The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-10-13

Pursuant to the provisions of Section
80 (a) of Article of the Constitution, the
18TH 1903, known as Chapter 2o3 OF the
General Laws of 1908, present to the elec,
tors of the state for rejection or approval
the following, to wit:
owning or operating any line OF railway
situated within, or partly wltnln, TINS
state, shall during the year 1909. and an.
nuay thereafter pay into tne and
ments upon all property within TINS state,
owned or operated for railway purposes
by such company, including equipment
appurtenances, APPENDICES and iran
chises thereof, sum of money equal TO
four "a per cent Of the gross earnings de.
rived from the operation of such line or
railway within this state; and the annual
payment of sucn sum shall be in full and
in lieu of all other taxes and assessments
upon the property and franchises so
taxed. The lands acquired by pubic
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 srahls "eie
made or recognized.
Sec. 2 The term 1.-The gross earnings
derived from the operation of such line or
railway within this state, as used In sec,
ton of this act, IS hereby qeGlareu q, anu lrs
on business beginning and ending Wltnln
this state, and proportion, based upon
the proportion of the mileage WITHIN i6ie
such business is done, of earnings on al
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 inc
amount of taxes upon the gross earnings
of railroad companies within this state.
or providing penalties for the non
payment of such taxes, are here
by made applicable. to this act SO
far as may be; and all acts and parts or
acts inconsistent with this act are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 4. Upon failure to pay the amount
of such taxes legally due upon the date
ment thereof. in addition to existing
remedies. collection may be enforced In
a 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
part thereof, such railroad company shall
as a condition precedent thereto, pay into
the treasury of the State of Minnesota,
the amount of taxes due or payable
from such railroad company under the
existing tax laws OF tnls state appLcaple
to such company.
Sec. 6. This act shall be submitted to
the people of this state for their approval
or rejection at the next general %r election election
provisions refer to the method of print
ing the ballot and submitting this act
for ratifcation.)
This act provides for an increase in
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 he 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.
nv 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 mayiuse in enforcing the payment
by any railroad company within the
state of any disputed and unpaid taxes
upon its 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