The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-02

alton ana tleIe !Ei5 We S-NN,.i ~ 80
| taxation personal property NOT cNCeeulhs
| in value SEQ for each hoU5eAoid lnui-
vidual or head of q taniilN, as tae le9lS.
| lature may dc,cra!ne; ProFioea, i nai
the legislature may authorize municlpal
corporations to lcVy and collect assess
ments for local Improvements upon prop
erty benefited thereby withoat regard 70
a cash valuation: and, provided turther,
that nothing herein contained shaii pe
construed 10 affect, modify or repeh
any existing law providing for the taxa,
ton of the gross earnings or raiiroao9'
The purpose aud effect OF this
amendment. wculd be To greatly en-
large the power Of the AcgfS t'.'"
with reference To t!le supsect .,
taxntion. section enc % az "a nO"
stands Provides that all ta2SS IN
posed shall he cYUaI--aa near as MA,
bc-On all forI.ts Of property an" az
property upon which TAX rs ~,
posed is required to have -.
VALUATION eqEaii1cd thro''
the state.
Guires the le%iaintuTc 4" ies
nece.sory taxes annually TO ueifav
the exucuScS ssf the state. tnat ~
the duty of the legislature Wiihout
any constitutionai dirsc:1on'
Section three as il nov" stahns pro,
x;dcs that ali real and peraon2i
DroDcrty, including MONEYS Sn-1D
IT'S and INVESTStENTS IN bJADs
AND STOCKS, shnu be assessed 'ic-
cordfnn to their true value ih
money.
Section four as ii now STANDS pro-
vidcs that property en2piS?e"
banking shall he subject TO q t"A
equal to that imposed GU othef
property. This is only "a repesf'io"
of the requirements OF SECTIONS S"e
und three, as no rational Ecrsou
would claim that banking ca
should he exempt from t;sNaAcn.
Section seventeen ;ia it now stahuS
80 not a,zv To uuaerstand, bat 1t was
intended hy that section to relieve
from the opcrntion of sections one
and three, above qU0tea, prOPIiN!
of the classes therein eEumcfh'St,
SO that 81 gross earnings YAK co"i
he ruufiaG thereto instead OF direc'
tIXatiOn.
Oyyiu.r 20 the provisions OF see
fiops ono rrd three of the present
Constitution many ntncho A'eN'N
were from time 10 time added so as
to pernait taxes to be tEAi'osSu u"
specific kinds OF pro9eFI! "StS
wise than upon Il casa EntH4t.oH
egualfxed throughout the ssatc' We
have among these exceptions rail-
read gross earnings taxes; raahlcs-
pai frontage taxes; inEeFAtShcS
taxes: and the gross earnings taxes
authorized by said section s$Vea-
teen.
Several exemptions from fn1h'ioh
are also provided for, bat rs these
fexerrptions are not changed by the
proposed amendment. L WIFI MAKE
no rurthcr reference TO them
The amendment which. if adopted
would take the place az an Oh '1.S
sections and amendments oDoFc re-
rerrad to-. tx simple and plain. NO
provisiou OF the Consultation Is
necessary to authorize the i'm
poai.inn of the taxes necessary iur
the support of the stHtS- ana Tvs
various political subdIVislohs. ne
mower of taxation is Inherent an
government This proposed amend
,oaut declares that this inherent
po,yer Of taxation Snail never ne
surrendered. suspended or con-
tructcd away; that taxes snali NC
imposed for public purposes anu
shall be uniform ON the same class
as spI,fecta, should this amend
rert be adopted all property OF
every kind in thc state sVo"fh be
suE,;ect to taxation. according 10
The method the LEGISLATURE saw III
to nGoDt, provided only thot the
tax WAS levied for Il public purpose
md wa. uniform on the same cfss ss
of sU!;ecta Under tllSs amendment
every tax law we now have on the
statute, books would continue to DC
valid, because under this amend
ment all limitations on the power
of the LEGISLATURE would be taken
away.
,Vhe aaOptfcn Of this amendment
xyou!I as indicated repeal TIE So
called inheritance tax amendment,
and the GroSs-earPlnGS tax 2mcMo-
mcnt adopted in 1906 as contained
i'm said section seventeen. h"t az
their place this amendment EF0uid
give the Legislature greater Eufaor-
ity. Under this amendment tia"
newer to impose inheritance taxes
would he unlimited, and amy form
of gross earnings tax EvOuid DE
valid. Thc gross earnings tax ON
railroads would not be affected by
this amendments, aS fhc CONSTITUTION
provides that it can net be changed
without a vote OF The people. Hut
with this amendment various nesT
forms of taxation could be Imposed,
notably an income tax GnG regis
try tax on mortgages. Under the
present Constitution we can Impose
no tax OF, mortgages ogvDeh by nom
residents. registry tax. which
would Sc valid under this amend
nicnt, would reach an mortgages
mike. While ali subjects of taxa
ton are required to have "a cash
valuation with the tax cuuGiixSd
ttrouGhout the state. no proper in
come tax could be imposed. Such Il
tax, if imposed, should be pro-
gressiyc. which would be valid
under this amendment.
SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The second proposed arnendi,ien is
contained i'm Chapter 2f2 of the
Laws of 1908. IL il sought by tliis
amendment to repeal Section 16 of
Article 8 of the Constitution, which
is as follows:
Section IS. For the purpose of lending
f~of public highways and bridges, there is
hereby created a fund to be known as
the State Road and Bridge Fund Said
! fund shall include oil moneys accrulnG
from the income derived from invest
ments in the internal Improvement land
fund, or that may hereafter accrue to
said fund and shall also include all
funds accrung to any state road and
bridge fund, however provided The
fund for the purpose of constructing or
improving roads and bridges of this
state, by providing, in its discretion for
an annual tax levy upon the property of
this state of not to exceed in any year
one-twentieth of one mill on all the tax
able property within the state. The leg
/ islature is also authorized to provide for
| the appointment by the governor of the
! state a board to be known as the State
! three members, who shall perform such
| duties as shall be prescribed by law
! without salary compensation other
| than personal expenses. Such commits
! sion shall have general superintendent
| of the construction of state roads and