The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-09-28

| or the same. The result was tnat Wnen
a. loss was sustained the insurance
company refused to pay the amount Of
| the policy. In many cases, especially
if the party who sustained the loss was
| poor and unable to indulge in the lux
ury of an expensive lawyer and court
fees. a compromise would be effected
and the company would pay from one
third to one-half of the amount of the
policy.
The Republican legislature of 1895 en-
acted a law which requires and compels
insurance companies doing business in
this state to pay the full amount of the
face of the policy if loss is total. (See
section %. chapter us. Gen. Laws Of
1889
Taxation of Mines and Mineral
Lands
Until 1895 the mining properties in
the northeastern part of the state did
not bear their just proportion of the
burdens of taxation. When the mining
of iron ore was in its infancy the Leg
islature, in order to encourage the
opening and development of the mines,
provided for tax of cent per ton on
the output in lieu of all other taxation.
In 1897 the 1-cent per ton law was re-
was assessed and taxed the same as
all other classes of property, but prior
to action by the legislature Attorney
General Childs, in response to an in
quiry by the state auditor, had held the
1-cent per ton tax to be unconstitu-
tional. Prior to 1895 the highest tax
paid in any one year under the 1-cent
per ton law amounted to less than
100000; this year the mining corpora
tons will pay taxes amounting to over
$2S0000. Chapter 2S5, Laws of 1899, pro-
vides severe penalties for the removal
of timber on mineral land before the
current taxes are paid, and that law is
being rigidly enforced. It seems to me
as If our legislatures had taken every
precaution to compel the mining and
lumber corporations to pay their taxes
Taxing Unused Railroad Lands.
The law for the taxation of unused
railroad lands has placed upward Of
100000 acres of land upon the tax rolls
Presenting that these lands are as
sessed at SO per acre, the average rate
of per cent would produce $50, 900 in
taxes annually. The validity of the law
has been passed upon and sustained by
our state supreme court, and in all
human probability the supreme court
of the United States will uphold the
decision of our state courts The en-
actment of the law taxing unused rail-
road lands is sufficient answer to
those of our political opponents who
unblushingly assert that the Repub-
lican party of Minnesota is dominated
by railroad influences.
Red River Valley Drainage.
The drainage of the low, wet lands of
that great wheat producing district,
the Red river valley, is one of the inn
portant works for which the farmers
of that district have to thank the in
telligent and self-denying labors of a
Republican board of commissioners.
This board, of which the Hon. Ezra G.
Valentine of Breckenridge was presi-
dent, consisted of three members who
served without salaries and whose ag-
gregate expenses during the whole of
the nine years when the bitches were
being constructed, only amounted to
81, 555.41, or about $58 per year each.
For this work the state appropriated
$157,5O and the Great Northern
railway donated $4,000, a total of
$1S2,500. Eighteen bitches and four
extensions of the same, 117.47 miles
in length, We're constructed in the
counties of Kittson, Marshall, Polk,
Norman, Clay, Wilkin and Trav-
erse, draining in all about 2,0OO, 600
acres Of land. 1t is highly cred
liable to the board that SO 5-10 per cent
of the $1S2,500 at their disposal Was
spent in actual work, so Ito per cent
being paid to the different contractors,
and $40 per cent to the engineers. For
securing the right of way $40 of per
cent of the appropriation was expend-
ed; for advertising for bids and for
printing the percentage of cost was
2-10 of 1 per cent and the expenses of
the commissioners were $40 of per
cent This is splendid record and
cannot fail to be highly gratifying to
the taxpayers of the state. BY this
work it is estimated that 100000 acres
of the low lands of the Red river valley
have been benefited, it's value has been
increased and the danger to the farm
ers' crops from spring freshets and wet
seasons has been largely decreased.
The state bitches are now under the
control of state drainage commits
sion and the construction of cross
bitches is under their supervision in
OfQer JnaC the pest results can De Sc
cured by systematic drainage work.
State Board of Health.
Republican legislatures have not over
looked the care and preservation of the
public health. Our state to-day has one
of the most perfect health departments
to be found in the United States.
Owing to the high state of efficiency
that exists in the department infectious
diseases are carefully guarded against
and promptly and vigorously handled.
In 1885 the legislature added to the use
fitness of the board of health by Gre
ating a department to prevent the
spread of contagious diseases among
cattle, horses, swine and other domes-
tic animals, and the intelligent efforts
of the board in this direction has saved
the farmers of the state many thou
sands of dollars.
The New Capitol.
The people of Minnesota can take
pardonable< pride in their new capitol
building, the construction of which was
authorized by the legislature of 1893.
It's cost will not exceed the amount ap-
propriated, namely, $2,000,000, and it is
being honestly and substantially built.
This work affords a pleasing contrast
to the experience of some other states
which have suffered from the extrava-
gance and mismanagement of political
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