The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-18
TAX AMENDMENT SUBMITTED
Senate Recedes from Former Position
and Agrees to ''Wide-Open" Plan

One of the most far-reaching acts of
the session was the adoption of H. F..
l, by w. P. Roberts; which submits to
the. people at the next election a taxa
ton amendment to the constitution. If
the amendment prevails the legislature
will have all the latitude necessary to
reconstruct the tax system and adopt
any new methods that seems necessary,
including an income, tax on salaries or
the income from credits, registry tax
on mortgages, a special franchise; or
gross earnings tax on public. service
corporations, or any other modern
scheme for. equalizing the burdens.
In adopting this amendment::the leg
islature turned it's back on the old SIS
| TEN, which found it's elimination in the
famous; section IL Of article 8, "a RAM
bling series. of statements giving pow
ers and imposing, restrictions onthe leg
! stature. The old plan was; to. fill the
constitution with Legislation andssso
prevent changes The new plan is to
give the legislature a free hand: :. It
was opposed two. years ago by the same
senate that sat this winter, and the
strife between the two houses: resulted
in a. failure to agree :or adopt any
amendment. This time* there was hard:
ly any controversy. The leading sen;
ators had changed their views and, were
willing to stand for the Ewide-open
plan. Several bills were introduced, in
Guiding bills: by Stnat ors Lord ,and
Thorpe, and REPRESENTATIVES Roberts
the first one introduced, and got a-goot
start. 1t was somewhat amended BY
the house judiciary committee, 50 as tt
? be practically the house bill Of 1908
In this shape it passed, and the senat
approved it with minor changes No
because of any conflict, but for tn
sake of the further discussion, a, con
, ference was had and the senate amend
!, ments were accepted, with two other
! originating in the conference commit
+ tee. One struck out the phrase - unde
n general laws' so as to leave create
q latitude, and the other gave explici
) authority to levy special assessment
|. without reference to, the value OF tn
d property: The form finally adopte
s substitutes one section of $50 wore
for sections 1, 2, 8, 4 and II, of artic]
Y g., which cover two pages and aha
l. Of the legislative manual The sectio
" which will be submitted: FOR popular, a.
l., prevail next year reads as follows.
4 The power Of taxation shall never ]
l. surrendered, suspended or contracts
away Taxes shall be uniform upon tt
$ same class Of subjects, and; shall be levi
: and. cOllected. : Tor pupllc purposes. v
!. public buryirg. grounds. public schot
!. houses, public hospitals, academies, &C
!. leges, universities and all: semtIaries
: learning, all churches, church property a
!: houses Of worship, institutions of pure
!: public charity, and public property &us
!. exclusively for any public purpose, sh
$ be exempt from taxation, and there m
. be exempted from taxation personal pro
): erty to the value of 5000 for each hous
!. hold individual Or head Of a family,
. the: legislature may determine. s-
!. Provided, that the legislature may q
!. thorize municipal corporations to.;rle
!: and collect assessments for local Il
:: provements upon property = .benefi'
!. thereby, without regard to a cash vall
!. ton, and provided further, that noth'
s herein conta ined shall be construed to.
feet, modify or repeal any existing
providing for the taxation Of the or
earnings Of railroads. ! Il.