The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-10-16
FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT.


The first proposed amendment Is con-
tanned in Chapter AT OF the Laws OF
1907. By this amendment it Is sought to
repeal Sections one ID, two (2), three
(21, four az and seventeen 90 of Article
nine (e) of the Constitution (the latter
section being the amendment to said ar
tlcIe nine (e), adopted in 1880, which
sections now read as follows:
Section l. 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 valuation
and be equaliZed and uniform throughout
the state: Provided, that the legislature
may by general law or special act, au-
thorize municipal corporations to levy
assessments for local improvements upon
the property fronting upon such improve
ments or upon the property TO be pene-
fitted by such Improvements. or both'
without regard to cash valuation, and In
such manner as the legislature may pre-
scribe: and provided further, that for the
purpose of defraying the expenses or lay
ing water pipes and supplying any city or
municipality with water, the legislature
NAV by general or special law, authorize
any such city or municipality. having
population of five thousand or more, 10
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 cor
porate limits of said city for supplying
water to the citizens thereof without
regard to the cash value or such prop
erty and to empower SUCH city 10 collect
any such tax. assessments or hneS, or
nenalties for failure to pay the same, or
any fine or penalty for any violation OF
the rules of such city or municipality In
regard to the use of water, or for any
water rate due for the same: and pro-
vided further. that there may be by law
levied and collected tax upon all inner
itances deViSes, requests, legacleS ana
Gifts of every kind and description above
a fixed and specified sum, Of any and all
natural persons and corporations. Such
tax above such exempted sum may be
uniform or it may be graded or progress
i've. but shall not exceed 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 1t
shall happen that such ordinary expenses
of the state for any year shall exceed the
income of the state for such year the
LEGISLATURE shall provide for levying tax
for the ensuing year sufficient, with other
sources of income, to pay the denclency
of the preceding year. together with the
estimated expenses of such ensuing year.
But no law levying a tax or making other
provisions for the payment OF interest or
principal of bonds denomnated Mime
sofa State Railroad Bonds, shall take
effect or be in force until such law shall
have been submitted to vote OF the
people of the state. and adopted by
majority of the electors or the state Vot-
ing upon the same.
"Section g. Laws shall be passed tax
ing all moneys. credits. investments In
bonds stocks. joint stock companies. or
otherwise also all real and personal
property according to it's true value in
money; but public burying grounds, pub
lie school houses, public hospitals.
academies, colleges, universities, and all
seminaries of learning, all churches,
church property used for religious pur-
noses. and houses of worship. institu-
tions of purely public charity, public
property used exclusively for any public
purpose. and personal property to an
amount not exceeding in value two hun
dred dollars for each individual. shall, by
general laws, be exempt from taxation.
"Section 4 Laws shall be passed for
taxine the notes and bills discounted or
purchased, moneys loaned, and all other
property effects, or dues OF every de-
scription, of all banks ana OF an pank <
ers. so that all property employed In
banking shall always be subject to a tax
alton equal to that imposed on the prop
erty of individuals.
'Section II. The legislature may i'm
pose. or provide for the imposition or up
on the property within this state OF any
and all owners or operators, whether cor
porate or individual, or otherwise, Of any
and all sleeping, parlor and drawing room
cars. or any or either Of the same. which
run in, into or through this state; also
upon the property within this state OF
any and all telegraph and telephone COM
panies, or owners. whose lines are In, or
extend in, into or through this state; also
ypon the property within this state of
ali express companies or owners, or any
or either of the same, doing business in
this state; also upon the property within
this state OF all domestic insurance COM
panies of this state Of any kind; also
upon the property within this state of any
and all foreign insurance companies doing
business in this state of any kind; also
upon the property within this state of all