The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-05
TAxLAW IS NOT JUST
so SAY SENATOR JULIUS COLLIER
AND OTHER LEGIs4
i#3 AAfOhS H. #H
THE OPPOSITION Is ACTIVE
Six Hundred HenneDin County Bust
ness Men Sign Petition Urging
Legislature to Defer
Action.

Speaker NJ. J. Bowling may be right
when he says there is very little actual
opposition to the tax bill, but the ex.
pressions Of the members Of the legis-
lature yesterday did not. bear out his
view Of the matter. The opposition to
the proposed law seems very determined
and very active, and it is very general
just as it stands the bill cannot pos
slpIy pass" said Senator julius Collier,
OF scott county, yesterday. "It Is not
as good, nor as equitable a law as the
one we now have, and it will have to be
materially amended before it can pass
The opposition to the law Is not from the
Jobbers Of the city alone, but from the
farmers and small dealers in the country
districts as well. 1 have heard some
very stringent criticisms made by farm
ers in my district"
Senator Collier says the board of control
bill will surely be brought UP at the
extra session.
a well known Republican senator said
yesterday: i am opposed to the tax
law both as citizen and as a RepubIi-
can. AS citizen, because it will be a
DIow to the state; and as a Republican
because If the bill passes as it now
stands 1t will defeat the Republican
party"
senator Hitler Horton, Of st. Paul, says:
nave every respect for the members
OF me commission, but they have made
q MISTAKE when they set their judgment
up as lntaIible. They say that the bill
II uSl go through as it stands, or it's SYM
nn .5ty ana equilibrium will be spoiled.
Out OF the difference to the superior wis
doIu OF the commission, l will agree to
support the bill as it stands, but just as
soon as II is amended 1 will fight 1t to
a. Iln ll what Is the use of passing it if
IT'S symmetry is spoiled?
Seriously, I think the commission might
nave done better than to copy the law Of
Indiana. Any law student could have
done that Why didn't thew if thew must
copy the laws of other states use those
OF New York, Massachusetts Michigan
or some other progressive and prosperous
states. Why copy the drastic, in
qulsltorIaI laws of Indiana?
Governor Is Criticised.
Senator. Horizons criticism did not stop
with the tax commission. He said:
suppose the. governor will ask for
money to pay his attorneys. Well, I am
IN favor of paying them. When such an
array of legal talent takes two weeks of
time to go to Washington and file a
paper which could just as well have been
paid for their time.
There is no need, anyway, for all this
Iuss at Washington. That suit should
have been brought in Minnesota The
state should have sued out an
an Injunction against the secretary
of state, to restrain him from accepting
the articles of the Northern Securities
company for filing in Minnesota. That
would have made the company an ONT
law IN Minnesota, and how long would
1t last under such a status? 1t would
nave TO come into the state sooner or
later to do business, and if debarred from
the state, it would no longer have stand
ing in the financial world.
Secretary L. A. Rosing, Of the Demo-
cratic state central committee, fayors the
bill. He says:
j regard the tax bill as on the whole
an excellent measure. The three abIe
gentlemen who drew it have evidently
been free from the pressure of outside
influence. | think, however, that if its
orast!G FEATURES are enforced as intended,
1t will bring the people of the state
around to favor abohshing tax on ner-
sonal property altogether
L lnlnk the Democratic members of the
legislature are approaching this question
in high minded way. If the bill fails
to pass, the Republicans will be. RESPONSE
BILE 0'''i-
The Hennepin county opposition to the
bill took definite shape yesterday when
the following petition was sent to the
Hennepin county delegation in both house
and senate:
The undersigned agree with the final
conclusion of the tax commission that
the amendment of the tax provisions
or the constitution for the reasons urged
in this report, should be early effected.
IN their present form they are an in
superable obstacle to proper legislation.
Until the constitution is amended we
believe it unwise to experiment with
new and confessedly imperfect system
Of taxation. We also think that the peo-
pie should have more time in which to
study and understand the provisions Of
the proposed law We therefore respect-
fully request that you use your efforts
to defer action upon the proposed tax law
until the next regular session of the
legislature.
This petition is signed by over GOO lead
ing merchants, business men, lawyers.
laboring men and commission men.