The Princeton union., 1900-09-27

Eof the same. The result WI Mn NJ EthS u sn
~ loss was sUSt ga N tl.e & lnsutance
|sc0rnpany refused ia ia the anlonnt sot
the poll ia many cases, esfecIaliy
8if the party who susta lined the loss was
poor and unable to Ia ndulge In the lux
ury Of an expensive lawyer and court
fees, q compromise would be effected
and the company would pay from one
bird to one half OF the amount sof the
policy. g5ES III $sss fs,
The Republi lican legislature Of 1895 en-
acted ii law which requires an a compels
insurance companies doing busineas In
this state to pay the full am mount sof the
face Of the policy II loss Is total. (See
section u. chapter 175. Gen. Laws 81
1896.
axntion ~ NJ Ines i nd 4 Min ernl
Until 1895 the mining properties In
the northeastern part of the state did
not bear their Just prop ortion OF the
burdens OF taxation. When the miliing
Of iron ore was In Its infancy the legs
1slature. In order TO q encourage the
opening and development of the mines
sproyi ided8 for q tax OF il cent per tom on
the output In lieu OF all other taxation.
4 In 1897 the 1-cent per ton law was re-
\ 5pealed and mines and mining property
/ was assessed and taxed the same as
all other classes Of property but prior
1 to acttonsby the legislature Attorney
General Childs. In response to an In
quiry by the state auditor, had held the
4 l-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 "
ttons will pay taxes amounting to over
$3.50. 900. Chapter 235. Laws Of 1899, pro-
yides severe penalties for the removal
OF timber on mineral land before the
current taxes are paid and that law is
being rigidly enforced. 1T seems to me
as II our legislatures had taken every
precaution to compel the mining and
lumber corporations to bay their taxes
Taxing Unused Railroad Lands. 8
i The law for the taxation Of unused
railroad lands has placed upward OF
1,OOO. 900 acres Of land upon the tax rolls.
Presuming that these lands are as s
sessed at IS per acre, the average rate
ofE3 per cent would produce $50, 900 In
Il taxes tax annually, The validity OF the law
mas peen passed upon and sustained by
our tie supreme court and in all
human hui probab ability 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 a sufficient answer Il to
those OF our political opponents who
un blushingly assert that the Repub-
lican party Of Minnesota is dominated
by railroad Influences. vi E3ss ~
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-
Ssregate expenses during the whole Of
the nine years when the bitches were
being constructed, only amounted to
81, ,555 Al, or about $5S per year each.
For this work the state appropriated
s157,5O0 and the Great Northern
railway donated $4,000, q total y Of
$182.50O. Eighteen bitches and four
extensions Of the same, 117.47 miles
in length. were constructed IN the
counties of Kittson, Marshal, & Polk,
Norman, Clay, Wilkin and Trav-
erse, draining IN all about 2, 900. 900
acres of land. It is highly cred
liable to the board that SO $40 per cent
of the $182,500 at their disposal was
spent in actual work, 80 ITO per cent
being paid to the different contractors,
and & $40 per cent to the engineers. For
securing the right Of way 5-10 OF Il per
cent Of the appropriation was expend-
ed; for advertising for bids and for
printing the percentage Of cost was
g2-10 of II per cent and the expenses Of
the commissioners were $40 aOf / per
cent. This is splendid record and
cannot fail to be highly gratifying to
the taxpayers Of the state. ia BY this
work it is estimated that 2, ,OOO, 900 acres
of the low lands of the Red river valley
have been benefited, its 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 a state drainage commits
sion and the con nstruction of cross
oAICllCS 44S
order that the best results can be se-
cured by systematic drainage work.
* State Board OF Health.
Republ blican Legislature 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 depar rtrhent nfectious
diseases are carefully guarded against
and promptly and vigorously handled.
In 1885 the legislature added to the use-
fulness Of the board Of health by cre-
ating department to prevent the
spread Of contagious diseases among
cattle, horses. swine and other domes-
tic animals, and the Intelligent efforts
9of the board in this direction has saved
the farmers OF the state many thou
sands Of dollars. Il 4 s55 sSs n
The New Capitol. Il
The people Of Minnesota can take
pardonable pride In their new capitol
building, the construct ion OF which was
authorized BY the legislature Of 1893.
Its cost will not exceed the amount ap-
propriated, namely, 81, ,00O, 900, and At ii
being honestly and substantially built.
This work affords q pleasing contrast