The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-10-23

st. Paul, Mimi, May list, 1908.
Hon. Julius A. Schmahl, Secretary Of
State
Sir: AS required by Section 25 Of the
Revised Laws, as amended, have the
honor to furnish you herewith state
ment Of the purposes and effects of the
respective amendments proposed to the
Constitution of the State Of Minnesota by
the Legislature of 1907, and which are
TO be submitted to the electors Of said
State at the General Election Of 1908.
FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The first proposed amendment is con-
tanned In Chapter ATT Of the Laws OF
1907. BY this amendment il Is sought to
repeal Sections one %, two (2), three
(3j, four ~ and seventeen 90 Of Article
nine (s) of the Constitution (the latter
section being the amendment to said Ar
ticIe nine (e), adopted in 1880, which
sections now read as follows:
Section 1. 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 equalzed and uniform throughout
the state: Provided, that the legislature
NAV, 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 bene-
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 Of lay
ing water pipes and supplying any city or
municipality with water, the legislature
may by general or special law, authorize
any such city or municipality having
nd y,,nr
levy an annual tax or assessment upon
the lineaI 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 Of such prop
erty and to empower such city to collect
any such tax, assessments or fines, or
penalties for failure to pay the same, or
any fine or penalty for any violation or
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, legacies and
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 a maximum tax
of five per cent
"Section 9. 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 a tax
for the ensuing year sufficient, with other
sources of income, to pay the deficiency
of the preceding year, together with the
estimated expenses of such ensuing year
But no law levying tax or making other
provisions for the payment of interest OF
principal of bonds denominated 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 a
majority of the electors OF the state Vot-
ing upon the same.
''Section 3. Laws shall be passed tax
ing all moneys, credits. investments in
bonds. stocks. joint stock companies. OF
otherwise also all real and personal
property according to its true value in
money; but public buryng grounds. pub
lie school houses, public hospitals
academies, colleges, universities, and al
seninaries of learning all churches
church property used for religious pur-
poses, and houses of worship, institu-
tions of purely public charity, public
DrOperty used exclusively LOT any puDHS
purpose, and personal property to ar
amount not exceeding in value two hun
dred dollars for each individual, SHALL by
general laws, be exempt from taxation.
"Sectiou 4 Laws shall be passed fol
taxing the notes and bills discounted OF
purcha sed moneys loaned. and all othel
property, effects, or dues OF every de-
scription, of all banks and OF all bank
ers, so that all property employed II
banking shall always be subject to 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 o
any and all telegraph and telephone com
panies or owners whose lines are in, Of
sxtend in, into or through this state; alst
hpon the property within this state o.
In express companies, or owners or any
,r either o. the same, doing business ir
his state: also upon the property within
his state of all domestic insurance com.
anies of this state of any kind; also
pom the property within this state Of any
nd all foreign insurance companies doins
nsiness in this state Of any kind; also
pom the property within this state Of al