The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-16
DOUGLAS HAS
TAX REMEDY
ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFERS CON-
STTTUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

Attorney General w. B. Douglas is the
latest Republican to admit the consti-
tutional amendments proposed by the tax
commission are bad, and offers the leg
iSlature a substitute set.
Gen. Douglas appeared yesterday morn
ing before the house committee on taxes
and tax laws to explain to it why the
commissions constitutional amendments
are bad and suggest remedies. First he
told the committee that the amendments
proposed by the commission are not clear,
and his second and chief objection to
! them lay in the charge that if enacted
they would again plunge the state into
| the difficulties incident to special Iegisla-
ton. Gen. Douglas said the state strug-
gIed thirty-tWO years to throw Oft the
bonds Of special legislation, which the
commission purposes to saddle on it
again by allowing counties to determine
each for itself its exempted classes OF
property.
He insisted that the clause within its
territorial limits should be stricken
from the second section of the proposed
article 8, and that the state, through it's
legislature, should be the unit which
administers the tax laws. He said prop
erty must be taxed by classes to insure
uniformity, but that the law should be
promulgated by the legislature instead
of by the officials of separate counties,
or the counties would at once commence
a system of competitive bidding, through
exemptions, for manufacturing and COM
mercial interests.
tiCnal amendment adopted in 1856, which
provides for a specific tax for sleeping
car, drawing room car and similar cor
pCTatiOnS be repealed. The amendments
proposed by the attorney general are as
follows:
Section 1. The following amendments
to section l, 2, and 4, Of article 9, of the
constitution Of the state of Minnesota
and the repeal Of the amendment added
at the end of article 8, Of said constitu-
ton in 1886, are hereby severally pro-
posed to the people of the state of Min
that rs to say:
n That said sections Of article 9 be so
amended as to read as follows, respec-
lively:
Section l. All taxes shall be as nearly
equal as may be, and the power of tax
alton shall never be surrendered or sus-
pended. All legislative enactments in
yolYing the same shall be subject to
amendment or repeal
Sec. 2. All taxes shall be uniform upon
the same class of subjects, and shall
be levied and collected under general
laws for public purposes.
Sec. 3. Laws shall be passed taxing all
moneys, credits, investments in bonds
stocks, joint stock companies or other
wise, and also all real and personal prop
erty, on the basis set forth in said Sec
ton ?; but public burying grounds. public
school houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges, universities and all seminaries
Of learning, all churches, church prop
erty used for religious purposes and
houses of worship, institutions of purely
public charity, public property used ex-
clusively for any public purpose, and per-
sCnal property to an amount not exceed
ing $500 for each individual being the
head of family, shall by general laws
be exempt from taxation.
Sec. 4. The legislature may by general
law, authorize municipal corporations to
levy assessments for local improvements
upon the property fronting Upon such
improvements, or upon the property to
be benefited thereby or both, without re-
gard to a cash valuation, and in such
manner as the legislature may prexeribe
Sec. >. That the amendment aided at
year 1896, relating to the taxation Of the
property Of sleeping, drawing room, par
lor car and other companies and owners
be repealed.