The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-08
TALKED TO SENATORS
Representatives of Big Interest
Given an Extended Hearing.


Given an Extended Hearing.
The senate tax committee was not
called to order until 1925 yesterday after
noon, although the time for Resembling
had been set at adjournment at o'clock.
Even then there were only handful Of
senators present outside the committee
itself. e. A. Merrill, of Minneapolis,
who spoke in the house in the morning,
addressed the committee, reading the
same papers he had already delivered
early in the day.
When Mr.. Merrill had finished, Senator
Snyder asked if he was opposed to all tax
legislation and favored only the constitu-
tional amendments. Mr. Merrill replied
that that was his position. Senator Sny-
der then said he doubted whet her the
amendments could be adopted, and asked
if certain improvements in existing laws
would not be desirable Mr.. Merrill re-
piled that the tax commission had ad-
| mitted it's inability to frame as good laws
as it wished in the time at it's disposal,
and under existing constitutional provi-
sions. He thought, therefore, that any
changes which could be made by the
I legislature would be of doubtful value and
| dangerous to the business interests of the
state.
Following Mr.. Merrill's address, S. A..
Harris, of Minneapolis, was given the
| floor. Mr.. Harris had previously been
heard in the house and the arguments he
| advanced in the senate were the same he
had urged earlier in the day.
! Henry Upham of ST. Paul, followed Mr.
! Harris. He discussed the effects of the
proposed law on the banks of the state
and spoke of manufacturing concern,
| which employs several hundred hands and
the proprietors of which had told, him
that the new law would compel them to
curtail their output. The goods made
| by this concern said he, :"are designed
! for sale in the fall There is no market
for them at any other time. However,
they run the year round; and by April
usually have stock worth about 5000, 900
| on hand. If this is to be taxed they
will either close down during the winter
months or will be compelled to move their
factory to Hudson. I know this to be a
! fact, because I got my information from
| the president of the company
Mr.. Upham spoke of the difficulty Of To-
eating intangible property for purposes of
| taxation, and expressed AN opinion that
the law could only be enforced against
those people who were so unfortunate as
to have their property in the courts, or to
| be unable to conceal it,
| Senator StockWell asked Mr.. Upham If
he thought intangible property should be
taxed at all. cit is simply an evidence
that property exists said the Hennepin
| senator, why not tax the property itself,
and let this evidence go free ?"
| Mr. Upham thought that stocks and
other intangible property should be taxed
| if they yielded an income, but not other
/ wise. He favored an income tax
A. c. Loring thought the passage of the
| bill, including the tax on grain, would
drive the Minneapolis mills out of bust
ness He explained that he owned only
one share of milling stock and was int err
ested in no elevator company; and added
that the United States Flour Milling COM
pany, of which he is now the receiver.
would probably be benefited by the pas
sage of the law, as most of it's mills were
located Inside Of Minnesota, and the
laws passage would do much to overthrow
Minnesota competition which had been
| very severe in the past.
s. Senator Stockwell asked if the business
| men of Minneapolis would support the
| constitutional amendments it the bill was
not passed Mr.. Loring replied that they
would; but added that the legislature had
no right, in any event, to ruin the busi-