The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-02-21
true STATE DEVELOPMENT
Means the Improvement Of the Public Highways
and Reclamation of the Vast Areas of
States Swamp Lands. .sa ~.
The Bjorge Tonnage Tax Bill Provides the Means
for the Accomplishment of These
Highly Beneficial Results. es..s

Ia
impracticable in the Bjorge bill. It
is 9 meritorious pleasure. The carry
ing out of it's provisions will inure to
the benefit Of every county of the state
anac future generations will bless the
memory of the men who placed such a
benefcent law upon the statute books.
Undoubtedly there will be an effort
made, if a tonnage tax on iron ore is
imposed, to devote the proceeds to-
other purposes. The school fund does
not replenishing. That fund will
eventually reach gigantic proportions
the state auditor estimates it at $780,
OOO,O0O. While we are building school
houses it would not be bad idea to
provide roads upon which children can
travel to get to school. Some will
maintain that the tonnage tax should
go into the general revenue fund and
thus do away with direct tax for
state purposes. The increase in the
taxes paid by railroads, insurance
companies and other corporations to-
gether with the inheritance tax will
practically, provide sufficient revenue
to meet the requirements of the state.
In any event tax of one-half mill
for state revenue is mere bagatelle.
Estate development can be summed
up in two words-G GOD ROADS,.
Gentlemen of the legislature: There
is no bill that will come before you at
this stssionzo at one-tenth the impor-
lance to the people of the state as the
Bjorge bill hereto annexed. There
should not be a single vote recorded
against it in either branch of the leg
islature. Its enactment and the sue
cessful carrying out of it's provisions
will directly benefit every interest and
every section of the state. -
Section l. Every person, firm, CON-
pany, association or corporation en-
gagged in mining, smelling or working
iron ore in this state, or owning or
operating any iron mine or mines
upon any lands within this state, shall
be subject to, and pay into the state
treasury at the time and the manner
hereinafter provided, a tax of five (5)
cents for each and every. ton of iron
ore mined upon such lands; each ton
to be estimated as containing two
thousand two hundred forty (2,24O)
pounds. Said tax, when paid, shall
be in lieu of all other taxes that may
be levied and assessed for all state
purposes upon the ore as personal
property, and upon the forty (4O) acre
tract or lot. being the smallest gov
eminent subdivision, from which such
iron ore is actually mined; provided,
that all buildings, machinery or sur
face Improvements located upon lands
containing active iron mines, and all
government subdivisions of forty
acre tracts or lots upon which there
are no open and active iron mines,
shall be exempt from the provisions of
this act, and shall be valued, assessed
and taxed for all purposes as pro-
vided in chapter eleven of the Revised
Laws of Minnesota relating to tax
alton. ..
Section 2. It shall be the duty of
every person, firm, company, associa-
tion or corporation owning or operat-
ing any iron mine or mines upon any
lands within this state, to make and
forward a semi-annual report in writ
ing to the state auditor, on or before
the first day of August and of Febru-
airy of each year, in such form as the
state auditor may prescribe, contain
ing the following facts:
l. Name of the mine or mines that
are in active operation.
2. The name or names of the owner
or owners or operators thereof.
3. The exact government descrip-
ton of the forty acre tracts or lots
upon which such mine or, mines are
located.
4. The number of acres contained
in such mine or mines.
5. The exact number of tons of
iron ore which have been mined or
extracted from each Of the separate
tracts or lots as hereinbefore de-