The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-11
TEE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAn.
corporations put the whole weight of
their influence against THE code because of

Before these interests were fully
aroused, the prospects. were bright for
passing the code. &. 1t was at first hailed
as a great bill, and members ofathe legis-
dorsed it, as the files Of IT b e. ,Jo u n
will show. Soon, however. they began
to discover faults. BY the time the ses-
sion opened, the opposition was in fuH
blast. Few would declare themselves
against the code aus a'whofe. They want
ed it amended. The proposition to defer
action had its advocates who insisted
that constitutional amendments ought
first to be adopted, SO the ideas OF the
tax commission could be enacted into law
without any previous disturbance OF the
system
The bill was given into the hands Of the
senate tax committee, which was un-
friendly from the start. For over week
time was given to the interests in oppor
sition. The only talks made for the
code were by Alessrs. Childs and Ives
of the tax commission BY the time hear
ings were finished every one was con-
WINGED that the code would have to De
amended Its friends believed that by
striking out the drastic and inq1isitorlaQA
features" support could be gained Whlcn
would pass the bill. A set OF amend
ments were prepared by w. J. Hahn OF
the tax commission, and Chairman Wallace
They restored the provisions OF the pres
ent law with regard to listing property.
When the committee met Monday morn
ing, Feb IT, friends, of the bill hoped
to attach these anne ndments IN commit
tee, or get the bill reported back WIN
out alteration and without recommends
ton. 1t was soon found that opponents
of the bill had the whip hand, and they
demanded the constitutional amendments
in order< to consider them side by slde
with the code. Chairman Wallace was
instructed to request the. house TO re-.
cali the amendments from the9 Judiciary
committee, and refer them to tine tax
committee.
Friends of the bill made a fight next
morning to bring the bill before the
house. and succeeded. It was called from
the committee and made special order.
The other side tried to get the amend
ments included in the special order, SO
that the house would consider the two
questions together, but they were out
jockeyed. A motion to adjourn cut them
off, and next day the bill came up as,
special order. That evening a conference
was attended by twelve leading members,
which was supposed to decide the disposi-
tion of the bill. Mr.. jacobson agreed to
support the Wallace amendments if the
rest would agree to one drawn by him. 1t
provided that when the owner refused to
would add so per cent to his assessment
This penalty might be RENTED by the
county commissioners, should the owner
appear later and swear to the list.
The Wallace amendments were fought
bitterly by many country members. They
declared that in its amended form the
code would permit personal property to
escape, but farm property would be raised
to full value, and would bear an in
creased burden. They were outvoted, the
opponents of the bill voting for the
amendments The vote was 62 to 48. OPP
ponents Of the Wallace amendments
threatened wholesale revolt, but in the
end only seven broke away from the bill,
while at least a dozen votes were gained.
Friday, Feb 81, the work Of amending
was nearly finished at noon, and It was
hope to-. reach a vote in an hour or SO,
Foes of the bill moved adjournment till
Monday, and carried it, 6S to- rs. They
got support from many country members
who wanted to leave on afternoon trains.
This delay was fatal. The bill might have
carried Friday, but over Sunday it lost
ground. Monday several destructive
amendments almost carried. There was q
light attendance, and foes of the billttried
to force a vote. The democrats were
against the bill, but wanted to see it
pass, and helped secure adjournment.
Next day, with an attendance Of ia out
of 49,. vote was taken. The bill was
lost, 81 to co. Next day Mr.. Won Valid
moved reconsideration, and it nearly car
RED. Seven who had voted against the
bill voted to reconsider, and six changed
the other way. One vote for the bill was
lost by absence, and four votes against
the bill were gone. The motion was lost
"a to So. -" rs !. -: %E~' a
Jacobson Bill Also Dies.
Phoenix-like, four tax bills rose from
the ashes Of the tax; code. Mr. Anderson
introduced three Of them, taken from the
CODE One incorporated the method of
collecting delinquent real estate taxes,
and the sections relating to tax sales and
tax titles. A second embodied the in
herltance tax chapter, and a third pro-
vided for the state tax commission and
board of review. The first two were
passed, but the third never got Sbeyond
general. orders. Country members would
not stand for the loss of the state board
Of equalization. = ~-.2a:%
The fight came on the bill introduced
by Mr.. jacobson. It provided for capt.
talization tax on public service corpora
lions, according to the provisions of the
code: It. carried tax commission, to
work jointly with the board of euualiza-
ton. Finally it provided a new feature a
tonnage tax on iron ore, Of S cents per
gross ton. This bill never went to com
mittee. It was made a special order, and
fought out. The argument, was nearly
all against the tonnage tax, which st.
Louis county, with reason, opposed but
party spirit. had risen strong in the
house, and republican members who
wanted to make a record saw a good
chance in this bill. It was popular with
the democrats, who also solidly supported
It, The most dramatic feature Of the
session was Mr.. Jacobson's attack on
State Auditor Dunn, who was interviewed
IN the newspapers as against the tonnage
tax. These two old allies fell out, and Mr..
Dunn's reply through the newspapers was
even more vitriolic than his opponents
language on the floor Of the house,
AS far as the house was concerned.
Jacobson was master of the sftna tion
and his bill passed after one days debate.
"a to Is. - s
The senate sent the bill to its tax COM
mittee, which held hearings two after
Moons. State Auditor Dunn and defe-
cation from Duluth made unanswerable
arguments against the tonnage tax the
first day, and senators all agreed that sif
must CO. Next day. the public service
corporations appeared for the first time.
Assuming that the bill meant to tax
them on the full value of bonds and capi-
tai stock, they made out tsrong argu-
ment against it. To remove their fears.
friends of the bill decidedito offer amend
ments leaving the assessing officers power
to equalize their assessments with that
OF other property. They also decided to
strike out the tonnage tax. This would
have left the bill stripped Of its unfair
features, but no chance was given The
senate was out to kill. the hill and 4 u,os