The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-02-22
GROSS EARNINGS TAX.
Representative JaC0bsOn's Bill
Seeks to Increase 1t.
Other Legislative Matters Which are 0c-
cupying the Thoughts of the SOIons
~---Prepairing for Omnibus


railroad taxation, there is in the re
cent utterance of the United State
supreme court nothing which bars al
increase in the present gross earning
tax. Soon after the decision wa1
handed down in the Anderson Law
case, Attorney General Douglas de
clared that after reading the opinion
very carefully he had come to the con
clusion that no bar had been set vi
against raising the rate of taxation,
and that the state had really won 6
great victory. The Judgment of the
attorney general has found expression
in a bill introduced in the house by
Mr.. Jacobson. The present measure
presents some important departures
from that of two years ago. 1t is, in
fact, patterned with some faithfulness
after the act of 1887, under which the
Great Northern today pays taxes. Be-
low will be found a copy of it's import
ant sections.
In addition to providing for a tax
and the submission to the voters at the
next general election of the question
of an increase, there is an attempt to
continue in force all the machinery
now at the command of the state. One
most important addition is in the
remedy granted the state for enforcing
taxes by action of the bill reads:
Section 1. That every person, COM
pany or corporation, owning or oper-
ating any lines of railway, situated
within, or partly within or partly
without this state, . shall, during the
year 1903, and annually thereafter,
pay into the treasury of the state as
taxes upon all property within this
state, owned or operated for railway
purposes, a sum of money equal to 4
per cent of the gross earnings derived
from the operation of such line of rail
way within this state, arising from
state and interstate traffic, and the
payment of such taxes shall be in full
and in lieu of all other taxes upon all
other property 10 taxed. The lands
acquired by public grant shall be and
remain exempt from taxation until
sold and conveyed, as provided in the
prospective acts whereby such grants
were made or recognized.
The amount of gross earnings in
Minnesota arising from interstate
traffic of such person, company or COR
poration for the purposes of this act,
shall be- ascertained by apportioning.to
the state suchss proportion of the total
earnings derived from such business
as the total-miles of such line of rail
way owned or operated within this
state, bears to the total miles of rail
way owned and operated as a System
by such person, company or corpora
ton, within or without this state.
Section two repeats previous acts
inconsistent with the present one.
Section three says:
Section 3. Upon failure to paysthe
amount OF such taxes Iegally.due upon
the dates heretofore provided by law
for the payment thereof, in addition
to existing remedies, collection may
be enforced in a civil action brought
in the name of the state in the district
court of a~nyscounty.
The fourth section provides for sub
mission to the people at the next gen
eral electionsof the question of in in
crease in the gross earnings tax from
3 TO 4 per cent.
Senator Halvorson's anti-cigarette
bill was passed with only five nays.
If the house concurs and Governor Van
SAINT attaches his signature it will be
a misdemeanor for any one to sell
cigarettes or cigarette paper anywhere
within the state. The offender may
be fined from $50 to 800 or impris-
oned from thirty to ninety days.
Considerable amusement was ex-
pected when the bill came up as many
had looked on Senator Halvorson's
as a freak" but the senate
took it seriously and the debate though
brief was dignified. When the vote
was taken, Senators Collier, Du Toit,
McGiIl, Meilicke and Stockwell were
the only one recorded against it.
Senator Wilson's bill, S. F. Ia, as
amended by the judiciary committee,
was passed. This requires judges to
file their decisions within four months
after a case has been submitted. Some
states have laws compelling a decision
within sixty days and the Minnesota
is considered conservative.
To accept free transportation o
other advancements and then Jump
the job will be made a misdemeanor,
in case a bill, offered by Senator
Buchanan becomes a law. Railways
have for years been swindled by
laborers' accepting free transportation
to certain points to do railroad work,
and on their arrival promptly leaving
their places for better ones. Senator
Buchanan wants to. prevent such prac-
tices.
Representative Sweets kidnapping
bill finds favor in the senate. In COM
mittee of the whole it was recon-
mended for passage.
The senate committee on game and.
game laws this morning recommended
Senator Meilicke's bill, prohibiting
the shipment of duck, geese and brant
and other aquatic fowl from the state.
The bill is aimed at sspot hunters"