The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-05
BOARD OF CONTROL
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON THE LAW
SEEMS AMONG THE PROBA@
BILITIES
PETITIONS ARE BEING SIGNED
Labor Organizations Also DeIuge
Legislature with Petitions
Against the Tax
Law.

There is every evidence that the board
of control bill will be taken up by the
extra session Of the legislature, despite
the efforts of Lieut.. Gov. Smith and
Speaker Bowling to limit legislation.
Both sides We're keeping a watchful eye
upon each other yesterday. Senator
Snyder SHE'D every time John Johnson
looked his way yesterday. Both sides are
ready to fight at the first sign of fire.
The petitions sent out by State Super
fntendent Olson, one Of Gov. Van SAINTS
chief advisers, are beginning to bear
fruit and the legislators will have their
attention called directly to this matter
by the influx Of numerously, signed Pc
titions urging them to so change the bill
as to redeem the educational institutions
Of the state from the odium of the term
Charitable institutions" Once the mat
ter is fairly before the legislature the
fight will be as long and bitter as the
fight on the tax law. The university
people are urging the matter throughout
the state, and university graduates all
over Minnesota are being urged to hustle
up signaturese for these petitions.
Twenty members Of the senate yester-
day gave it as their opinion that the
board Of control bill would receive at
tentlon, and the general belief was that
GOV. Van SAINT favored the course be-
cause several of his apopintees were so
however, has given no sign that he de-
s1res action on this matter; but on the
other hand has allowed it to be inferred
that he does not want this delicate ques-
ton handled.
DR.. Kiehle will prepare a complete
brief on this subject to present to the
legislature as the argument of the uni
Verslty people in favor Of the change.
The legislators have also received a
petition from the labor organizations of
Duluth protesting against the tax law.
1t is, in part, as follows:
Petition From Duluth.
The proposed new tax code has such
radical changes; and the time for its
consideration is so short, that we be-
HeVe it impossible for the people of the
state to secure any knowledge OF the
provisions of the proposed law.
one idea of the proposed law is to
cut down to the lowest amount, the
exemptions from taxation. 1t is pro-
posed that the only exemption shall be
S25. This means that any person own
ing $50 worth of household furniture,
fuel, clothing, etc, shall be taxed on
$25 worth.
Surely this is not the desire Of the
common people. 1t would be unfair to
the poor man whose only possessions
are the contents of his modest home.
We maintain that the present exemp-
ton of 500 is low enough, and the tax
code should not. be changed in this re-
spect
We oppose the proposed system of tax
ing vessels. It would be of no benefit to
any person in Minnesota. 1t means that
vessels registered in this state would
go to other states, and instead of in
creasing the revenue from this source,
Minnesota would lose all she is now re-
CeiYing.
The tax code proposes to tax all grain
in store in elevators within the state
on April of each year. The result Will
be, that, in order to escape taxation the
elevator companies viii move to some
other state where the system of taxa
ton is more favorable, or that they will
add the additional cost of taxation to
the farmer of Just that much profit on
his grain.
Under the proposed code it seems quite
probable that the big grain interests
and elevators of Duluth would be moved
over into Superior, Wis, where the tax
laws are more favorable.
Such action would take away the
steady employment of hundreds of men
now engaged in handling, Weighing, in
speeding and shipping grain from this
port This is a department OF trade
which the faboring- men of Minnesota
cannot afford to lose.
The world has recognized the standard
of Duluth wheat This trade is now
placed in jeopardy and will require all
the assistance we can get to protect it.
By taxing wheat "a per cent a hard
ship is worked on the producer, the
farmer, who, being in open competition
with the world, will necessarily have to
pay the tax levied against whoever
holds the wheat, for in all cases the
producer or consumer pays the tax.
but in this case the producer will not
escape. e.,
The new code requires that all bank
deposits shall be listed for taxation on
April l of. each. year
Now, it Is obvious to any thinking
man that %depositors, to avoid listing,
will withdraw their deposits day or
so before 4prif-1, thereby avoiding per-
haps per Gent tax. To enable the
banks to pay the depositors they will
call in all leanss causing an annual stag
nation of business. This will make the
law Imperative and it will not attain the
ends for which it was Overwhelmingly,
the taxation Of .aH money.
This is a=subjeet that vitality concerns
every citizen in the state. The code
if adopted, will be the means of ruin
ing the business and homes of the mass
es to a large extent, and until a more
practical code is proposed let US adhere
to the law that is now in force.