The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-02-26

the#eounty of St. Louis, and now
feelAthey are to be cheated by the
ranges because they are compelled
to pay a just proportion of taxes.
That this is a scheme to dodge tax
es issszconceded on all sides. /
There are some in Duluth who
feelHtnat the gentlemen mentioned
are remarkably smart and that the
right action was taken. Duluth, as
is well known, has for the past sew
eraIH years derived its. greatest
amount of revenue from the. ranges,
beside all the men who have made
fair competency from mines and
properties on the ranges and who
make their home in the Zenith City.
The ranges have, with pride, watch
ed Duluth grow, and when, four
years ago, the, county division prof.
ect was up for vote, the ma jority
of the business element of the
ranges was against it, and consid-
erable of that sentiment was occa-
sioned by the feeling for Duluth. -.
The thing is different now and
the same feeling is being rapidly
dispelled by the actions of this
bandIof self-styled watch dogs. The
Duluth. wholesalers who are fur
nishing the larger part of the sup
plies and necessaries used by the
ranges should call halt and pull
off the obstructionists. A move
rnent is on foot to prepare a peti:
ton to the wholesalers to see what
can be done. If the gentlemen feel
that they can do without the: range
trade, we'll and good. St. Paul and
Minneapolis are not far away and
goods can be purchased in the lat
ter cities as we'll as in Duluth, and
onsldering the prompt payment OF
bills by the range merchants, the
TwinIICity merchants will be pleas
ed to trade with us. The Duluth
Commercial Club can find food for
|AAot -tAS IL t4O PAOopCCI.
"Asfs well known, every farmer
withiH a radius of 80 miles of Du-
luth 1hhs road to connect him with
civi izhtion.~ The seven wise men Of
the Zenith City are evidently under
the in1pression that Duluth and a
few farming settlements in its jim
sr,edi eHisfssity oft all
is to- St. Lsuis county, While this
mayseem true to a few, it is we'll
known fact that the wealth of the
county lies considerably north of
the Zenith City. Look at the tax
sheet and see.
"lhe ranges want roads and must
have them. The action recently
taken by the seven wise men pre-
cludes the possibility of any road
building for next year. We must
have roads and in order to secure
them must have the county furnish
them. We are entitled to them and
pay taxes for that purpose. Wecan
do the same as our smart city
brother Duluth does-let our taxes
go by default for several years and
then settle for a bout 80 cents on the
dollar. Several in the Zenith City
have made fortunes in this way.
"Another action we can take in
the premises. We can secede from
St. Louis county and get all the
benefits of the taxation of our rich
min res and properties ourselves.
Fou Il years ago, we were not exact
ly in shape for secession, but today
we can without serious inconveni-
ence to ourselves and decided in
convenience to Duluth and it's in
terests. While the forming of
new county is an expensive under.
taking, the recent action of the Du-
luth "We are it" club has brought
the matter to a head and some &C.
ton to cut loose will be taken. We
can afford it. We have the money
and by,doing so will rid ourselves
of such class of citizens as the
seven mentioned before.
"The Duluth papers are teeming
with articles regarding the agricul-
tural Possibilities of St. Louis coun-
ty. Where there are settlers there
must be roads and in order to build
roads all must help. What the ex-
act reasons are for holding up the
road work we cannot say, as no
valid one has been advanced. If
the gentlemen had an idea the
county was getting the worst of it,
why did they not go before the
board and make their kick before
the work was done and not wait un-
til someone's bread and butter de-
pended on the allowance of the or
ders. > .*- .'>
"The county commissioners are
not in the best frame of mind over