The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-10-11

section is. For the purpose Of lending
public ehWays and bdgsRs there
hereby created a fund to be known as the
state road and bridge fund Said fund
snail include all moneys accruing from
the income derived from investments in
the internal Improvement land fund, or
that may hereafter accrue to said fund,
an and 81, SHAH also include al funds accruing
ever provided. 4
The legislature is authorized to add to
such fund for the purpose of constructing
state, by providing. in its discretion, for
an annual tax levy upon the property OF
this state Of not to exceed in any year
the taxable property within the state
The legislature Is also authorized to
provide for the appointment by the gov
ernor of the state of a board to be known
as the state highway commission" con-
sisting of three 81 members, who shall
perform such duties as shall be pre-
pensation other than personal expenses.
Such commission shall have general SUI
perintendence Of the construction Of state
fund in the Construction thereof and
distribute the same in the several
Sou a,H IN the state upon an equitable
county shall receive in any year more
than three (3) per cent or less than one
half Gk) Of one a. pei, cent of the. total
1uAO Illus pFOFlQeO ana expended QurlI.S
such year; and provided, further, that no
more than one-third l-3) of such fund
accruing in any year shall be expended
than of iase sa Of
structing or improving any road or bridge
be paid by the state from such fund.
1t is proposed by said Act to amend the
same so as to read as follows:
aid in the construction and Improvement
of public highways and bridges, there is
hereby created a fund to be known as the
State Road and Bridge Fund" Said
fund shall include all moneys accruing
from the interest derived from the in
vestments in the internal improvem ent
land fund, or that may hereafter accrue
funds accruing to any state road and
bridge fund however provided ..s... a.
The legislature is authorized to add to
ing or !nn roads and bridges ofsthe
state, and providing in it's discretion for
an annual tax levy upon the property Of
year one-tenth u-1O) Of one mill on all
the taxable property within the state.
The existing Constitution author
ICES legislation providing for a levy
of a state tax of 1-2O Of one mill for
the, purpose of building roads and
bridges, and provides for its use
under the direction of a State High
way Commission in such counties
as shall contribute at least. double
the amount of the State moneys ex-
pended by said Comm mission for such
purpose, subject also to certain
other limitations. .~.' >
+ BY the proposed change, n tax Of
lilo of one mill is authorized to be
levied for this purposes; the High
way Commission is abolished, and
the result, if the proposed amend
ment is adopted, will be to place
the distribution of such funds in the
hands of the Legislature, without
Limitation or restriction,
w.
BY an act of the legislature Of the State
of Minnesota, known as chapter one O
of the Laws of the Extra Session of 1902,
it is proposed to amend sections one o.,
two Co and three 60 of article nine (9)
of the constitution. -
The sections as now existing read as
lows: =
"Section 1. All taxes to be raised in
this state shall be as nearly equal as may
be, and all property on which taxes are
to be levied shall have a cash valuation,
and be equafiZed and uniform throughout
the state; provided, that the legislature
may, by general law or special act, au-
thorize municipal corporations to levy
assessments for local improvements upon
the property fronting upon such improve
ments, or upon the property to be bene-
fitted by such improvements, or both,
without regard to cash valuation, and
prescribe; and provided, further, that for
the purpose OF defrayings the expenses Of
laying water pipes and supplying any
city or municipality with water, the leg
islature may, by general .or special law,
having population Of five thousand or
more, to levy an ANNUAL tax or assess
ment, upon the lineal foot of all lands
fronting on any water main or water
pipes laid by such city or municipality
within corporate limits of said city, for
supplying water to the citizens thereof.
property, and to empower such city to
collect any such tax assessments, or fines
or penalties for failure to pay the same,
! or any fine or penalty for any violation
Is 81 eftx or or f @
water rate due for the same.
And provided further. that there may
be by law levied and collected tax upon
| all inheritances,. devises, bequests, 1ega-
cies and gifts of every kind and descrip-
ton above a fixed and specified sum, OF
| lions. Such tax above such exempted
sum may be uniform, or it may be grad
ed or progressive, but shall not exceed
b tax ,e Of I'VE per sent sent nrovd<
for an annual tax sufficient to defray the
estimated Ordinary expenses of the
state for each year: and whenever it
of the State for any year shall exceed
| the income of the state for such year
! the legislature shall provide for levyine
tax for the ensuing year sufficient
with. other sources Of income, to pay the
| deficiency Of the preceding year, together
with the ESTIMATED expenses of such en-.
| suing year. .-.-f - - %.5..- 80
all moneys, credits, investments in bonds
stocks, joint stock companies, or other.
wise; and also all real and personal prop
erty, according to its true value il
lie schoolhouses public hospitals, acad
emies, colleges, universities and all semi
houses of worship, Institutions of purely
! public charity, public property used ex
| clusively for any public purpose, i anG
deciding in. value two hundred dollars fo1
| each Individual, shall, by general laws
| be exempt from taxation. ~. 8
| 1t is proposed by said chapter to amend
the same so as to read as follows:
Section I. The power of taxation shall
/ never be surrendered. suspended or con.
tracted away. The legislature shall pro.
| vide for an annual tax sufficient to defra5
the estimated ordinary expenses Of the
Shall happen that such ordinary ex.
penses for any year shall exceed the in.
come of the state for such year the
legislature shall at it's next general SEES
sion provide for levying tax sufficient
! to pay such deficiency. And whenever
i the income of the state from Other
sources shall be sufficient to defray, al
| of its ordinary expenses without the levy
! Of any annual state tax, such tax levy
shall be omitted. All taxes to be raised
! in this state shall be as nearly equal a.:
may be and shall be levied and collected
for public purposes only; and all property
on which taxes are to be levied, excep
as herein otherwise provided shall have
| a cash valuation, and. shall be equalizet
/ and uniform throughout the state; pro
/ vided that whenever the levy of a ta1
for state purposes is omitted as abov,
provided. the taxes levied for local pur
I poses shall be upon a valuation of tht
! property within the several counties ant
the subdivisions thereof which shall b
1 equaiized and uniform throughout eac!
! county. The legislature may, by genera
or SneciaA law a lit m ina cor