The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-13
And TO substitute therefor the follow.

And to substitute therefor the follow.
Ing:
Section /. The power OF taxation shall
never be surrendered. suspended or con-
tracted away. Taxes shall be uniform
upon the same class Of subjects, and shall
be levied and collected for public pur-
poses, but public burying grounds, public
school houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges universities and all seminaries
or learning, all churches, church prop
erty, and houses Of worship, institutions
OF purely public charity, and public prop
erty used exclusively for any public plr-
pose, shall be exempt from taxation, and
there may be exempted from taxation
personal property not exceeding in value
$500 for each household, individual or
head of a family, as the legislature may
determines: Provided, that the legislature
may authorize municipal corporations to
levy and collect assessments for local
improvements upon property benefited
thereby without regard to-a cash valua-
ton; and, provided further, that nothing
herein contained shall be construed to
affect, modify or repeal any existing law
providing for the taxation Of the gross
earnings Of railroads.
The purpose and effect Of thI. amend
nent would be to greatly enlarge the
power Of the legislature With reference
to the subject Of taxation. Section one
ID as 1t now stands provides that all
taxes Imposed shall be equal-as near as
may be-on all forms OF property, and
Is required to have CASH VALUATION
equallzed throughout the state.
I. Section two as 1t now stands requires
the legislature to levy the necessary
taxes annually to defray the expenses Of
the state. That Is the duty Of the IegIs-
lature without any constitutional direc-
tIon.
Section three as It now stands provides
that all real and personal property, In
Guiding MONEYS, CREDITS and IN
VESTMENTs IN BONDS AND STOCKS,
shall be assessed according to their true
value In money. aaE
Section four as 1t now stands provides
that property employed In banking shall
be subject to tax equal to that imposed
on other property. This 10 only repe-
tItion Of the requirements Of Sections one
and three, as no rational person would
claim that banking capital should be ex-
enpt from taxation.
Section seventeen az It now stands Is
not easy to understand, but It was In
tended by that section to relieve from the
operation Of sections one and three,
above quoted, property OF the classes
therein enumerated, so that gross earn
Ings tax could be applied thereto instead
Of direct taxation.
Owing to the provisions OF sections one
and three OF the present Constitution
many amendments were from time to
time added so as to permit taxes to be
Imposed on specific kinds of property
otherwise than upon cash valuation
equaIIzed throughout the state. We have
among these exceptions railroad gross
earnings taxes; municipal frontage taxes;
inheritance taxes; and the gross earnings
taxes authorized by said section seven
teen.
Several exemptions from taxation are
also provided for, but as these exemptions
are not changed by the proposed amend.
ment, will make no further reference
to them.
The amendment which, II adopted,
would take the place Of all Of the Sec
tions and amendments above referred to,
Is simple and plain. No provision Of the
constitution Is necessary to authorize the
imposition of the taxes necessary for the
support OF the state and Its various
political subdivisions. The power Of tax
alton is Inherent In government. This
proposed amendment declares that this
inherent power of taxation shall never be
surrendered, suspended or contracted
away; that taxes shall be imposed for
public purposes and shall be uniform on
the same class Of subjects. Should this
amendment be adopted all property Of
every kind In the state would be subject
to taxation, according to the method the
legislature saw fit to adopt, provided only
that the tax was levied for public pur.
pose and was uniform on the same class
OF subjects. Under this amendment every
tax law we now have on the statute books
would continue to be valid, because under
this amendment all limitations on the
power Of the legislature would be taken
away ss4fl So ~ $3.50 VI ~ - :.
The adoption Of this Amendment wou,d.
as Indicated, repeal the so-calIed Inherl-
tance tax amendment, and the gross earn
lngs tax amendment adopted In 1896 as
contained In said section seventeen, but
In their place this amendment would aIve
the legislature greater authority. Under
her'tance taxes would be unlimited, and
any form Of gross earnings tax would
be valid. The gross earnings tax on
railroads would not be affected by this
amendment, as the constitution provides
mat It can not be changed without vote
OF the people. But with this amendment
various new forms Of taxation could be
imposed, notably an Income tax and
registry tax on mortgages Under the
present constitution we can Impose no
tax on mortgages owned by non-resIdents.
A registry tax, which would be valid IN.
der this amendment, would reach all
mortgages alike. While all subjects OF
taxation are required to have casl, VAL
uation with the tax equaIlzed throughout
the state, no proper Income tax could
be Imposed. Such tax, II Imposed, should
be progressive, which would be valid un-
der this amendment.
SECOND PROPOSED. AMENDMENT,
The second proposed amendment Is con-
talned In Chapter 2f2 Of the Laws Of
1905. It Is sought by this amendment to
rePea! Section is Of Article Of the Con-
stltutIon, which Is az follows: ~
Section 49, For the purpose Of lending
aid In the construction and improvement
OF public highways and bridges, there Ia
hereby created a fund to be known as
the State Road and Bridge Fund Said
fund shall include all moneys accruing
from the income derived from invest
ments in the internal Improvement land
FUND, or that may hereafter accrue to