The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-10-20

80 (a) of Article of the Constitution, the
LegislatIre by an act eta a nfar S8 Of the
General Laws of 1903, present TO the cree
tors of the state for rejection or approval
the following, to wit:
Section l. Every railroad company
owning or operating any line of railway
situated within, or partly Wltnln inns
state, shall during the year 1870 ana an
nually thereafter pay into the treasury VI
this state in lieu Of all taxes and assess
ments upon all property within this state
owned or operated for railway purposes
by such company inc Guiding equipment,
apDurtenances appendageS and iran
chises thereof, sum of money equal 10
four G) per cent of the gross earnings de.
rived from the operation of Such line OF
railway within this state; and the an annual IA
payment of Sucn sum shall be in full ana
in lieu of all other taxes and assessments
upon the property and FRANCHISES SO
taxed. The lands acquired by pupllc
grant shall be and remain exempt from
taxation until sold or contracted to Dc
sold or conveyed as provided in the re-
spective acts whereby such grants were
made or recognized.
Sec 9 The term 1.-The gross earnings
derived from the operation of such line OF
railway within this state as used In sec
ton / of this act is hereby declared anu
shall be construed to mean, all earnings
on business beginning and ending within
this state. and a proportion, based upon
the proportion of the mileage within the
state to the entire mileage over Whlcm
interstate business passing through, into
or out of the state.
Sec g. All acts and parts Of acts not
inconsistent herewith regulating the pay
ment collection, time of payment, en-
forcement or reports involving the
amount of taxes upon the gross earnings
OF railroad companies witain TINS state
or providing peIalti fsxes sor are ee he T
by bV m made applicable. to this, act 80
far as may be- and all acts and Parts OF
acts inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed.
Sec 4. Upon failure to pay the amount
Of such taxes legally due upon the date
heretofore provided by law for the pay
ment thereof. in addition TO exls. ~ 3
civil action brought in the name OF the
State of Minnesota in the district court
of any county.
Sec. 5. Before any railroad company
shall be heard to contest or continue
to contest the validity of this act or any
mart thereof such railroad company shall
as a condition precedent thereto, pay into
the amount of taxes due or payable
from such railroad company under the
existing tax laws of this state applicable
to such company.
the people of this state for their approval
or rejection at the next general election
for the year 1904. CThe omitted
provisions refer to the method of print
oNs
for ratifcationO
This act provides for an increase ~ -.
the amount of taxes collected by the
state upon the property Of the rail-
roads situated within the state from
three per cent of the gross earnings
derived from the operation of railways
within the state to sum equal to four
per cent of the gross earnings derived
from the operation of such lines OF
railway within the state. The annual
payment of such sum shall be in full
and in lie uof all other taxes and as
sessments upon the property so taxed.
The lands acquired by public grant
shall be and remain as heretofore ex.
empt from taxation until sold or con.
tracted to be sold or conveyed, as pro-
yided in said acts where such grants
were recognized.
Provision is made in this act where
by the disputed and unpaid taxes on
the gross earnings of any railway COM
pany within the state may be collected
by a civil action brought in the name
of the State of Minnesota in any coun-
ty thereof. The right to maintain such
civil action is in addition to existing
remedies for the collection of the per
centum tax upon the gross earnings OF
railroads within the state. The exist
ing remedy which the State of Mime
sofa may use in enforcing the payment
by any railroad company within the
state of any disputed and unpaid taxes
upon it's gross earnings, is by destraint
of its movable property by the State
Treasurer, and sale of sufficient there
OF to satisfy the states claim This