The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-02-28


;eS, and lf the money were diverted
INTO the state treasury it would have
10 he made up by extra taxes levied
against all other classes of property.
This would so greatly add 10 their
taxes that private property owners on
the range would I've bankrupted. The
value OF the holdings of individuals
would shrink in propOrt ion Ia he rise
IN taxes, the cost of living would he
Increased to renters OF houses and an
intolerable and disastrous condition
would result.
Deputy County Auditor Arthur
Marvin said Monday tOa News Tri-
bune reporter:
Il cannot see under what pretext
the state can claim the mining I xes
or this county any more than lie tax
eS on other classes of property. The
mines are protected 10y county aud
town authorities just the same IN The
holdings of individuals, and there is
no EXCUSE for the state claiming the
takes levied against them.
III THIS amendment were made to
The constitution there would he moth
ing left for the small property own
ers on the ranges but To sell out Or 20
into bankruptcy. 1t would add about
two hundred thousand dollars year
TO their burdens. which are heavy
enough now. The schools in the
range towns would be disastrOusly
affected. Take for Instance DislIiCb
No. %, in which is situated the viii
laye Of Virginia. The schools OF this
district are run at a. cost or S2I 900 q
year, and most of this comes OUT OF
the pockets OF the mining companies,
which own the bulk uf the property
in the district. This would he lost
under the proposed amendment and
all other classes of property would I've
called upon 10 make it up. Tie rate
would he so high that it would he
more profitable for the small taxpay-
er TO surrender his property than to
pay taxes upon it,.
1.-The county would lose the thirty
thousand dollars it, receives now, aid
all the properly owners must make it
good. Moreover. we would be called
upon to furnish protection /" tie
mines, for which We would receive
little in return.
."rhe value and number of the
mines is constantly increasing. New
properties are frequently being open
ed up, and the taxation valuation
will doubles ne enormously ihcreaS-
ed in the very near future. The Out
side legislators no doubt have This i'm
mind. and see in il Il good thing for
their c0nsi iluencies, if the taxes can
he turned into the state treasury.
The stale is getting its share now.
IT, deserves no more. and the attempt
TO squeeze this county for the henftt
of the remainder Of the state should
he resist ed by every means in our
power = 4
toliuwIlig is the prup0sed amends
nlent TO Article 9 of the Constitution,
bearing upon the questions:
Be it enacted by the Legislature OF the
State of Minnesota:
Sectionl. The following amendment to-
Article 9, OF the Constitution of the State OF
Minnesota. is hereby proposed to the people
of said state for their approval or rejection:
that is to say: Amend Articles by adding
thereto the following section, to be number
ed Section 1S tO-wit
Section Is. The legislature may. in its dis
cretion impose tonnage tax upon al iron
land from which the same is removed ana
may. i'm its discretion. provide FOR TAXA
tion of the mine output. by tonnage tax or
otherwise. and also upon the land; or for a
tonnage tax upon the output under certain
conditions and a tax upon the land under
certain conditions. to he specified and may,
tonnage tax. according to the quality Of the
ore. or upon any othe basis; and may. in its
discretion. provide the manner in which any
and all taxes upon mineral lands and the
output thereof. or either. shall be distribute
ed.
mitted TO the voters Of this state. at the
next general election, in the manner pre-
scribed by law for the submission of consti-
tutiunal amendments.
Section 3. This act shall take effect and
be III force from and alter its passage.
The proposed constitutional amend
meul would take from ST. LOUIS cuun-
~ The power of local self government
in he matter of levying Il tax on
property within it's Jurisdiction. and
transferring that power to the legi5-
iature. The county under the pro-
posed amendment would be 1T the
mercy of any whim OF the legislature
as regards the amount and the dist ri
button Of the tonnage tax. The legis-
lalure could lake it, all for the state
if it, saw fit, tile same as is done with
gross earnings tax on railroads. A
great additional burden of taxat ion.
IN case the Legislature should take he
great bulk of The tonnage tax, would
fall on Duluth. The range towns, as
already slated, would be confronted
with bankruptcy.
To show the injustice that would
be done ST. Louis county prominent
taxpayer, who has been investigating.
says: 1.-The three iron ore roads OF
ST. Louis county. when they have
paid all of their gross earnings tax
for 1901. will have paid two-tifths Of
the entire tax of the state. St. Louis
county has from this source alone
contributed more than it's share Of
the state tax. not including the heavy
terminals of other roads here, and
he regular state tax from OF her
sources. A county that yields such
rich returns to the state should not
he ground down and robbed of The
benefits OF its heritage when the estate
il already generously benefited. Ii
the Legislature were TO impose ton
mage tax and fix she states share al a
reasonable figure there might not he
sU much opposition. hut the lpgisla-
ture under the proposed amendment
can take every cent Of il lit desires,
and nobody needs to be told that this
matter of leaving the distribution Of
the tax to the legislature looks omin-
Gus for st. Louis county"