The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-03-27
STATE TO GET IT ALL
SENATE. KILLS THE BILL GIVING
COUNTIES PART OF INNER
ITANcE TAXES.
HOUSE AUTHORIZES COMMITTEE
TO TRY TO REACH SETTLE
MENT ON RATES. ..-..

st. Paul, March 26.-The Inheritance
tax bill introduced by Senator S. D.
Works of Mankato, which provides
that one-half Of the tax shall go to
the county in which the deceased
lived at the time of his death instead
of all to the state, as the present law
provides, was killed in the senate. It
came up on general orders in commit
tee of the whole with Senator H. E.
Hanson of Window in the chair. Sena-
tor o. G. Dale of Madison led the at
tack on the bill and quoted the figures
from the state auditors annual report
and from the federal census to show
that the counties in the western part
of the state are now paying a higher
percentage of the state taxes per
capita than are the eastern counties.
.'When there is such great amount
of wealth hidden from taxation in the
eastern counties I do not believe that
they are entitled to have this source
of state. revenue diverted to their
county treasures" he said.
Senator F. H. Peterson of Moor
head also opposed the bill on the
ground that the state needs the reve.
nue. which it derives from this source.
Senator Frank Clague of Lamberton
also strongly opposed the bill and
when the motion to recommend it for
indefinite postponement was put it
carried by a substantial majority.
Trust methods received a severe
grilling in the senate when Senator
E. H. Canfeld's bill making contracts
entered into with trusts and combina-
tions null and void was reached on
general orders. After voting down two
amendments the bill was recommend
ed for passage by a large majority.
Senate Passes Twine Bill.
The senate passed H. F. No. $50, the
bill authorizing the state board OF con-
troll to sell the prison binder twine
outside the state when, in it's judg-
ment, such action is for the best in
terests of the state and authorizing
dealers in the prison twine to charge;
a profit Of / IL cents a pound whers the
twine is sold on credit. The dealers
are now allowed to charge only a
profit of 1 cent on all sales.
The provision which authorizes the
sale of the twine outside the state,
as explained by Senator George II.
Sullivan of Saltwater, was for the pur-
pose of placing the board Of control
in a position to meet competition in
this state and further to make pro-
vision for the disposal of the years
output In case of a crop failure in this
state. The bill was passed by vote
of AZ to 5.
A minimum penalty of twenty-five
years Imprisonment for burglary with
explosives is provided for in a bill in
troduced by Senator A. D. Stephens
of Crookston.
A bill for pension fund for teach
ers was introduced in the house by G.
w. ERodenberg Of st. Paul, by request.
It applies only to cities of $4,000 or
over, and was referred to the Henne-
pin, Ramsey and st. Louis delegations.
The fund is to be known as a public
school teachers retirement fund. Su-
perintendents, special teachers, prin-
cipals and others in regular employ
as instructors in the city schools are
eligible to participate in the fund, but
no one is to receive more than $40 per
month. No one can receive the bene-
fits unless he has been a teacher
twenty-five years.
Would Settle the Rate Question.
The house passed a resolution au-
thorizing the conference committee on
the 2-cent passenger fare bill to- take
up also freight rates in an endeavor to
reach an agreement with the railroads
on the whole question of rates.
In the federal court Monday morn
ing a continuance was granted until
April % in the action brought by the
railroads to restrain the state railroad
and warehouse commission from en-
forcing the commodity rate schedule
promulgated by the, commission.
These are two steps toward reach
ing a settlement on freight and passen-
ger rates in the state that will be sat
isfactory to the state railroad and
warehouse commission and to the leg
islature and will be accepted by the
railroads, thus avoiding further court
proceedings.
But the house also passed the bill
providing for increasing the gross
earnings tax on railroads from 4 per
cent to 5 per cent and making the rail-
roads subject to local improvement as
sessments.
The tonnage tax bill calling for a
flat tax of S cents per ton on ore of
more than 40 per cent iron will be
reported for passage by the house tax
committee. The committeeman argued
for some time whether to take action
and decided that they could not delay
longer and that they ought either to
kill the bill or report 1t for passage.
The house committee on express,
telegraph and electric railways intro
duced it's bill to regulate the string
ing Of wires over railroad tracks. The
bill has the main provisions Of the
original bill, but cuts out all the for
mality of going to the railroad COM
mission for permission to string wires.
The bill is simple and provides that
trolley wires shall be twenty-five feet
above the tracks and other wires
twenty-five feet above the tracks of
any railroad.