Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-10-18

II y
lernment, SO carefully and wisely con-
structed by the Republican party, Is
to- them still sincomprehensible, and
their ignorant experiments if not pre-
vented, may throw the machine out aoi
gear and work serious injury.
Lind Not the Aut II or. -, ;isi5455
The Democratic state platform pros
sceeds to indorse what ii terms Gov
Lind's proposition to the last legisla-
ture for tax reform, by which The cost
OF state government would be betrayed
from corporate taxes only. Let me
draw your lf.s a at to the fact that
this proposition was not original with
Gov. Lind, by any means. find, on
page Of the Biennial report Of the
ublican aud itor Of state, the Hon.
.EC. Dunn, which was laid before the
Legislature when it convened, in Jam,
uary, 1897, the following recommends
ton y 35 si8 SSs II zs45BSs
The modern tendency in ia xations bs.
states is to lessen the tax rate upon
realty and derive increased revenue
from taxes upon corporal ons, inher-
1tances, etc. This. it seems to me, is
the proper time for our state to make
an advance toward this system Of
taxation" ST 4. 81 S# .:s- siiss$
And, furthermore, Republican legis-
latures have acted upon the state au-
aTtor's recommendation, by passing
laws imposing a tax upon inheritances
and foreign corporations. and there is
no doubt that before very long the cost
OF state government will be entirely
betrayed by such taxes. 81
The Democratic state platform con-
cludes by demanding that .'the gross
earnings tax on railroad earnings he
increased to 4 per cent, as recommend
ed by Gov. Lind to the last legisla-
| ture.'' g "A II 81 N 81 :s 4l ifS E#s sS%
Not Even Recomncnl by LIND. 4
AS matter of fact, Gov. Lind's mes
! sage to the legislature OF 1899 contains
no such recommendation; but I find OH
page 20 Of the state auditors report,
submitted to the legislature Of 1898,
several days in advance of the govern
or,s message, a recommendation that
the legislature increase the gross
earnings tax to a per cent. 1t lis true
that the governor recommended an in
crease in the tax, but he made no such
SPECIFIC recommendation as is claimed
IN the Democratic platform No one
to-day denies that the plan Of taxing
the gross earnings of railroads is the
best and most convenient that could
be devised. The Republican state
platform Endorses the plan and urges
that the rate of such taxation be
maintained at such a figure as to
make the tax annually collected from.
the railroads equal and uniform with
! the taxes imposed on other property
throughout the state. %t.s
! While on this subject Of taxation.
| let me draw your attention to another
matter which would not be surprised
to hear had also been appropriated by
our Democratic friends. / refer to the
| in the northeastern part Of the state.
Formerly this class Of property es-
capped all other taxation by paying a
state tax of / cent per ton on the gross
output of the mines, and the total
amount of tax for any one year ranged
from $4,000, In 1891, to s24. 721.OO, in
1896. In 1896 Attorney General Chi1ds
| furnished the state auditor with his
opinion, to the effect that the 4 cent
tax per ton was Unconstitutional; and
all mines and mineral lands were,
! therefore placed upon the assessment
rolls Of the different counties ~ he
assessed and taxed the same as the
property Of other corporations and In
dividuals.
Prior to that time the counties in
which the mines were situated had not
received a cent Of taxes from this
property. and the burden Of maintain
ing the county government, admins
trative, judicial. etc. was borne by the
small property owner. The legislature
repealed the law providing for the l
cent per ton tax, and in 1896, and since
that year, the property Of the mine
owners has been taxed upon an as
sessed valuation. like other property.
Each year the Valua ton has been In
creased, and for this year the amount
Of taxes paid by the mine owners is
about $3.50, 100000, and It must be re-
memkered that *nine--t enths OF this tax
goes into the tres sury Of the county in
which the property is situated, the
state receiving the other tenth. The
result is that&th burden - of taxation
upon the people has been decreased at
least one half in the counties affect
ed. q might also mention the fact that
Republican legisl ature gave to the
state board OF equalization the power