Mower County transcript., 1908-10-21

Also upon the propefty within this state
Of all boom companies or owners. and Of
in this state or having 4 port therein
provided. that; this act shall not apply
to property owned by railroad companies.
their lands and other property: and upon
the property Of either or any Of such
companies or owners tax as uniform
as reasonably may be with the taxes 1ni-
posed upon similar property In said state,
or upon the earnings thereof within this
state. but may be graded or progressive,
or both, and in providing for such tax, or
in providing for ascertaining the just and
true value Of such property, it shall be
competent for the legislature in either
or all such cases. to impose such tax
upon any or all property thereof within
this state, and in either case by taking
as the basis of such imposition the pro-
portionate business. earnings, mileage or
quantity Of production or property now
or hereafter existing Of any such COM
panies, persons or owners, transacted or
existing in this state, in relation to the
entire business, mileage or quantity OF
production or property Of such COM
pantes persons or owners az aforesaid;
other method az the legislature may de-
termine; but the proceeds Of such taxes
upon mining property shall be distributed
between the state and the various polit-
ical subdivisions thereof wherein the
same Is situated, in the same proportion
as the proceeds Of taxes upon real prop
erty are distributed: Provided further.
that nothing In this act contained shall
operate to authorize the assessment or
taxation Of any farm land or ordinary
business blocks or property owned by
any such corporation, person, Arm or
company except in the manner provided
by the ordinary methods Of taxation"
and to substitute therefor the following:
''sec. I. 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
purposes. but public burying grounds
public school houses. public hospitals.
academies, colleges, universities, and Ill
seminaries Of learning. all churches.
church property used for religious pur-
poses, and houses OF worship; institutions
OF purely public charity. and public
property used exclusively for any. public
purpose. shall be exempt from taxation.
and there may be exempted from taxa
tfon personal property not exceeding In
value 800 for each household. individual.'
or head Of q family. a. tho legislature
may determine. But the legislature may
authorize municipal corporations to levy
and collect assessments for local i'm
provenents upon property benefited
thereby without regard to q cash valua-
tion. and nothing herein contained shall
be construed to affect, modify or repeal
any existing law providing for the taxa
ton Of the gross earnings OF railroads"
This proposed constitutional amend
mont was submitted and voted upon at
the last election and was declared car
"ied. But contest was Instituted by in
terested parties, claiming that the amend
nent was not carried. That contest is
now pending in the courts and It was on
that account that the legislature decided
10 re-submlt the amendment to the peo-
Ole, so that however the contest msy be
decided, the next legislature may have
the power granted by the amendment.
For the purpose Of discussing tho effect
IT the amendment | will assume that the
same amendment, submitted at tho last
election, did not carry.
The purpose and effect Of this amend
nent would be to greatly enlarge the
power Of the legislature with reference
% tho subject Of taxation. Section one
~ AZ It now stands provides that all
lakes imposed shall be equai-as near as
may be-on all forms Of property, and alt
property upon which a tax is imposed 10
required to have CASH VALUATION
equaIized throughout the state.
0SSb1Ou S"O w ~ u TO" SIdNoS re"
quirss the legislature to levy tho nsees-
ssry taxes annually to defray tho ex-
penses Of the state. That 10 the duty Of
the legislature without any constitutional
direction.
Section three (3) as It now stands pro.
vldes that all real and personal property,
MONEYS, CREDITS and IN
IN BOMBS AND STOCKS,
shall be assessed according to their true
value In money.
Section four ~ as It now stands pro-
vides that property employed in banking
shall be subject to tax equal to that
imposed on other property. This is only
a repetition of the requirements Of Sec-
tions one (D and three (3), As no rational
person would claim that banking capital
should be exempt from taxation.
Section seventeen (17) as it now stands
is not easy to understand, but 1t was In
operation OF sections ono ~ and three
(3>, above quoted, property Of tho classes
therein enumerated, 80 tha. a gross earn
mss tax could be applied thereto instead
OF direct taxation.
Owing to the provisions Of sections one
0) and three (3) Of the present constI-
tuition many amendments were from tine
imposed on specific kinds Of property
otherwise than upon a 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 (1D.
Several exemptions from taxation are
also provided for, but as these exemp-
tions are not changed by the proposed
amendment, | will make no further ref
erence to them.
The amendment which, If adopted,
would take the place Of all Of the sections
and amendments above referred to, 10
simple and plain. No provision Of the
Constitution Is necessary to authorize the
imposition CT the taxes necessary for the
support of the state and it's various pol;e-
icai Subdivisions. Tho power o: taxation is
inherent in government. This proposed
amendment declares that this inherent
power OF taxation shall never be surren-
dered, suspended or contracted away;
that taxss snail be imposed for public
purposes and shall be uniform on the
same class OF subjects. Should this
amendment be sdopted I'll 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 a pub
lie purpose and was uniform on the Same
class of subjects. Under this amend.
ment every tax law we now have on tho
statue books would continue to be valid.