The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-10-16

ness exceed the amount of fifteen per
cent of the assessed valuation of the
district. The fifteen per cent limit
will be an absolutely safe one and per-
nit many districts, cities, towns, ETC.,
to borrow the State school money.
| The third and most important of all
the proposed amendments is the one
relating to taxation powers of the leg
Eislature. The proposed amendment
prohibits the legislature from surren-
dering or contracting away the power
OF taxation; provides that when direct
taxation for State purposes is no longer
necessary, taxation for local purposes
may be equalized for each county, as
distinguished from State uniformity;
authorizes municipal corporations to
levy assessments for local improve
ments pursuant to special laws; author
ICES the legislature to provide for the
levy and collection of an annual tax
upon franchises granted by public
authority, in addition 10 the tax on
real and personal property of the per-
son or corporation holding the same;
authorizes the legislature to provide a
tax upon the gross earnings of any per-
son or corporation holding such fran
chise, conditioned that such gross
earnings tax may be in lieu of tax
upon the franchise or upon the frant
chise and personal property as we'll;
authorizes registry tax on mortgages,
in lieu of all other tax on the debt Sc
cured by such mortgage; tax on in
comes of over $1,000 per annum not
derived from credits or personal prop
erty, or from property otherwised tax
ed in this State, and also tax upon
the income derived from credits as we'll
as from personal property. Personal
property to the value OF $500 is exempt
from taxation, the exemption to be al
lowed only one member of family.
Be sure and vote "Yes'' for these
amendments. Give the legislature all
possible latitude in taxation powers.
The peoples interests will never suffer
by granting ample powers of this ma
ture to- the legislature, for State legis-
Natures are apt to be rather modest at
times, especially when the matter of
the taxation of railroads, public fran
chises, etc., is under consideration.
The amendments, remember, are not
laws, but only confer on the legislature
the power to enact new tax laws along
the lines drawn by the constitutional
amendments. The amendments at the
present time are up to the people who
should adopt them, and by doing so
put them up to the legislature.
There is one amendment that it
would seem is not deserving of adop-
ton. 1t amends section 16 of article 8
of the constitution and was adopted in
1898. The following explanation of the
amendment will be found with the
printed constitutional amendments as
they appear in the UNION.
The existing constitution authorizes legisla-
ton providing for levy of a State tax of 1-2O
OF one mill for the purpose of building roads
and bridges, and provides for it's use under the
direction of State Highway Commission in
such counties as shall contribute at least dou-
BILE the amount of the State moneys expended
by said commission for such purpose subject
also to certain other limitations
By the proposed change, tax of ITO of one
mill is authorized to be levied for this purpose:
the Highway Commission is abolished, and the
result, if the proposed amendment is adopted
will be to place the distribution of such funds
in the hands of the legislature, without limita-
ton or restriction.
The legislature never enacted law
providing for State highway COM
mission, and the provisions of this por-
ton of section 16 of the constitution
have never been put into practical
effect so that little can be said of the
wisdom or practical utility of the ex-
penditure of funds for State highways
through commission. The improve
ment OF our State highways is matter.
OF the greatest Importance and some
steps should be taken to place the mat
ter on sound and practical basis. But
to repeal the present amendment only
recently adopted and which has never
been tested, and increase the amount
that the legislature may levy for State
roads and bridges and in addition give
it the power to apportion the money to
the various counties sthrough out the