The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-26

rflsr1uu1lUns or puTcly Tu5lc cnlii,s 'a,f,.
public property used exclusively for any
public purpose, shall be exempt from tax
alton. and there may be exempted rom
taxation personal property MOI eAceeulns
I'm value SEQ for each household indi-
vidual or head OF FANNY as me ie asat
lature mag determines: PROVIDED, VA; iIai
the Legislature may authoFlZg ii'un ssaps
corporations 90 levy and collect assess
ments for local improvements upon prop.
erty benefited thereb: without resaa i,ha "
Il cash valuation: and, PROVIDED III ,iINTI 20
construed to affect, smoGify or repcai
any existing law providing for inc ID a. -
ton of the gross earnings Oh falroaus'
The uurpose and effect of this
amendment would be to greatly en-
large the power OF the iesisi"'"
with reference to the suD5ec'
taxation. Section one CD as u NJ"
stands provides that All '"
posed shall be eqGal--as near a. ma!
bc-oD All forms Of property. anu az
uroperty upon which tax Is I'M
pesed il required to have tASii
VALU ALTON equaiizcd throns"""'
the state.
Section two as il now stahus
ouircs the Legislature to ieNS inc
necessary taxes annually TO deira!
the expenses OF tI,e state. nit -
the duty Of the legislature "hho"'
any constitutional direction.
section three rs il now stands pro-
yidcs that all real ana pSIsona'
property. Including MONEYS, RGD-
IT'S and INVESTMENTS IN boNDS
AND STOCKS. shall he assessed ac-
cordina to their true value IN
money.
Section four as ii now stn"us pro-
vides that property empso!ed ="
banking shall be subject TO ."N
equal to thRt imposed o" -
propcrfy. This III only rcpethio"
of the yeouircnents OF sections ono
and three. nv no rational person
would ctEim that banking cap'"i
should he exempt from t"Xat'on'
section seventeen ii new stnn"s
is not easy 10 understand, nut L. ""s
intended by that section to rche'c
fro,, the oucrotion OF sections ono
and three, above quoted. propcft!
of the classes therein cnumefateu,
so that n gross earnings 'aA co
be applied thereto instead OF aftec'
taxa ton.
O,yin. to the provisions OF see
tions one and three OF the prcscn'
Constitution many anne "'e"'e
were from time TO time added SO rs
to hermit taxes to Sc imposed u"
specific kinds OF property o'".'
wise than upon cash Na."''.o"
eouaIizcd throughout the state. we
road gross earnings taxes; munica-
n,I frouta-c taxes: inheritance
taxes: and the gross earnings taxes
authorized by snid section seven
teen.
Several exemptions from tnSatioh
are also provided for. but as 'ocsc
exemptions arc not changed W the
DroposeH amendment. will make
no turtller reference to thcm.
The amendment which, III adopted
would take the place of all Oh Inc
sections and amendments ABOVE re-
ferred to. is Simple and PLAIN. n"
provision Of the Constitution IS
necessary 40 authorize inc I'M
positiou OF the taxes necessary Tor
the support of the state ana us
various political subdivisions. me
power OF taxation is inherent :"
wOyernment. This proposed amend
,ncnt declares tbat this inherent
power of taxation shau never DC
surrendered. suspended or CON
tractcg away: that taxes shall be
impOscd for public purposes ana
shall be uniform on thc same ci"ss
of subjects. should this ameh"-
ycnt lie adopted all property OF
every kind in the state womb De
subject to taxation. according 10
the method the Legislature saw NJ
to adopt, provided only that the
tax was levied for n public purpose
and was uniform on TIC same cSa -
of subjects. Under this amepdmc"
every tax law we now have Oh the
statute books would continue to DC
valid because under this amend
ueut all Limitations on the power
cf the legislature would he. taken
away.
The adoption OF this amendment
would AS indicated. repeal the So
called inheritancc tax amendment,
and the gross-earnings tax amend
mcDt adopted in 1895 as contained
i'm said section seventeen. but m
tkeir place this amendment womb
give the Legislature greater autaos-
ity Under this amendment the
power to impose inheritance taxes
would be unlimited, and any form
of gross earnings tax would be
valid The grOss earnings tax on
railroads would not be adected by
this amendments. as the Constitution
provides that it can not DC changed
without a vote of the people. But
with this amendment Various neU
forms of taxation could be imposed,
notably an income tax and regis
try tax mortgages. Under the
present Constitution we can impose
no tax on mortgages owned Dy nom
residents. 4 registry tax. which
would he valid under this amend
mcnt, would reach all mortgages
alike. While all subjects of taxa
ton arc required TO have cash
valuation with the tax cIuaiized
throughout the state. no proper in
come tax could DC imposed. Such
tax. if imposed. should be pro-
grcssivc. which would be valid
under this amendment.
SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The second proposed amendment il
contained i'm Chapter .f@ of the
Laws of 1908. 1t is sought by this
amendment to rcpca! Section 16 of
Article . of the Constitution. which
is as follows:
Section 16 Fer the purpose of lending
aid in the construction and Improvement
of public highways and bridges there is
hereby created fund TO DO known as
the State Road and Bridge Fund Said
fund shall include all moneys accruing
from the income derived from invest
ments i'm the internal Improvement land
fund.- or that may hereafter accrue to
said fund and shall also include all
funds accruing to any state road and
bridge fund. however provided. The
legislature is authorized to add to such