The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-10-17

1901, being an Act involving the taxation
OF railroad property to be submitted to
the electors Of the State for adoption or
rejection at the next General Election.
Yours respectfully,
w. q. DOUGLAS,
Attorney General
SYNOPSIS OF AMENDMENTS TO
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE
OF MINNESOTA PROPOSED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE SAID STATE
AT THE GENERAL SESSION IN 1901
AND THE EXTRA SESSION IN 1902
AS WELL AS A SYONPSIS OF CHAP
TER 100 OF THE GENERAL LAWS
OF 1901, PROPOSING AN INCREASE
OF THE GROSS EARNINGS TAX
UPON RAILROAD PROPERTIES.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section
S2a, of Article ~ of the State Constitu-
| ton, the Legislature by Act approved
April 6, 1901, known as Chapter 100 of the
General Laws of 1901, present to the cleo
| tors of the State for rejection or approval.
| the following, to wit:
Section /. That every railway company
owning or operating any line of railway
situated within, or partly within, this
state snail, during the year 1908. and am
nualiy thereafter, pay into the treasury
| OF this state. as taxes upon all property
within this state owned or operated for
runway purposes by such company, in
cludlng equipment, appurtenances, APP
pendageS and franchises thereof, sum
OF money equal to four (D per cent of the
gross earnings derived from the operation
| OF such line OF railway within this state;
ana the payment of such taxes shall be in
full and in lieu of all other taxes upon the
property and franchises SO taxed. The
lands acquired by public grant shall be
and remain exempt from taxation until
sold or contracted to be sold or conveyed
as provided in the respective acts whereby
| such grants were xaAae or recognized.
Sec z. The term the gross earnings
derived from the operation of such line
of railway within this state" as used in
section one ~ Of this act, Is hereby de-
clared and shall be construed to mean all
earnings on business beginning and end
ing within the state, and a proportion of
earnings on all interstate business passing
| through, into or out of the state as the
| to the entire mileage operated by such
company.
Sec c. All acts and parts of acts not
| Inconsistent herewith regulating the pay
ment, collection, time OF payment, en-
forcement, or reports involving the
! amount of taxes upon the gross earnings
Of railroad companies within this state, or
providing penalties for the non-payment
of such taxes, are hereby made applica-
| BILE to this act so far as may be; and all
acts and parts Of acts inconsistent with
| the provisions Of this act are hereby re-
pealed.
Sec. 4. Upon failure to pay the amount
| Of such taxes legally due upon the dates
heretofore provided by law for the pay
ment thereof, in addition to existing rem
edies, collection may be enforced in a
| civil action brought in the name of tho
State of Minnesota in the district court
of any county.
Sec 5. This act shall be submitted to
the people of this state for their approval
or rejection at the next general election
for the year 1902.
(The omitted provision refers to the
80 I,o1
ting the act for ratifcation)
This act provides for an increase
! of the amount of taxes collected by
the State upon the property o the
railroads situated within the state,
from three per cent upon the gross
earnings derived from the operation
of such lines Of railway within the
State, to a sum of money equal to
four per cent upon the gross earn
fngs derived from the operation of
such lines OF railway therein.
Under the terms of the Constitu-
tion above referred to, this Act of
the Legislature must be submitted
TO legal voters of the State, and will
! become operative If adopted by. q
majority of such electors voting at
the next general election.
II.
BY an Act of the Legislature Of the
State of Minnesota, approved February
Is. 1901, and known as House File No.
100, it is proposed to amend Article
Eight 90. Section Six (0 Of the Consti-
tuition.
This Section as now existing reads as
follows:
Section g. The permanent school and
vested in in the I PURCHASE of bonds Of fo any
county, school district, city, town or
village of this state but no such invest
me shall he be made until approved by
law to regulate the investment of the
permanent school fund and the perma-
nent university fund of this State; nor
shall such loan or investment be made
, when the issue Of which the same in
part would make the entire bonded In
debtedness exceed seven per cent of the
assessed valuation of the taxable real
property of the county, school district,
city, town or village issuing such bonds;
nor shall such loans or Indebtedness be
three per cent per annum ror for a short
er period than five 20 years nor for
longer period than twenty COO years, and
village, city or county lines shall relieve
the real property in such town, school
district, county, village or city in this
state at the time of issuing Of such bonds
from any liability for taxation 70 pay
such bonds.
It is proposed by said act to amend the
same se.; So as to 1 read as follows; .o,oo
university fund Of this State may be in
vested in the bonds Of any, county. school
but city No sTch GF ytagt s IF rs
commissioners designated by law to reg
ulate the investment Of the permanent
school fund and the permanent univer-
sity fund Of this state; nor shall
such loan or investment be made when
the bonds. to be issued or purchased
would make the entire bonded indebted
ness exceed fifteen q5) per. cent of the
assessed valuation of the taxable real
city, town or village issuing such bonds:
nor shall such loans or Indebtedness be
made at a lower rate of interest than
three CO per cent per annum, nor for q
for for longer period than twenty co.
years, and no change of the town, school
district, city, village, or or county lines
shall relieve the real property in such
city in this state. at the time Of the issu-
ing Of such bonds from any liability for
taxation to pay such bonds.
The effect of the above amen dment,
IL adopted, will be to authorize the
investment of the permanent school
and university fund of this state for
o period Of not less than Eve (5) or
more than twenty COO years, at an
interest rate not less than three (S)
per cent per annum, In the bonds Of
any county, school district, city,
town, or village of this state, when
the bends to be issued or purchased
will not make the entire bonded
indebtedness of such municipalities
exceed fifteen (I5) per cent of the
assessed valuation OF the taxable
real property contained therein.
The substantial change proposed
by said amendment II to authorize