The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-04
The Senate Is. Prepared to
Amend the Jacobson
Bill.
Corporation Features Will Be
Amended and Tonnage
Tax Removed.
Twin City Business Men Pro
test Against a Tax Com
mission.

= The jacobson tax bill came under
calling fire again this afternoon, at a
was directed by representatives OF public
service corporations. They presented
facts and figures to show that If the law
is strictly enforced, twill mean COM
mercial disaster to them.
Farmers and friends of the bill say they
want to be fair, and have no intention of
depressing the companies. AS long as
other property Is not assessed at it's full
value, they say, there is no Intention to
discriminate againsc the great municipal
corporations. No one, they explain, ex-
poets the Jacobson bill to be enforced
literally, any more than the other tax
laws upon tine statute books. The bill as
it stands, however, is drastic and binding
and would doubtless brighten tfnid cap
ital from investing in the stock OF these
companies. Friends Of the bill realize
this, and will consent to an amendment.
The bill now reads:
In ascertaining the value Of any franchise
subject to taxation under this and the proceed
ing sections Of this act, the assessor or assess
ing board shall add together the value Of the
capital stock and funded or bonded debt OF
any such person or company as determined
by him or it. and shall deduct therefrom the
value of the real and personal property rem
dered for taxation by SUCH person or COM
pany, and the residue shall be used as the
basis for ascertaining the value of the fran
chise owned py such person or company, and
l 1~1,
value Of the franchise. which shall be sub
| ject to taxation in that amount as such.
If the gross earnings tax is not author
lied, this clause Will probably be amended
before the bill leaves the committee, to
provide simply that after the value OF
the franchise is ascertained, it shall be
assessed on the same basis as other
property in the state.
| This tonnage tax on iron ore Will be
stricken out. This will be4done In com
mittee, eliminating from the bill Sections
| IS to 36, inclusive. A big delegation from
| the range towns arrived in St. Paul this
morning to protest against this tax, but
were told that they need not appear. y The
senate is agreed that this feature of the
bill shall go out.
Tax Commission Opposed.
There is opposition in the senate to the
tax commission. It comes from the anti
administration republicans and some D.
| the democrats. who argue on the line
taken by the state auditor, that withou!
a general tax code there is no need of ,
commission. On this point the issue viii
be drawn between friends and enemies
OF the state adpoinistration.
| Friends of tax reform believe that ii
| it's amended shape the Jacobson bill will
go through the senate without much o
a fight, and that the house will agree tt
! the amendments. 4-s5.r1~
The morning sessions in each house wa
spent on minor legislation. AL sorts o
| local and curative acts have been dumped
4 upon general orders, clogging the wheel
of legislation.
A Business Mems Protest.
| A delegation of business men waited o.
the senate tax committee this Afternoon
to protest against the creation of a per
manent tax commission. T.. L. Schur
1 meier Of St. Paul said the objections Q
| the business men Of Minneapolis, st. Pau
and Duluth would be presented by R. A
Z Kirk of Farwell, Ozmun, Kirk & &C
7 George H. Partridge and w. W. Heffel
:. finger Of Minneapolis, pere present, bu
/ Mr.. Kirk acted as spokesman. He oh
jected to the tax commission as useles
and expensive piece of machinery;
would either be ineffective or would in
terfere unnecessarily in local affair:
Taxation, he held, was largely a locs
matter and the present system left lc
, calities largely to themselves in maxim
assessments. This principal Of home rul
should prevail. The state board (
equalization gave representation to all IL
! calities, and With county boards full
nished all the machinery necessary.
Convention Bill Beaten.
Sherman Smiths bill, submitting to
vote of the people a proposition to hol
) a constitutional convention, was defeate
in the house this afternoon, 68 to 20,
, votes being required. Mr.. Smith, WI
, voted in the negative, moved that the vol
be reconsidered and that the bill
placed at the head of the calendar, whie
: was adopted. There was almost no d.
bate. Mr.. Smith spoke of the dversife
industries Of the state and the varial
conditions, all of which made legislatic
! complicated and demanded that II
, constitution. which had become ant
quated, be thoroughly revised. Represel
tative Burns could see no reason for
convention. No one else cared to arg,
. the question, and after tiresome ca
of the house, the vote was finally take
| Those who voted in the negative wer
Bean, Burns. Bush, Cooke, Cummin
: Dorsey, Fust, Calf, Gandrud, Harde
r Haugen, Herbert. Hurd, Johnsrud, Marti
: Morley, Nelson, II. K, Nolan, Norma
: Nyquist, oppegaard P1owman, Rapp, Ric
n Sander, Stark, Torson, Won VALID.
s. =