The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-22
TO FIGHT
SENATOR DAUGHERTY WANTS d.
LUTH CITIZENS 70 BACK
DELEGATION
TAX LAW MUST BE REMEDIED
Explains How Duluth Will Suffer by
Change in Present Method of
Taxing Vessels and
Grain

Senator DaUgherty, of ST. Louis coun-
ty, has been studying the tax bill, and
thinks he sees in it several things which
menace the prosperity of DulCth. The
senator thinks the people Of Duluth
ought to take some action before the
session meets, so that the delegation may
go to the session with a well defined
line of action before them, backed UP
by the sentiment of their constituents.
He believes that the people ought to take
the responsibility and instruct their rep
resentatives as to the course they expect
them to pursue at the extra session.
Senator Daugherty says:
One of the features of the tax report
that promises to injure Duluth more than
any other, not excepting the change in
the SySte moi taxing vessel property,
which is serious enough, is the effect on
grain in terminal elevators. The eleva-
tors get something like one-haf cent
a DuSheI for handling grain, and much
of 1T comes here, especially the coarse
grains is procured, against strong COM
petition in the Southwest 1t is proposed
to assess all grain at its full value If
the legislature passes this provision it
will be hard blow at Duluth. 1t will
raise the price of bread in the North
west, and will take thousands of dollars
out of the pockets of the working,nen
of Duluth, and in the course Of events
cut Of the pockets Of the business men
whom the laboring men patronize.
Every boat that comes to Duluth to
unload and take on a down cargo dis
tributes to labor, directly and indirectly
in Duluth, from $1,000 to 81 200 Some
Ecats distribute more, but l am using
tlgures conservatively. The big cost of
the transportation business is at the
terminal and transfer points. 1t is
there that the freight is unloadeI from
cars into the elevators and ware
houses and then into boats, and FROM
the boats to warehouses and then into
cars. All Of this requires labor at good
ing to be compelled to pay tax greater
than their income from handling grain
they simply can't afford to continue.
The grain will go elsewhere just as nat
uraliy as water will run down hill.
Let us suppose L owned a boat ard
wanted to charter it to carry a cargo
of coal to the head of the lakes I
would naturally prefer to charter for
delivery OF the coal at Superior, l,c-
cause that is where | would be likely
to have to get my return load of grain
ii the Minnesota laws had driven head
of-the-lake grain to the Wisconsin,
shore. In that way the law would work
an injury to the coal docks of D1iu7h
Competition in the carrying trade is
now so close that a few cents ton
would turn the scale. Laboring men
of Duluth should get interested IA the
proposed tax IegisIa ton The effect of
the proposed law on the grain business
Is many times more important than the
taxation of vessel property, and both
are very important.
Duluth men should get together. in
vestigate and discuss the threatened In
jury to this CIV as a result of the pYo-
posed tax legislation. They should so,ld
strong delegation to ST. Paul. The Du-
luth legislative delegation ought to I've
their hearty support. The time to cure
bad legislation is before it is enacted