Morris tribune., 1908-10-17

or OF mineral ores situated in this state:
! also upon the property within this state
1 OF all boom companies or owners, and OF
/ all ship builders or owners doing business
i in this state or having a port therein
| (provided, that this act shall not apply
| to property owned by railroad companies,
| their lands and other property: and upon
i the property Of either or any of such
| companies or oWners,--a tax as uniform
| az reasonably may be with the taxes inns
| 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 ascertainfng 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
panles, persons or owners as aforesaid;
or in such other manner, or by such
other method as the legislature may de-
termine; but the proceeds of such taxes
upon mining property shall be distributed
between the state and the various polit-
zeal 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 firm or
company except in the manner provided
by the ordinary methods of taxation.
and to substitute therefor the following:
'tSec. l. 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 all
seminaries of learning, ali 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
ton personal property not exceeding in
value 5000 for each household, individual,
or head of family, as the legislature
may determine. But the legislature may
and collect assessments for local i'm
proponents upon property benefited
thereby without regard to cash valua-
ton. 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
ment was submitted and voted upon at
the last election and was declared car
red. But contest was instituted by In
terested parties, claiming that the amend
ment was not carried. That contest is
now pending in the courts and it was on
that account that the legislature decided
to re-submit the amendment to the peo-
pie, so that however the contest may be
decided, the next legislature may have
the power granted by the amendment
For the purpose of discussing the effect
Of the amendment | will assume that the
same amendment submitted at the last
election, did not carry.
The purpose and effect Of this amend
ment would be to greatly enlarge the
power of the legislature with reference
to the subjec OF taxation. Section one
D as it now stands provides that all
taxes imposed shall be equals near as
may be--on all forms of property, and all
property upon which tax is imposed 10
requiredsSto- have a CASH VALUATION
equalized throughout the state.
oGSetOH AVsO W. dS u INV Status tS-
qures the legislature to levy the neces-
sary taxes annually to defray the ex.
penses of the state. That 10 the duty Of
the legislature without any constitutional
direction.
Section three (s) as IL now stands pro-
vides that all real and personal property,
MONEYS, CREDITS and IN
IN BONDS AND STOCKS, /
shall be assessed according to their true
value in money.
Section four ~ as 1t now stands pro-
vides that property employed in banking |
shall be subjset to tax equal to that |
imposed on other property. This 10 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 |
tended by that section to relieve from the l
operation Of sections one ~ and three /
(3), above quoted, property of the classes |
therein enumerated, 30 thar gross earn |!
ngs tax could be applied thereto instead |
Of direct taxation.
Owing to the provisions Of sections one
~ and three (s) Of the present constl-
tuition many amendments were from time
10 time added SO as to permit taxes to be |
imposed on specific kinds OF property
than upon a cash saiuat on |
equalized throughout the state. we have
among these exceptions railroad gross |
EARRINGS taxes; municipal frontage taxes;
inheritance taxes; and the gross earnings !
;axes authorized by said section seven
:esn (17).
Several exemptions from taxation are
also provided for, but as these exemp-
liens are not changed by the proposed
will make no further ref
erenee to them.
The amendment which, II adopted,
would take the place of all of the sections
md amendments above referred to, Is
simple and plain. Mo provision Of the
is necessary to authorize the
IMPOSITION of the taxes necessary for the |
support of the state and its various po..-
cal subdivisions. The power of taxation is
Inherent in government. This proposed
declares that this Inherent !
power of taxation shall never be surren-
lered suspended or contracted away;
hat taxes shall be imposed for public
purposes and shall be uniform on the
ame class of sub iects. Should this
amendment be adopted all property of
very kind in the state would be subject
o taxation, according to the method the
legislature saw fit to adopt, provided
,niy that the tax was levied for pub 4
ic nItrnoSe and WAS uniform, on the same