The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1906-10-13
PROPOSED
Amendments
TO THE
Constitution
OF MINNESOTA
Hon. Peter F.. Hanson,
Secretary Of State.

Sir:
As required by Section rs of the
Revised Laws, 1 have the honor to
advise you as to the purpose and
effect of these amendments which
are to be voted on by the people at
the coming election.
FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The first proposed amendment is
contained in Chapter 1853 of the
Laws of 1908. BY this amendment it
Is sought to repeal Sections one p,
two 90, three 60, four a. and sew
enteen 90 of Article nine co. of
the Constitution (the latter section
being the anne ndment to said Article
nine 60 adopted in 1866 which
sections now read as follows:
Section 1. All taxes to be raised in
this state shall be as nearly equal as
may be, and all property on which taxes
are to be LEVIED shall have a cash valua-
ton and be equalized and uniform
legislature may, by genera! law or spe-
clal act, authorize municipal corpora
IONS TO levy assessments for local i'm
provements upon the property fronting
upon such improvements or upon the
property to be benefited by such i'm
proponents, or both, without regard to
cash valuation, and in such manner as
yided further. that for the purpose Of
defray1ng the expenses Of laying water
pipes and supplying any, city or munic-
1pality with water, the legislature may,
Dy general or special law, authorize any
such city or municipality, having a pop
ulation of five thousand more, to levy
an annual tax or assessment upon the
lineal foot of all lands fronting on any
water main or water pipe laid by such
city or municipality within corporate
limits of said city for. supplying water
to the cash value Of such property, and
to empower such city to collect any
such tax. assessments or fines, or penal
ties for failure 10 pay the same, or any
rules of such city. or municipality in re-
gard to the use of water, or for any wa
ter rate due for the same: and provided
further, that there may be by law levied
devises,, bequests, legacies and gifts of
every kind and description above a
nxed and specified sum, of any and all
natural persons and corporations. Such
uniform or it may be graded or progress
sive, but shall not exceed a maximum
tax OF five per cent.
Section 2. The legislature shall pro-
vide for an annual tax sufficient to de-
fray the estimated ordinary expenses Of
the state for each year, and whenever it
shall shall happen tia that such ordinary ex-
year shall exceed the income ei of ' the
state for such year, the legislature shall
provide for levying tax for the ensu-
Ing year sufficient, with other sources Of
income, to pay the deficiency of thespre-
ceding year, together with the estimated
expenses of such ensuing year. But no
law leVylng tax or making other pro-
visions for the payment of interest or
principal of bonds denominated Mime
sofa State Railroad Bonds shall take
effect or be in force until such law shall
have. been submitted to vote of the
hn n RI nrI ID 80
majority of the electors of the state vot-
ing upon the same.
Section 3. Laws shall be passed tax
bonds, Stocks. Joint stock companes, on
otherwise, also all real and personal
property, according to it's true value in
money; but public burying grounds, pub
emies, colleges, universities, and all SEM
inaries Of learning, all churches, church
property used for religious purposes,S and
houses Of worship. institutions Of purely
public charity, public property used ex-
clusively for any public purpose, and
personal property to an amount not ex-
ceeding II value two hundred dollars for
be exempt from taxation:
Section 4. Laws shall be passed for
taxing the notes and bills discounted or
purchased, moneys loaned, and all other
property. effects, or dues Of every de-
scription, of all banks and of all bank
ers,- SO that all property employed in
banking shall always be subject to a
taxation equal to that imposed on the
property of individuals.
Section II. The legislature may i'm
pose. or provide for the imposition of,
upon the property within this state Of
any and all owners or operators, whether
any and all sleeping. parlor. and draw
Ing room cars, or any or either Of the
same, which run in, into or through this
State Of s and all ahd tee
phone companies, or owners, whose lines
are IN, or extend In. into or through
this state: also upon the property within
owners, or any or either Of the same,
doing business in this state; also upon
the property within this state of all do
nestle insurance companies of this state
Of any kind: also upon the property with
in this state Of any and all foreign H.
surance companies doing business in
this state of any kind: also upon the
property within this state Of al owners
mineral ores situated In this state; also
upon the property within this state of all
boom companies or owners, and Of all
ship builders or owners doing business
in this state, or having a port therein
provided, that this act shall not apply to
property owned by railroad companies,
their lands and other property; and
upon the property Of either or any Of
form as reasonably may be with the
taxes imposed upon similar property in
said state. or upon the earnings thereof
within this state. but may be graded or
progressive, or both, and in providing
for such tax. or in providing for ascer-
tanning the just and true value of such
property, it shall be competent for the
legislature, in either or all of such cases.
to impose such tax, upon any or all
property thereof within this state, and
In either case by taking as the basis Of
such imposition the proportionate bust
ness, earnings, mileage or quantity Of
production or property now or hereafter
existing of any such companies, persons
state, in relation to the entire business.
mileage or quantity of production or
property of such companies, persons or
owners as aforesaid; or in such other
legislature may determine; but the pro-
erty shall be distributed between the
state and the various political subdivi-
uated, in the same proportion as the
proceeds Of taxes upon real property are
distributed: Provided further, that moth
Ing in this act contained shall operate
to authorize the assessment or taxation
of any farm land or ordinary business
blocks or property owned by any such
corporation, person, firm or company ex-
cept in the manner provided by the or
binary methods of taxation"
And to substitute therefor the fol-
1Owin4s
Section 1. The power Of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspended or con-
upon the same class of subjects, and
shall be levied and collected for public
purposes. but public burying grounds
public school houses. public hospitals,
academies, colleges, universities and all
seminaries of learning, all churches,
church property. and houses of worship,
institutions of purely public charity, and
public property used exclusively for any
public purpose, shall be exempt from tax
alton, and there may be exempted from
taxation personal property not exceeding
in value $500 for each household, 1ndi-