The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-02-26
Ole Legislature.
Items Of Interest from
MinneSota So1onS. -

ity and it is buckling down to work
now that the session is we'll along.
Speaker Babcock has reminded the
house that the time for real hard work
is at hand and he now insists that in
the future all members must be in
their seats unless excused. The house
will be under call many times and the
members must be on hand ready to an
swer the same. There are three spec
ial orders booked for the house this
week. Yesterday afternoon the
Hugo bill providing that the cost of
public Improvements made by munich
palities adjacent to railroad property
shall be betrayed out of the State treas
ury was a special order, but considera-
tion of the bill was postponed two
weeks on account of the introduction of
the Fryberger bill which contains a pro-
vision, which if held constitutional COW
ers the subject matter of the Hugo bill.
This property at the present time I'M
der the operation of the gross earnings
tax is exempt from taxation.
Thursday afternoon the Stone rate
bill will be a special order. This is the
measure requiring railroads to get con-
sent of the railroad and warehouse
commission before raising rates or
classifcations. It was reported ad-
versely by the railroad committee, but
the house overturned the committee
and made the bill special order.
The elections committees of the
house and senate are at work on bill
amending the present primary cleo
tion bill. There are several bills be-
fore the committees for their consider
alton
The wide-open tax amendment to the
State constitution passed the house last
Friday afternoon after two hours de-
bate. The amendment was adopted as
it came from the Judiciary committee.
The amendment substitutes for the
first four sections of article 8 of the
constitution the following:
The power of taxation shall never be sur
rendered or suspended.
Taxes shall be uniform upon the same class
of subjects and shall be levied and collected
under general laws for public purposes.
But property used exclusively for religious,
educational charitable, cemetery govern
mental or public purposes shall be exempt
from taxation. and there may be exempted
from taxation personal property not exceeding
in value $500 for each household individual or
head Of family, as the legislature may de-
1ermine.
The amendment now goes to the
senate where the chances are the
"grave and reverend SENATOR'S will
play football with the amendment.
49, The sub=cemmitts- ef~-the committee
on taxes of the house is about to in
troduce a bill on gross earnings of rail-
roads. The committees bill is a sub
stitute for Representative Johnson's
bill.
A new gross earnings bill has made
its appearance, having been introduced
by Representative Fryberger of Mime
apolis. He thinks that the bill is much
better than the one that the committee
has substituted for the johnson bill.
The bill places the tax at four per cent
on all property in the State owned or
operated for railway purposes, in
GLIDING equipment, franchises. The
taxes shall be in lieu of all other taxes,
-'except that this act shall not be con-
strued to exempt such railroad COM
pany from the payment of special as
sessments for benefits derived from the
construction of local improvements"
The bill is in many respects the same
as the present law. There is some
doubt as to whether the bill is consti-
tutional as it's provisions for assessments
for local improvements is thought by
some to be contrary to the provisions of
the present gross earnings law.
The bill introduced by Senator Bar
ker amending the law relating to the
payment of village orders, has been
favorably reported by the senate judi
ciary committee. The bill provides
that all village orders shall be regis
tered when there are no funds, marked
mot paid for want of funds,' and said
orders shall be paid in order of regis
tration.
S. T. johnson, State public examiner,
will be deprived Of all power of exam
lining the accounts of railroad compan-
les, with view to fixing the amount of
taxes due on their gross earnings by
the provisions of a bill introduced last
week. The bill gives that function en-
\ tirely to the railroad and warehouse
commission. The bill also requires all
railroads to keep their accounts in a
uniform method to be prescribed by the
commission.
The joint committee which visited
the St. Louis exposition reported to the
house in favor of a. further aDnrOnria