The Redwood gazette., 1902-03-12

Extra Session Ad:ourns Without
Passing Tax Reform
Measure.
Senate Pots to Sleep Only Measure
Sent to It From the
House.

With the lower house of the legis-
lature putting to sleep the tax code
submitted by the commissioners ap-
pointed to prepare the same, the up
per house or senate turning down
the jacobson bill providing for a
franchise tax, for tax on all pub
lie service corporations, for ton
mage tax Oh the iron ore mined in
the northern portion of Minnesota,
! and for tax commission by which
much beneficial future legislation
might be prepared, all effort at tax
reform at this extra session is at an
end. In other words, tax reform is
failure for this year, at least.
It was surprising to see how quick
ly the senate got action on the Jac-
OLSON bill. Readers of this paper
are probably aware that all reve-
nue. measures must originate from
the house. The Jacobson bill was
the only way measure of that kind
which was passed up to that body
for consideration. In the senate
committee on taxes and tax laws a
motion to indefinitely postpone the
bill was carried by vote of to 4
| Senator Somerville is a member o1
that committee. He is one of the
members who wanted to amend the
bill so that it met with the views ol
the best attorneys, but the mem.
pers in favor of killing the measure
would not stand for reporting it out
favorably without amendments. Sen.
ator Somerville voted to indefinite
ly postpone the bill.
When~the bill went out to the
senate the big fight occurred. Il
kept up all day Wednesday, Sena
tor Young leading the fight to turn
down the majority report, and Civ
ing this, the only revenue measure
before the senate at the extra session
at least a fair consideration. But
the enemies of the bill proposed tc
not even allow its consideration
and when the final vote was taker
the report of the majority committee
to indefinitely postpone the bill
was adopted by vote of 30 to p
Senator Somerville voted with the
minority, believing that the bill
could have been made a special os
der and amended satisfactorily, bu'
satisfactorily was not listened Il
by the majority.
With the defeat OF the Jacobson
bill it was admitted that all tax re-
form Legislation at the extra session
was at an end. and that the sooner
an adjournment took place the bet
ter. There were some constitution.
alamendments to be considered, how
ever, and it was deemed wise on
the part of the leaders to put them
through. One set of these amend
ments to the constitution proposes
giving the legislature broad powers
to tax certain Il. erests. The other
set was declared to be more circum-
scribed, and tending to prevent
the legislature from reaching cer-
tain interests which. it is claimed,
have all along been escaping taxa
ton. The fight in the house was
quite bitter, but the friends of the
wide-open amendment finally car
ried the day last Thursday. and the
bill went over to the senate at $50
that afternoon. where one or two
senators loosely remarked. When
the chief clerk finished reading the
message:
What the use of sending bills of
that kind over here? Don't you
know that we will kill them?,'
At this writing it is not known
what the outcome will be. but it is
probable that a compromise meas
ure will be agreed upon.