The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-08-01
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

them at all, in effect votes against
them. To vote for them you have
to mark the ballot. to vote against
them you merely have to do moth
ing. 1t is therefore absolutely es-
sential that the voter mark his bal
lot if he wants the amendments to
pass. This years proposed amend
ments are also the most important
ever submitted in this state.
Four constitutional amendments
will be on the ballots. The first is
on the increase of the gross earn
ings tax of railroads from three to
four per cent. The second is to in
crease the size of state loans that
can be made to cities, villages, towns
and school districts. The third
concerns state aid in road and
bridge building. The fourth is to
permit the drawing of a model tax
law.
The legislature, recognizing the
importance Of such measures and
the importance of having every one
vote on them has placed the amend
ments first on the ballot-right at
the top. If you do not mark your
ballot, it counts as a vote against
the amendments but it does not
show conclusively that you do not
approve of them, but only that you
were Indifferent. Mark each amend
nent yes" or "no' and then there
can be no question as to what you
| want.
THE GROSS EARNINGS TAX.
Under the constitution the rail
roads do not pay any direct tax on
their tracks, cars, engines, depots
or any property used by them for
railroad purposes. In place of all
other taxes, however, the railroads
pay a tax of three per cent of all
their earnings from the operation
of their lines within the state. This
| includes all business done begin
ming and ending in the state, and a
just proportion of their earnings
on all interstate business passing
through, coming into or going out
of the state. This three per cent
tax last year was about 81 100000. 1t
is now proposed to make this tax
four per cent, which would this last
year have made it $2,10OOOO. The
vote of the people on this will be
absolute and final. No law will be
required to carry it into effect and
the supreme court has already held
that this increase can be made as
to all roads organized since Mime
sofa became state and Attorney
General Douglas holds it has the
same power as to the roads organ
lied while Minnesota was a terri
tory. In any event this vote will
simply show if the people want
this railroad tax increased; any
question as to the right to increase
it as to part of the roads, the courts
can settle.
STATE LOANS AMENDMENT.
The constitution now permits
loans to be made from the perma
nent school and university funds to
counties, school districts, towns
cities and villages at not less than
three per cent interest, for not less
than five nor longer than twenty
years, when the loan does not make
the total bonded debt of the Dor.
rover exceed seven per cent of the
assessed valuation.
The proposed amendment only
changes this by increasing the
amount that can be loaned from
seven to fifteen per cent of the as
sessed valuation. The constitution
fixes all state loans at three pei
cent net. No state funds can be
loaned for less than this and yet as
the money market is now and has
been for some time it is almost i'm
possible to get safe investments ir
large sums at that rate. The com
mission consisting of the Governor
Auditor and Treasurer have hunted
the country over for safe loans anG
yet fight here at home our owr
people have been paying on thei,
county, school, town, village ant
city bonds seldom less than five pc,
tcent. AS every voter knows, thes,
loans are absolutely safe. The ex