Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1908-10-31
Democracy Reduces Assessment
OF Iron Properties Sill
100000, and Increases
Valuation of Farms
and Furniture.
WOULD VETO TONNAGE TAX
This Is What Governor Said ut Dulmth
Yet His Party Platform Rec
ommends II and So Did He
to Last Legislature.

just WheTe Gov. Johnson IS
"at' on the subject of taxation is
| pretty hard to ascertain from his
| past and present record. Early
| in the present campaign, while
touring in Southern Minnesota,
he told the farmers of that -four
ishing agricultural district how
he had decreased their taxes by
adding many millions through his
state board of equalization to
the assessed valuation of the
properties of the United Stats
Steel corporation, commonly
known as the steel trust, in
Northern Minnesota.
He has recently completed
trip to Duluth and other North
ern Minnesota points, where the
steel interests are predominant,
and where, to large extent, the
development of the iron ore and
stee1>industry means the develop
ment of that part Of the state.
At these points he has astonished
the people by telling them he
never was in favor of a tonnage
tax on ore; that he did not de-
sire to do anything which would
add a burden to the iron ore and
steel industries. Let us see how
the record Of his own career, and
that Of his party, bears out his
recent statements.
The Duluth News Tribune of
recent date quotes his speech in
that city in part, as follows: THE
governor took up the tonnage tax
question, and was armed with a
large quantity of official records
and statistics to prove that he
was right on that much discussed
question. He said that when he
was elected the first time he was
pledged to investigate and make
some effort toward more salts
factory taxation. The governor
traced the history of the taxation
of iron ore, and said that the
News Tribune had described him
as an enemy of the iron country
as he STOOD FOR A TON
MAGE TAX ON THE MIN
ERAL. -. :.
Johnson Against. Tonnage Tax.
-" On the contrary" said the
governor, Il suggested a royalty
tax, and at no time was I in ia
vor of any system of taxation
that would take from the iron
country, or from any other dis
trict a liberal and continuous
source of revenue for local pur-
poses. / would not deprive Hib-
bing, Duluth, or any other place
in St. Louis county, of anything
to which it is justly entitled,
AND IF I AN ELECTED I
VETO ANY LAW
THAT PROPOSES TO TAKE
AWAY FROM ANY PLACE
THE THE. RIGHTS !, WHICH 1T EN-
The governor then proceeded
in an attempt to prove that ia |
cobson had been favorable to a
tonnage tax law. Thus Gov.
Johnson repudiates the Demo-
cratic state platform on which he |
stands. That platform declares |
for the tonnage tax in the follow
ing unmistakable words:
johnson and His Platform at Outs.
1--WE would call the attention of the |
voters of this state to the fact that |
there will be pending for them at the
next election an amendment to the |
constitution dealing with the subject |
Of taxation. That this amendment |
will open the way for the passing Of a
tonnage tax on iron ore, and that the |
steel trust is at this time trying to /
have declared invalid a similar
voted upon and carried at
he last election. We recommend the
adoption Of such an amendment to the |
end that these interests may be re-
luired to bear their just share of pub
lie burdens"
In declaring that he is now OPP
posed to, and would veto tom
mage tax bill, Gov. Johnson evil
1ently forgets his inaugural mes
sage of 1907, in which he told the
legislature:
johnson Two Years AGO.
s1NASMUCH AS THE TONNAGE
Of ORE SHIPPED IS THE BASIS
FOR COMPUTING THE ROYALTIES
IN LEASED PROPERTIES. TT IS
POSSIBLE THAT YOU. MAY BE
ABLE TO DEVISE A PRACTICABLE
AND LAWFUL METHOD OF COM
PUTTING ROYALTY TAXES, USING
TONNAGE AS THE BASIS OF COM
oUTATION.
"A royalty tax, were the total there
# equivalent to cents per ton on the
resent tonnage of 25,000,00O tons
hipped from Minnesota mines IN
900, would net s1,250,00O, or some
What exceed the present tax revenue
erived from direct1taxation Of tangi.