The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-08-08

one twentieth to One-tenth Of one
mill. which means that the legiSla
ture cannot levy more bat may levy
| less or nothing. But whatever fund
is raised is to be appropriated with
out any restrictions by the legislature
| and the state commission is cut out.
This will permit adequate help to
new counties and to thinly settled
districts.
TAXATION.
The amendment as to taxation can
only be considered in sections and
made plain.
| First-It specifically prohibits the
surrender. suspending or contracting
away of the power of legislation.
This, for Instance, would make it i'm
| possible for any future legislature to
| fix a form Of taxation for rpOratiOns
or for any class, that could be claimed
| to be contract and SO unchangeable.
SeconG-The legislature must each
year levy tax to meet the estimated
expenditures This will prevent the
state ever having a floating debt or
! the issue of bonds to meet current,
| expenses, or to take up temporary
debts.
Third When the income Of the
| state from other sources, such as the
gross earnings, Inheritance, corpora
| tion taxes. etc. is sufficient to meet
| the annual state expenses, then no
state tax on lands or personal estate
shall be levied.
Fourth-All taxes for state pur-
poses shall be uniform throughout
| The state aud shah be eqUalized by
the state board Of equalization. But
| when no state tax is levied then there
shall be county option in taxation.
That is. each county shall levy its
| own tax. make its own assessment
and euualize that assessment as it
! sees tit. In tax matters it would be
as free as in road matters and could
make assessments low or high on the
different classes of property, as it
might see fit.
Fifth-General or special laws may
he nassed authorizing cities and
| towns to levy assessments for local
| improvements Oh frontage property
or propertv benefited or both, with
out regard to cash valuation.
Interpretations holding pub
| lie franchise. such as SJreetrailWay,
fighting, water, telephone. boom and
other franchise companies. may be
taxed i'm either of two ways. A tax
NAV be levied on the value OF the
| franchise in addition to tax on all
real estate and personal property
held by the company. Or in lieu OF
all other taxes d tax may be levied on
gross earnings. just as is now done
with steam railways. Whichever
method is used the tax is. however,
not to 90 as does the railway gross
earnings tax. all to the state. but is
| to be apportioned to the state, count
les and municipalities where such
| franchise is exercised"
| Seventh-An Inheritance tax not
la exceed five per cent may be levied.
| This tax may be graded or flXed. Ihat
| is it may be certain per cent on
certain amount Of inheritance and q
different per cent on larger estates
land so on. but in no event can 1t
exceed five per cent.
| Eighth-A registry tax may DE I'M
! nosed an mortgages in lieu of other
| lakes. This is in effect a fee charged
when the mortgage is ohered Tor rec
| ord and graded according to the
amount of the mortgage. AS by Tar
the greater per cent of mortgages
now escape taxation entirely, this
would be an effort to make an eqult-
able tax on all and place the resident
money cameron a fair basis with the
nonresident who now pays no tax.
Ninth-An income tax is permitted
which shall be uniform throughout
the state. 1t shall be on all credits
of persons or corporations and on all
income from personal property. Also
| it shall be on all incomes arising
otherwise than on credits and per-
sonal property where such income
exceeds $1,000 per annum. This
would include salaries. income from
profession, trade or business OF any