The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-02-21
A new PLAN.
New Amendments Submitted to
the Constitution.
Would Wipe Out Some of the Cumber-
some Provisions for Taxation.--
New Democratic Bill.

ST. Paul, Feb. 14.-Another plan for
amendment of the constitution was
introduced in the house and sent to
join the other schemes in the hands of
the judiciary committee.
The plan was proposed in a bill by
W. P. Roberts of Hennepin. He wipes
out the cumbersome section II of ar
ticle 8, with its elaborate regulations
for the taxing of various corporations.
TIE Roberts amendments follow, to
a large extent, the plan submitted by
the tax commission, but each of the
four sections drawn by Mr.. Roberts
stands alone. He permits county OPP
tion in exempting classes of property,
and fixes an exemption of $500 on per-
sonal property for each head of a
household.
The first section he proposes is sub
stitute for article 1. section 5, up to
the words personal property, and
section II. The second section is a
substitute for the present section 2,
the third for the remaining clauses Of
section 3, and the fourth for section A.
Petitions against the passage of the
tax law were received from Two Har-
bors, Owatonna, Big Lake, Carver,
Tyler and Granite Falls.
Charles Wanderman was added to
thelist of pages.
On motion of Mr.. Pennington. his
constitutional amendment bill. Fl. f.
81, was recalled from the committee
on taxes and tax laws and sent to
judiciary.
Mr. O'Neill tried to get suspension
of the rules for the passage of his bill
turning the proceeds of some timber
sold for Itasca park into the park
fund. Mr.. Dunn, chairman of the COM
mittee on rules, called halt. He said
the new rule had been adopted by the
house for purpose. and the new COM
mittee created to sift bills. He wanred
the house to decide whether the rule
was to be enforced or not.
Mr.. O'NeiIl Withdrew his motion.
but Grass renewed the attack on the
rule Immediately, for his bill correct
ing mistake in the appropriation of
last winter, affecting Murray county.
Mr.. Dunn again protested. Mr..
Jacobson said that in the case of such
bills as the Grass measure, il would
only save time and trouble to put them
through under suspension.
Purely local bills did not need to go
to the committee. Under this idea
the house voted to suspend the rules
and pass the Grass bill.
John Pennington introduced a bill
taxing foreign corporations, Identical
with the one introduced in the senate
by Senator Baldwin. and the third in
the Democratic program. - After
the session he said:
The bill introduced today is part
of the program. 1t was recommended
by Governor Lind in his message, but
the suggestion was not acted upon last
winter The bill aims to get at for
eign corporations the same as we now
propose to tax domestic corporations.
1t is claimed that the Somerville law
gives these corporations immunity
from taxation after the payment Of
their license fee. If 30, the law is a
bad one and should be repealed.
The three bills have introduced
are agreeable to all the Democratic
members of the house. 1 believe. How
they stand in the senate am not en-.
tirely informed. We had meeting, al
tended by most of the Democratic
members, who agreed to support these
bills. Governor Lind was consulted
with in reference to them.
These bills are introduced in good
faith as practical way of settling
the problem of taxation as far as we
can at present We do not however,
give away our rights to take hand il
framing the proposed tax code into 6
better bill We will vote on tn,
amendments with the idea of making
the bill as good as we can. We hav'
no intention of killing the bill b,
amending it, or by defeating amend
ments to it.