The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-02-25
ACAINST the
TONNAGE AK
More Arguments Made Before
House Committee.
DUNN OPPOSES THE MEASURE

UUNN UTTUOL0 lie mEAOUnL
Princeton Man Claims That the Pro.
posed Tax Would Not Decrease 9th
er Peoples Taxes--scheme for Ag-
ricGltural Standardization Favors
Nimocks' Bill Amending the Anti.
Pass Law.
st. Paul. Feb. PA tonnage tax. if
It increases the amount of taxes the
iron mines pay the state, will not de-
crease the tax upon other people, was
one of the arguments which r. G..
Dunn of Princeton, former state au-
ditor, made against tho tonnage tax
before the house committee on taxes.
People think that by increasing the
indirect taxes the direct taxes will be
decreased he said. THAT is not SO.
The more money is raised by indirect
taxes the more there will be spent.
The indirect taxes from railroad gross
earnings and other sources have in
creased about SO per cent in a half
dozen years, yet instead Of decreasing
the direct taxes for state purposes
have also increased SO per cent during
that time"
Representative Congdon of Duluth
continued his argument against the
tax which he began at the meeting
last week. He pointed out that the
ore in the operating mines was taxed
at 22.4 cents ton now, while the
average royalty provided in the leases
was 27.2 cents, but as these leases
are made for fifty years, with the
superstition that the ore will last
about that length Of time, he thought
that the lease value did not represent
the present value and it was no more
than fair to assess mine at the full
future value of the ore than to as
sess an orchard, whose life was est1-
mated at fifty years, for the value Of
fifty times one years product. In
other words, he contended that the
tax is already very high and he argued
that the method is the correct one
because there is no great difficulty in
arriving at the exact amount of ore.
Temptation to Increase Tax.
A worse feature of the tonnage tax
scheme, Congdon claimed, is that
there is constant temptation to leg
islate to increase the tax.
The representative from the Ninth
congressional district have come to
an understanding regarding scheme
of agricultural education which would
make the teaching Of farm science
general in the schools Of the state.
Four bills were introduced by Repre-
sentatives Sulerud of Halstad and Op-
sahl of Bemidji, which cover the pro-
posed scheme.
One provides for the preparatory
courses in agriculture in the state nor
NAL schools. Graduates of these
courses shall be eligible to the grad
uate teachers course at the agricul-
tural schools under the state univer-
sity, which are provided in another
bill The third bill provides for ele-
mentary courses in agriculture at the
state high and graded schools and the
fourth bill for an hours teaching of
agriculture in the rural schools. These
courses are to be established as soon
as suitable books and teachers can be
secured.
These two members also introduced
another bill which extends the super
vision of the state superintendent OF
public instruction to private schools
and academies which prepare teach
ers for the public schools.
The senate committee on dairy
products will report the Swanson bill
abolishing tuberculin test for indef.
mite postponement, and the author
will carry the fight to the floor of the
senate with a minority report favor.
ing the passage Of the bill. The
measure provides that the tuberculin
and maline test shall not be used to
condemn cattle or horses. In place
Of these tests, Senator Swanson would
substitute visual examination by
three veterinarians before the animal
Is condemned The committee is
heavily against his proposition that
the tuberculin test should be left be
hind.
House Favors Nimocks' Bill.
Representative Nimocks' bill amend.
ing the anti-pass law so that police