The Saint Paul globe., 1902-01-24
WILL LOSE CONTROL
GRAIN CLAUSE OF TAX LAW WILL
AFFECT MINNESOTA
FARMERS
DESTROY GRAIN INSPECTION
Senator BaIdwin's Strong Point in
Opposition to the New Code
Minnesota VIII Lose
Market.

The clause in the new tax law provid-
Ing for the taxation of grain in eie-
VatorS has been vigorously daaounced by
many influential people in Northern Min
nesota, but as the arguments thus far
have seemed to apply only to Duluth
the matter has not made very deep i'm
preston 1t seems, however that there
is another side to the question, and Sen
ator c. O. Baldwin has discovered it.
Senator Baldwin is one of the most in
Huential members of the legislature and
is a careful and thoughtful man and
MS words have great weight His point
Is that the grain taxation clause will de-
stroy Minnesota grain inspection and re-
move from the farmers of the state the
c0ntrol of grain inspection, which they
now enjoy, and which is much to their
advantage. He says:
am not certain that the state has
power to tax grain in terminal ele-
VatorS, anyway. / have not vet looked
tae point up but It may be that this
would amount to taxing grain ir transit
from one state TO another, which would
be contrary to the constitutional provi-
sioE against interfering with Interstate
investigated.
Tho proposed tax on grain IN Gle
Nal01H. at the present tax rate of 3
Pc cent and at valuation of 20 cents
-
husn"I. In Wisconsin they do not tax
grain this way, and | am informed that
the Wisconsin supreme court has held
that it cannot be done. The proposed tax
would mean that "a cents more buShel
for grain could be paid in Superior than
IN Duluth. The tax of III cents is more
than the entire elevator charges in Du-
luth The average cost of harding
wheat and carrying it through the season
in elevators is about l cent per bushef
# the e-eVators have to pay a tax or
"a cents, they will have to pay much less
for the wheat. Therefore, Superior can
pay that much more for it's grain. The
tax would have to coue out of the farmer
who ships his grain to Duluth
The most serious objection is that If
Superior can pay that much more for
wheat than Duluth, Superior becomes the
wheat market instead of Duluth Wis
consln will establish an inspection law,
which she has not cone yet. When Wis
consin establishes an in DectiGn law and
the wheat goes There. as it surely viii,
the Minnes ota farmer loses control of the
inspection of his own wheat. for ii will
oe inspected under the Jaws Of another
state, over which he has no control.
Superior VIII Be .'It.o
Superior will then establish board
of trade, and the grain of the North
west, including Minnesota. the Dakotas,
Nebraska and all that territory whose
market is now in Duluth, will make Su-
perior its market. Minnesota will lose
Today the Minnesota farmers, through
the state legislature. which they control
by three to one. control the grain inspec-
ton. In Duluth and Minneapolis are
many inspecting officers from the farm
Ing districts, recommended by the COM
munities from which they come The
laws under which they act are practically
passed by the people that produce the
wheat. When Minnesota loses the mar
ket Wisconsin viii get it. and the in
specting will be done under her laws
The farmer will be at the mercy of the
inspectors Of another state.
1.-THE proposed taxation of vessel prop
erty at it's actual value is another mis-
taken and pernic;ous idea Duluth has
greater registered tonnage than any
other port on the great lakes, because
sci property is different from any other
1t can go from one place to another it
can register in any port it chooses. and
1t can have managing owners wherever
it pleases. 1t will register in the state
where the laws are most favorable to IT,
If the tax is made higher than it N En
other stateS-if this state puts a tax on
the actual value of the property it VIII
all withdraw from this state and it will
register at Superior. where the laws are
almost as favorable as they are here now
The state now gets large tax from
vessel property Under the proposed
law all the vessel property will withdraw
and the state will get nothing except the
few boats that belong in the harbor If
could keep here it might he ali right to
tax 1t the same as other property, bur
it is not proper to tax it in such man.
nef as to drive it all away. The state
now gets more than its share from the
vessel tax. 1t gets 50 per cent and its
share of the tax on other property is
only about one-tenth. If a value: tax is
placed on the vessel property and if it
remained to be taxed that way, the state
would get only one-tenth instead of 50
per cent, as now