of time the railroad has been oper-
ating in the state. All under five years,
l per cent; under ten years pay per
cent and all above that limit pay per
cent. All of the older companies come
in for the full force of the tax.
The Chicago Great Western is the only
road which has not been operating over
ten years in Minnesota which does not
pay per cent. The claim is made by Che
directors of the road that it was organ
lied under the old territorial charter
which fixes its tax at 2 per cent. There
has been dispute between the state Off
Gals and the officers of the road since the
law went into effect, and preparations
are now being made to test the validity
OF the claim in court.
A TOWN WILL MOVE
With the advent of spring the town of
EveIeth will be taken and slid bodily up
the side of hill to a new location. The
place it has occupied will be given up to
mining. and most of the present site will
be a stockpile or shafts and mine build
ings.
Last fall the owners of the townsite put
diamond drills at work to test the loca-
ton for ore. Every well sunk in the town
for months had stopped in a bed of rich
iron. and it was evident enough that some
valuable deposits lay beneath. The lots
had all been sold with a reservation to
the original owners of the mineral rights,
so that none of the occupants held more
than surface ownership. 1t was easy,
therefore, to compel them to move. Last
week contractors were on the ground fig
uring on moving the buildings, and the
townsite owners have been making prep
arations to take possession. They have
decided similar area on a hillside close
by, but beyond the mineral belt, to the
village, have agreed to grade and ma
cadamize two main streets through it,
have offered to build sidewalks, put in
water mains, lay sewers, and make all
arrangements for the new village, and to
give every man new site similar in size
and corresponding in location to that he
now holds. In addition to all this they
will bear the entire cost of moving the
buildings, so there is not one of the in
habitants who will not avail himself of
the offer.
STATE G. A. R.
At the regular meeting of the Grand
Army of the Republic, at st. Paul, the
following officers were elected:
Comrade L. W. Collins nominated Com
rade D. B. Searle for department COM
mander, and he was elected by unani-
nous vote. Comrade Ell Torrance placed
Comrade Gideon S. Ives in nomination for
senior vice commander and he, too, was
unanimously elected.
For junior vice commander, Comrade
William H. Harries, of Caledonia, C. Dit
more, of Verndale, Charles H. Robinson,
Of Waterville, c. H. Hopkins, of Glen
vile. Comrade Hopkins withdrew in ia
vor of Comrade Harries, as did Comrades
Ditmore and Robinson.
Immediately following the election of
these officers the encampment in a body
adjourned to the hall of the house of rep
resentatives, at the state capitol, to pre-
sent a petition for the reinstatement of
the $4,000 annual appropriation.
Helen NJ. Irish, of st. Paul, was elected
department president of the Ladies of the
G. A. r. For the first time since the Or
ganization of the order, some eight years
ago, ST. Paul woman was chosen to fill
the presidents chair.
THE ITASCA PARK.
In regard to the bill by Representative
Den1ing, which was recommended to pass
by the committee on public parks, there
has been much agitation of late. The
bill provides for the purchase of tracts of
land near the headwaters Of the Missis-
sippi, to the extent of 5000 acres, belong
ing to Pillsbury, Walker and the Weyer-
hauser syndicates, who are said to be
preparing to cut their pine. The state
has taken no action to restrain them or
acquire their rights to the land as yet
thus failing to fulfill the agreement with
congress under which the land was