The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-10-25

+oSSN Ny SAC 1cuSIdA LAWS VI IAS 9tdkS
OF Minnesota enacted at the General Ses-
sion OF the Legislature in 1901 and the
Extra Session in 1902, as well as a synop-
sis Of Chapter $50 of the General Laws OF
1901. being an Act involving the taxation
OF railroad property, to be submitted to
the electors Of the State for adoption or
rejection at the next General Election.
Yours respectfully, @ElE.
w. B. DOUGLAS,
Attorney General.
SYNOPSES OF AMENDMENTS TO
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE
OF MINNESOTA PROPOSED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE SAID STATE
AT THE GENERAL SESSION IN 1901
AND THE EXTRA SESSION IN 1902,
AS WELL AS A SYONPSIS OF CHAP
OF 1901, PROPOSING AN INCREASE
OF THE GROSS EARNINGS TAX
UPON RAILROAD PROPERTIES.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section
32a, of Article w of the State Constitu-
ZION, the Legislature by Act approved
April =, 1901, known as Chapter $50 of the
General Laws Of 1901, present to the cleo
tors of the State for rejection or approval,
the following, to wit:
Section 1. That every railway company
owning or operating any line of railway
"AStilH, VI partly W1Lnlu, CnlS
state shall, during the year 1903, and an
nua!ly thereafter, pay into the treasury
OIL thls fb3 as taxes upon all property
railway purposes by such company, in
Guiding equipment, appurtenances, APP
pendages and franchises thereof, sum
OF money equal to four a. per cent of the
gross earnings derived from the operation
or such line of railway within this state;
ana the payment of such taxes shall be in
tull and in lieu of all other taxes upon the
n,pi cno
lands ACQUIRED by public grant shall be
ana remain exempt from taxation until
sold ar or contracted to be sold conveyed
as provided In the respective acts whereby
such grants were made or recognized.
Sec. 2. The term the gross earnings
derived from the operation of such line
Section 5n of this act is hereby d In
clared and shall be construed to mean all
earnings on business beginning and end
Ing within the state, and a proportion Of
earnings on all interstate business passing
through, into or out of the state as the
mileage operated within the state bears
10 me entire mileage operated by such
Sec. g. All acts and parts of acts not
inconsistent herewith regulating the pay
ment, collection, time of payment, en-
amount of taxes upon the gross earnings
or railroad companies within this state or
providing penalties for the non-payment
Of such taxes, are hereby made applica-
BILE to this act so far as may be; and all
acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
the provisions of this act are hereby re-
pealed.
Sec. 4. Upon failure to pay the amount
OF s4cf taxes legally due upon the dates
ment thereof, in addition to existing rem
edies, collection may be enforced in a
civil action brought in the name Of the
state of Minnesota in the district court
Of any county. -.
Sec. 5. This act shall be submitted to
the people of this state for their approval
or rejection at the next general election
for the year 1902 = . . .
(The omitted provision refers to the
method of printing the ballot and submit
ting the act for ratification)
This act provides for an increase
OF the amount of taxes collected by
the State upon the property of the
railroads situated within the State,
from three per cent upon the gross
earnings derived from the operation
of such lines of railway within the
State, to Il sum of money equal to
four per cent upon the gross earn
ings derived from the operation of
such lines of railway therein.
Under the terms of the Constftu-
ton above referred to, this Act of
the Legislature must be submitted
to legal voters of the State, and will
become operative If adopted by n
majority of such electors voting at
the next general election.
i, II.
BY an Act of the Legislature of the
state of Minnesota, approved February
%, 1901, and known as House File No.
100, it is proposed to amend Article
Eight 90, Section Six co. Of the Consti-
tuition. - - -"
This Section as now existing reads as
follows:
Section 6. The permanent school and
university fund of this State NAV be in
vested in the purchase of bonds Of any
county, school district, city, town or
village of this state, but no such invest
the board ct commissioner designated nv
law to regulate the investment of the
permanent school fund and the perna-
n sSn, u univ -sity fund Of this State; nor
when the issue of which the same in
part part would make the entire bonded in
eXeesd seven per cent of the
property of the county, school district.
city. town or village issuing such Bonds:
iowep rate Of tbd 6
three per cent per annum nor for a short
er period than five 90 years nor for a
Ung1 Of than fba Twenty S and
village, city or county lines shall relieve
the real property in such town, school
este fSeu te OF age or of city in this
such bonds. '
IL IS pIOpOSeu ny SAID act to amend the
same so as to read as follows: : -
Section 6. The permanent school and
university fund of this State may be in
stret IN ctv }oWn Of any
state. but no such investment shall be
made until approved by the board Of
asngaat Of 5S aw no
school fund and the permanent univer-
sity, fund Of this state; nor shall
the bonds to be issued or purchased ed
would make the entire bonded indebted
ness exceed fifteen d5) per cent Of the
property of the county, school district.
city z teMn or vlags issun Seh bends
made at lower rate of interest than
three 90 per cent per annum, nor for A
shorter period than five % years, nor
Tor longer snG pSerod than twenty (2
district, city, village, or of county lines.
shall relieve the real property in such
town. school district. county, village or
city in this state. at the time Of the issu--
ing Of such bonds from any liability for
taxation to pay such bonds. - /
The effect of the above am ndment,
if adopted, will be to authorize the
investment of the permanent school
and university fund of this state for
n period Of not less than five s(51 or
more than twenty (2O) years, Mt am
interest rate not less than three {3l.
per cent per annum, I'm the bonds OF
any county, school district, city,
town, or village of this state, when
the bonds to be issued or purchased
will not make the entire bond eI
indebtedness of such mun1cIpaIItIes
exec ed Afteenti5) per cent aof the
assessed valuation Of the taxable
real property eontained therein.
The substantial change propOsed
by said amendment is to authorize
such investments when the entire
1ndebtedness,in including the loan Tn