The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-05
The Senate Committee, 9to d, Votes
for It's Indefinite Post
ponement.
The Minority Submits a Report and
Precipitates a Heated Dis
cuSSiOn.

a session called for the express purpose
of adopting tax legislation He asked
the senators who had voted for indefinite
postponement to explain their objections
to the bill. II they were against the pro-
posed tax on public service corporations
he thought they should offer some substi-
tute
He made an appeal to republican mem
bers telling them that the party would b0
blamed If the senate should pronounce
against a tax on franchises. and would
merit defeat at the polls just as much as
if an anti-franchise tax plank should be
inserted in the republican state platform.
McCarthy's Impassioned Oratory.
Senator Sheehan said that even friends
of the measure admitted that many of its
| features should be eliminated.
'"The people," he added, expect the
| legislature to be fair, and want to say
! that this bill is unfair. It's friends must
admit that. Nor can it be passed in this
| body unless you strike out everything ex-
Ecept the enacting clause
| Senator Sheehan then reviewed the
statistics presented before the tax CON-
mittee yesterday by representatives OF
the street railway company. When he sat
down, Senator Mccarthy delivered the
strongest speech of the present session.
! He said that If the report of the ma
I jority to postpone indefinitely should be
adopted, the legislature would be unable
to pass any measure looking toward tax
reform. He quoted from Governor Linds
message to show the necessity for tax
I legislation, ana briefly reviewed proceed
ings in the last legislature to prove that
the senate had gone on record favoring
a widespread reform. Said he:
4 This senate, and these gentlemen right
here before me, by their votes last session
committed both themselves and the repub
l lican party in favor of new tax code, anu
we can never get away from it without go
i ing down to defeat at the polls. Moreover,
1.-The program announced at the last session
/ was not dictated by radicals extremists.
4 Conservative men were in charge. The reso-
luton resulting in the appointment of tax
commission emanated, I understand, from the
Office of the state auditor. After it had been
| passed the legislature adjourned, and after
adjournment asked the governor to call an
extra session for the specific purpose of
adopting tax reform legislation. few
months ago the Minneapolis Journal inter-
viewed practically every member Of the house
and almost all Of them, I believe, expressed
| themselves favor1ng tax code.
| Since then almost every newspaper in this
state has reversed itself on what the special
session called for. Originally they said
it called to pass tax legislation. More
recently, they took the stand that the best
thing the legislature could do was to post
pone action the tax code and submit con-
, stitutional amendments to the people to be
voted ON at the next election. In my opinion,
the report of the tax committee was the only
logical report it could make.
Amendments We're Unfair.
We have been here now longer than we ex-
pected the session to last and nothing has
! been accomplished. The tendency of the
legislature is to do nothing absolutely moth
| ing. When the report of the tax commission
was considered in the house, the fight was
+ shrewdly fought. Opponents to the bill di-
: rected their energy to defeat the provision
y calling for a taxation of money in banks
d They fought hard and they fought success.
y fully. They compelled friends OF the bill te
Il offer amendments, and the very minute those
: Wallace amendments were adopted the seeds
: Of defeat were sown, because the measure
= then became unequal in its burdens.
r If were to enforce rgdy the presen
/ laws we would find that the interests which
= have been represented here in opposition Il
g new code would change front and favor ia,
legislation. Existing laws are not enforced
q Many Of them are dead letters on the statut,
= books. II the legislature fails to pass som,
= tax legislation at this session, called for tina
e purpose, the people will consider that ltl
g members have been weighed in the balance