The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-19
OPPOSE VESSEL TAX
DULUTH PEOPLE SAY THE PRES
EMF LAW. SHOULD
STAND
IT'S THE ONLY CITY AFFECTED
State VIII Lose $4,000 and nu-
Iuth WiIl Lose Its Pres
tige as a Lake
Port.

There is every indication that the Du-
iuth representatives in the legislature
viii make q strong protest against the
passage Of that section of the new tax
law providing for a change in the method
of taxing floating property. The people
of Duluth believe or have been made to
believe, that they will suffer a great
financial loss if the bill passes in its
present form. They say that the tax
commission had no right to interfere
with this vessel taxation law. which APP
plies TO no other place in the state but
Duluth
The vessels on interior lakes and on the
rivers in the state are taxed under diff
ferent laws. The boats enrolled at Du-
luth are craft that navigate international
waters, and they are the only boats af-
fected by the 8 cents a net ton tax.
There is no law in New York state COW
ering the taxation of vessel property en-
rolled at Buffalo or Erie, and the vessel
men pay the 3-cent tax in Minnesota at
present because it is not much of a
hardship and they find Duluth a con-
Venicnt port.
A well known Duluthian, who opposes
this provision of the law, says:
''Duluth viii naturally protest because
Duluth has more at stake than the mere
loss OF taxes, which will be as nothing
in comparison to the loss of prestige as
port having a larger tonnage enrolled
than any other city on the great lakes.
Nesselmen assure us that the companies
viii transfer their boats to some other
port il the legislature passes this law
as it now stands. Ten of the largest
boats on the lake will be enrolled else
where the moment the legislature votes
To tax them at their full value as per-
sOnal property.
Should the law pass the state would
lose $4,000 in taxes.
Then again it viii have the effect Of
making null and void our efforts to in
crease the tonnage of the port Every
year we have succeeded in inducing new
craft to enroll al Duluth We have an
excellent opportunity to secure a large
number of new boats this year, but have
suspended our efforts III this direction
until We see what the legislature is going
to do.
Present Law Satisfactory.
"Tha present law for vessel taxation is
perfectly satisfactory to us II was
drawn by Senator Spencer. a. man who
knew our needs and conditions, and it
was drawn in the interests of this great
industry, which is doing so much for
Duluth and for this state. This law
applies only to Duluth, and we cannot
see why the legislature should wish to
change it, when the effect will be the
destruction Of our prestige as a lake
port 1t do not believe that the legis-
lature viii force this provision through,
once the true nature Of its effect is IN
derstood.'
What this business means to Duluth
can be inferred from the following state
ment Of the customs office:
OF the previous quarter, Sept. 50. there
"rhere were 2SS vessels enrolled at
Duluth Dec. 81, 1901, with an aggregate
gross tonnage of 38S,649 At the close
of the previous quarter, Sept so. there
were 292 vessels, with a total tonnage Of
5S5l27, which shows decrease of four
boats, but an increase in tonnage.
This increase in vessel tonnage has
been a feature of the reports for a
number of years and is due to the con-
stantly increasing size OF boats. A
striking illustration of that fact is
found in the reports of the freight car
ried. In 1890 there were $3.50 arrivals
and clearances, carrying 1858, 1868 tons
of freight, an average for each boat Of
1855 tons. In 1901 there We're 6,374 ar
rivals and clearances, carrying q total
tonnage Of n.524225 tons. an average
cargo Of 1,S08 tons.
Ten years ago an average cargo was
1l25 tons, and in 1885 it was 761.''