Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-02-27
WOULD SHUT SCHOOLS
MINNESOTA IRON RANGES TX.
CITED OVER LAW.
FEAR the TONNAGE TAX
Towns and School Districts on the
Ranges Protest Against Proposed
Law That Would Destroy the
School System.


School System.
H1bbfng, MIMI, Feb 13.-Threatened by
1es1slatlon which would be totally de-
structlve of the public school system of
the iron ranges Of Minnesota. the people
OF the mining country in St. Louis and
1tasca counties have combined to make
an appeal to the legislature and the state
at large. The excited state Of public feel
ing mere Is not comprehensive to the
people of the state generally. for in
urpan and rural communities questions
aHectlng taxation have not the vital in
terest for people Of every condition that
the same topic has here. Confronted by
the proposition now before the legislature
that tonnage tax be imposed on iron
ore, the people Of the ranges are aroused
because by the operation of such tax
system practically the entire source of
revenue for the maintenance of the pub
nc schools would be removed from the
local assessment rolls.
There Is no difference Of opinion on the
ranges regarding this tax proposition and
It's effect. The range towns have been
wrought to the pitch of holding mass
meetlngs-not perfunctory affairs attend
cd by few taxpayers, but gatherings in
which hundreds OF people take part and
speeches and resolutions setting forth the
sentiments of the participants are indulg-
co. There is a good deal Of bitterness
SHOWN IN some Of the speeches, but most
OF them deplore the ignorance Of condi-
lions here which is responsible for the
proposed taxation. The protest that has
! taken form in these meetings comes alto
gether from the people. The mining COM
pan1es have no material interest in the
proposed law for it makes no difference
to them whether they pay their taxes to
the county or to the state They are but
! incidentally interested In the matter by
reason Of the fact that the maintenance
| OF the public schools contributes to the
betterment Of living conditions and pro-
| notes the progress in intelligence Of the
| mining population. It is everywhere OBJ
! servable that the resolutions passed do
not complain about the evident desire Of
| the members Of the legislature to secure
| larger state revenue from the iron
mining industry. but they do object to a
change in the manner Of collecting the
taxes. The contention Is made that If a
| tonnage tax is imposed it will necessarily
carry with it the exemption Of the mines
from the realty assessment. and thus take
away from st. Louis county 80 per cent
Of the. assessed valuation outside Of the
city Of Duluth.
The towns on the ranges do not repre-
| sent any very considerable assessed val
Here at at f aipbine is asSesseo case Au IN
point. In the school district here the
for nearly $27 200 900, while the total as
sessment,. including the village of Hib-
bling. is but 500; 600 more. The schools
school population is out Of ali proportion
to the taxable value OF the property, with
the mines excepted.
Same Conditions Everywhere.
The situation at Hibbing fairly typifies
| that on the ranges generally. At Eveleth
$4,000 Is raised annually for school pur-
poses: Taking the mines out Of the as
taxation would yield $40 annually for
school purposes. At Ely. on the Vermil-
lion range. the Oldest mining community
| values outside Of the mines might be ex-
pected to have attained a maximum Of
value, 8S per cent of the assessment Is
per cent Of the assessed valuation Is in
the mines: at Chisholm 98 per cent. One
third of the entire assessed valuation OF
1tssca county-which Is not no generally re- re-.
mines, and there Is one school district IN
that county where there ts an $4,000
house, and only per cent of the assessed
"a With these Is Conditions. it is not to be
wondered at that the people on the
ranges are protesting and making prep
Of delegations and appeal to the fair
mindedness Of the people Of the state to
help them to avert the impending calam-
ity. There is everywhere the feeling that
proposed tonnage tax would not be pos.
sible if the conditions were understood OF
the people at large. There is no attempt
tax fa agst to fe to
wants from the. mines: everybody IS
willing to subscribe to the proposition
that the assessment on the mines might
for state purposes The valuation Of the
mines in st. Louis county was raised to
s75, 900 last year. and the mining: com
ton ton to a further raise: The people would
not lift a hand to prevent such an in
crease as the authorities might propose.
But there is a profound feeling Of indig-
legislature passing a law that will be
destructive Of these communication the
range communities must fall If the
schools are c1sssd and the sch asho9S ne must
taken by the state. There Is no wealth
on the ranges except that in the mines:
there is no hope of agricultural develop
that is held in check and is fast being
brought to the point Of assimilation by
the education Of the children: 10 stop p
vast body of ignorant foreigners back to
the state in which they lived in Austria.
Hungary Italy and other countries "a, Of
Sgjar about %%repe condition Of anarcsy
The people interested in the schools.
the district officials and superintendents.
have undertaken the enlightenment Of
conditions here. These men represent the
best citizenship on the ranges: They have
created a remarkably efficient and mod
ed LARGELY and We'll. and the schools are
of the best modern type. Now confront
ed by the probability that their schools
may be destroyed they have gone actively
sofa 80 ~t that the proposed legislation would
be as perniciously tyrannical as any ever
framed for the destruction Of q people:
throush aG the press. supplementins the e.
forts Of the committees that have been
appointed to labor with the legislature
directly.
! Charles e. Young who was widely
sofa in educational work before coming
to the range, is superintendent Of the
SeGst He e 9h s pses oft " TIN
state in which he saws:
Hlbblng's Protest.
apart from Duluth we have. on the
iron ranges Of this county four high
school towns: which h. employ !s8 , teachers stssf
graded school towns employing 60 teach
IS rural districts In size and conditions
this district Of Hibbing is fair sample
q territory Of 27e square miles, MAIN
tanning two brick and six frame schools
with Al instructors and enrolling this
erected during the past ten years cost
$19O, 900 and Of this $65.000 are still due
to the State of Minnesota on building
:The children In the schools represent
over twenty nations, are in great ma
1ority Of foreign birth and the ENROLL
ment has been growing ct the rate OF