The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-04
Minnesota Legislature.
OPPOSED BY DUNN
The State Auditor Picks Flaws in,
the Jacobson Bill.
HE FINDS LITTLE GOOD in II
Some Political Significance Is At
tached to His Attitude Toward
the Measure.

Some Political Significance Is At
tached to His Attitude Toward
the Measure, .~2
It's Governor Van SAINT for the Jacob
son tax bill, and State Auditor Dunn
against it. The influence .of politics on
| legislation was never more apparent than
at this extra session of the legislature.
The state auditor had his inning yester-
| day afternoon before The senate commit
| tee on taxes While he did not reply to
Mr.. jacobson personally he furnished
! plenty Of sensations to crafty the crowd
| that gathered. For almost an hour he
riddled the Jacobsen bill. His argument
against the tonnage tax was about. the
| same as given in his published inte rVieWs,
and contained nothing startling.
| His attitude toward the pending tax
! legislation was openly declared for the
| first time, though 1t has been generally
understood about the capitol. When he
appeared before the honse committee he
said nothing against the bill. but as he
| said yesterday afternoon. he wars only
prevented by the pleas OF friends of the
| bill, by whom he meant Mr. Jacobson.
81 went up to the house fully prepared,
| he said yesterday afternoon, ito make. a.
| full argument on the tax. code. The
friends of the bill got aftec me and plead
ed, For Gods sake, say nothing against,
the bill. We have got to pass something
| and we will amend this and put 1t
through l listened to their request. II
| had done las my conscience dictated
should have recommended, that the house
adopt the administrative features Of the
real estate section, prepare a set Of con
1 stitutional amendments, and then go
home. 1 am sorry now THAT did not do
! it," T. :: ~
Resides the ore tonnage tax, there are
only two features Of the. Jacobson bill.
One is the franchise tax, and the other
the permanent tax commission, These
i;are propositions the state auditor mas al
ways favored, but he said nothing for
them yesterday. With regard to the lat
ter he said: ! =
/ IT believe in b tax commission, but if
|eyou are to have no new law what is the ne
fuse of a tax commission? II you Wlll
Inappropriate $4,000 and put it at the dispo-
sal Of the state arditor, or the governor
iif YOU cannot trust the auditor, and that
money is used to secure data for the
state board of equalization, you WILL get
Just as good results as you will With a
tax commission costing $4,000 Z:
Mr., Dunn did not say anything agalns.
a franchise tax; On that point ne SAY
, what he has already stated in:
Journal that If such q law We're
passed, franchises would not be: assessed
!: at full value unless other property pears
the same ratio. He did not ask for tn
passage of this portion Of the bill, now
ever, and his influence Is counted ,agalRs
/ it as whole. st''4.. 80. ss:4 ~
A senatorial friend Of the bill, aftel
the auditors speech yesterday, SAID:
"That talk makes apparent what w
have believed all along. Dunn is WORK
| ing against the denomination Of Van SAINT
/ either in his own OF some ones interests
7 and he is opposing the Jacobson Dill pc
cause it Is Van SAINTS measure. he Il
| 1.-THE political champion OF those VINO wan
| to submit constitutional amendments AM
go home. They are against Van SAINT an
for Dunn, and If they win, 1t will be glor!
| for Robert. ~, -: +. = -. :. :
;tHe does not want the tax commits
sion because it will take from him tn
credit of raising assessments ;Sueh !,
commission, appointed by Van Saht, WOW -
Ibring credit to the governor instead o
| Ito him. II the legislature followed nj
| advice and gave it all in his hands, n
/ would get all the glory out OF an IN
| creased assessment this year. And an
| not saying that he has not done hrst-clas
/ work in the past on that line.
/ f. The hearing yesterday afternoon was at
| Intended by a. delegation representing tn
lpublic service corporations Of M1nneap
| | oils. They were not heard, but Listened
| with attention. Among those presen
were: j. f.. CalderWood and NJ. D. MUM
/ and Ralph Whelan OF the Twin CITY Rapl'
Transit company: A.. T. Rand Of the Min
| neapolis Gas Light company; D. F. Nor
| gan and C. p. sWainman of the North
/ western Telephone company; D.. b. Web
| ister Of the Twin City Telephone company
C. NJ. Ferguson : Of the western .Uniol
Telegraph company, and A. NJ. Robert
son Of the General ELECTRIC company.
| - Iron Interests Heard. -
| +, l.. Washburn, the Duluth attorney
/ followed State Auditor Dunn, and ex
planned why, in his opinion, the tonnag
tax would be a bad thing for the state
He claimed that the tax would hnrt onl
the independent companies, whose produc
is more restricted, and that 1t Woul
Iieuualize, so far as the trust was con
cerned,: because Of the different value. Q
! the ores mined. 4:<.. . z-:,ges a, =.
Alfred Merritt, formerly a large indie
pendent mine operator, told the commit
ii tee that the independent operator wa
Il having, hard time to combat the trust
: matters are now, and predicted dlsaste
If additional tax. burdens should be I'M
Il posed The difficulty, he thought, was du
: to discrimination by the transportatio
4 companies. .,-.ss .,s.s -.
I" s. Livermore of Winona said the pro
posed franchise tax would. amount to
per cent of the gross earnings Of th
> 1 Winona street railway system, and e. N
Hertig- of st. Cloud said it would mea
confiscation in the smaller cities OF tn
a state. Both advocated a. gross earning
tax instead. -,