The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-12
DUE TO WISE LAWS
Cause Of the Reduction OF
State Tax.
FRAMED BY REPUBLICANS
What the Democratic Board Of
Equalization Is poins for City
Of Minneapolis.
Especial to The Free Press.l

AuulLOr 1VerSOH mas Hlaue CHe dHHouHcc-
ment that the state tax is reduced from
1903 mills to 2.7S mills. Notwithstand
ing the fact that $4,000 for roads and
bridges has been added to the regular
taxes, it has been possible to make this
reduction, and l understand Mr.. Iver-
son expects to make it still lower next
year. In time, it will, no doubt, be pos
sible to abolish state taxes altogether,
the revenue derived from taxes on the
gross earnings and franchises taking its
place. I wonder if the people under
stand how all this came about. 1t is
due in large measure to the gross earn
ings tax on railroads and other corpora
tions which was distinctly republican
measure, pushed through the republican
legislature by republicans. To this
might be added the wise management of
the men in charge of the executive de-
partments, whom Governor johnson in
his keynote speech, and, I understand,
in other speeches when republicans pre-
dominate, characterizes as the "most ell
ficient in the history of the state"
Governor johnson made boast in &C.
cepting the nomination at the conven-
ton, that he had appointed board of
equalization that would equalize taxes.
That board has had an inning and the
governors appointees are in full swing.
The real estate assessments have been
reviewed and in more than half of the
counties there have been increases of
from five to fifty per cent. The town
of Brooten gets a 100 per cent raise,
while Minneapolis with its growth and
development and the large increase in
commercial enterprises gets a reduction of
five per cent. In the last year, it is safe
to predict that real estate values in the
twin cities have increased from fifteen
to twenty-five rer cent.
-
l nave DeeH amused. as every one
must have been who has had a chance
70 scan tie country press. at the re.
ception it has given Governor John
sons speech. It is the same speech he
delivers everywhere he goes except that
sometimes he transroses the ends and
mixes up the middle little. But it
is essentially the same speech. Most of
the papers have failed to treat it Sc
riously. 1t has seemed to them like a
huge Joke. The Mortified News per-
haps approaches as near as any of them
to a serious aspect, and it is not with
out its vein of humor at the governors
pretensions. The News is the foremost
champion of railroad reform of any pa
per in the state and it refuses to be
comforted at the attitude of Mr.. john
son as to railroad legislation. The fact
that paper which has given the matter
so much consideration and which is so
decided. upon the question of the neces-
sity for further railroad legislation
should be reason why the voter should
consider the subject carefully before
committing himself to the support of
man who takes the same ground as the
railroad attorney does that the laws are
now efficient and sufficient" The gov
errors attitude is being criticized as in
consistent with his party platforms.
That brings to mind the fact that Mr.
John Lind once an accidental governor
of the state by a mistake of the repub-
lican party, has come to the rescue of
the governor in his attitude on railroad
legislation. The only two men in recent
years whom the party has been able to
elect to any state office are each array
ed on the side of the railroads, and both
take the same view which the railroad
attorneys take, that the laws are now
good enough. Governor Lind was in Of
flee two years Immediately preceding
Van SAINTS administration. What did
he do to remedy the rate evil? All these
inequities and determinations in rates
existed when he was governor, but he
did nothing. His attitude now in COM
ing to the rescue of the railroads, ex-
plains his attitude when he was COVER
nor and had it in his power to- come to
the relief of the people
:: : ::
/ notice that The Star-New publish
ed at Elk River, makes the suggestion
that it would be the proper thing for
the democratic candidate for secretary
of state to resign his position with the
state normal school at st. Cloud if he
wants to devote his time to politics. 1t
certainly would be the decent thing to
do. When Judge Collins wanted to run
for governor he resigned from the bench,
and when James Martin wanted to con-
duct the Collins campaign for his friend,