The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-09
IS 1ERSE
The Governor Wants Law Enforce
ment and Equal Taxation"
Most of All.
Prospects for the Tax Amendment
and the Gross Earnings "
t-E. Dill.

My platform Is expressed In five
words" said Governor Van SAINT to-day,
speaking OF the work before the leg1S-
lature. 1T is law enforcement and equal
taxation.' l have made number of other
recommendations which l should like to
Pee adopted, but those few words tell
the story Of the questions that are most
on my mind. w.
ger issue. Under the head of equal tax
alton the governor includes a constitu
tional amendment looking to tax reform
and the per cent gross earnings bill.
Prospects now seem bright for the pas
sage of both measures. There will be no
serious opposition to the passage OF the
tax amendment The fight will be over
the form Of the measure. Few are salts
fed with the amendment voted on last
November, and though Senator Wilson re-
introduced it without any change yester
day. he explained that it would doubt
CESS meet with some changes in commit
tee. Senator SomerVille, who will be !
chairman of the judiciary committee. had !
q hand in drafting the amendment last |
time and is not in favor Of any material |
change. but there is much sentiment in |
favor of the wide open" amendment |
which passed the house. Judge. Alley, |
Its author, is now in the senate. and if |
he opens up fight for a wide open |
amendment he will have strong support |
from senators who favor giving the egis
latUre free rein in deviSing systems of
taxation.
The amendment as voted Nov. 4, |
and as introduced by Senator Wilson yes |
terday. substitutes for the first three sec |
tons of article 9 the following: |
Language of Amendment.
Section /. The power Of taxation shall
never be surrendered. suspended or con-
tracted away. The legislature shall pro- !
vide for annual tax sufficient to defray
the estimated ordinary expenses Of the
state for each year, and whenever it shall
happen that such ordinary expenses for
any year shall exceed the income Of the
state for such year, the Legislature shall
at its next general session provide for
levying a tax sufficient to pay such def
cheney. And whenever the income Of the
state from other sources shall be sufficient
to defray all of it's ordinary expenses
without the levy of any annual state tax
such tax levy shall be omitted All taxes
to be raised in this state shall be as nearly
equal as may be. and shall be levied and
collected for public purposes only; and
all property which taxes are to, be lev
led except as herein otherwise provided,
shall have a cash valuation. and shall be
equalized and uniform throughout the
state; provided that whenever the levy of
tax for state purposes is omitted
above provided the taxes levied for local
purposes shall be upon valuation of the
property within the several counties and
the subdivisions thereof which shall be
equalized and uniform throughout each
county. The legislature may by general
or special law authorize municipal cOrpO-
rations to levy assessments for local i'm
proVementS upon the property fronting
upon such improvements, or upon property
benefited thereby, or both, without regard
to a cash valuation In such manner as the
legislature may prescribe. There may be
levied and collected annual tax. on
franchises granted by public authority in
addition Ia V
ant othec personal property of the person
CT corporation holding such franchise; or
in lieu of a tax on such franchise alone.
Or in lieu Of tax such franchise and
The personal property used in, connection
with the exercise Of the same, there may
be i'm posed such tax upon the gross earn
1ngs of the person or corporation holding
such franchise the legislature may de-
ee'nine; and said tax shall be apportioned
between the state counties and munich
Caities where such franchise is exercised
IN the same manner as real estate taxes
are apportioned. There may be levied and
collected a transfer tax not to exceed pei
centum upon the estates of decedents
above fixed and specified sum. which
tax may be uniform or graded or pro.
gressive. There may be levied and col
lected a registry tax upon all real estate
mortgages which shall be in lieu of al
other taxes the debt secured by sucl
mortgages; and a tax upon the incom,
porations, as such credits are now or ma,
be hereafter defined by law, and also OF
the income arising from all personal prop
erty, and also upon the income of all per
sons or corpora tons above the sum O
$1,000 per annum not arising from sucl
credits or from such personal property, o
from property otherwise taxed il
this state. Such =. income ia
shall be uniform throughout ! tn
state and may be . graded : or pro
Kressve or both, and shall be levied at
rate not to exceed 10 per centums upon tn
income from such credits and upon tn
income from such personal property an
at rate not exceeding 4 per centur
upon such other income! Laws shall
passed taxing all real and personal prop
ertG; provided, that credits and persons
property shall not be subject to other tax
alton than the income or registry ia
herein authorized while the law imposin
such income or registry tax shall be
force; provided, public burying ground.
public schools. public hospitals, publ
library associations, colleges, universitie
and all seminaries of learning all churche
and church property used exclusively fc
religious purposes and institutions {
purely public charity, and public propert
used exclusively for public purposes. an
personal property to an amount not e>
ceed1ng $500 to each Individual shall /
exempt from taxation, but such persons
exemption shall not be allowed to mo,
than one member of the. same tamil
Provided, further that nothing in this a.
contained shall be" construed to affec
modify or repeal any law providing Fl
the taxation of the gross earnings of raj
roads. ........ ..,slv ~.
fight is expected OH the gross earnin
Dill, though there is no whisper Of opp
sition yet. Two years ago it was thong
ljnr until r. !,