The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1909-11-23
NOT A WINNING ISSUE.

MOI a WINNING ISSUE.
Apparently the proposition to tai
the iron and copper mines OF the uppe
peninsula on their output is not takin.
as well in the lower part OF Michigan
as those who set out to make it a par
amount issue in the campaign of mex
year hoped and believed it would com.
ments the Mining Journal. Ii is sig
nificant that no one of the candidates
for the gubernatorial nomination has
yet deemed it wise to- declare for the
/ change so vehemently advocated by
that unterrifed democratic kicker. Jim
Helme, while one of the four now be-
\ ing discussed in that connection. Mr..
! Osborn, has announced himself posi-
| lively and unequivocally against it
and that without any descernible i'm
pairment Of his popularity among the
voters OF the lower peninsula.
Nor is this surprising. The people
Of Michigan over ten years ago de-
cided 10 seek a more uniform and
equitable system of taxation for all
kinds Of property than that which had
been in use heretofore. and elected
to try the ad valorem plan. That plan
is working well in the main. and will
work better as time passes and the de-
tails Of the present taxation law are
more perfectly worked out. To go
back TO the mixed methods Of former
years. when the railroads were taxed
on their gross earnings the farms on
their value, and so on and so forth.
would be palpable retrogression. The
intelligent voters Of the state readily
see this, and so they decline to rise to
the bait Helme and others of his ilk
have been clumsily dangling before
them on not very skilfully covered
democratic hook.
The charge is made by the advocates
Of a tonnage tax on the mines that.
under the present system. they are un-
dervalued for the purpose of taxation
Perhaps some OF them are. Well. il is
just possible that there are farm and
other properties in the state under
valued on the assessment rolls also.
What proportion Of the personal prop
crty in Michigan pays taxes? A scrut-
the state would disclose startling
lack of millionaires in Michigan If light
assessments under the Personal Prop !
erty" head were "A real index of the |
personal possessions Of the Weather |
of our citizens.
If some of the mining properties are |
too low there is a way under |
the law to raise their valuations. and |
if there were not one could easily be |
provided There are producing mines /
up here into the development of which |
millions Of dollars have gone that have |
never paid, and may never pay, a dol |
lar 10 their shareholders. They have |
been worked in the hope that some day |
they may prove of value, but up To date |
they have eaten up money for those
who are exploring them. instead of |
yielding even a small return on the |
capital put into them To place a tom
mage tax on these mines would be to |
ready burdensome, paid in the form Of |
assessments TO keep them going, and |
IN many cases would result i'm closing |
them down, throwing men out of en-
Dloyment and diminishing by whatever
value their output may have the wealth |
our mines are producing. Quite a list
could be compiled OF copper mines be-
longing in this class, and not a few
ron mining properties are in the same
class. The ad valorem system admits
IF an intelligent and equitable adjust
ment Of values between the mine that
Is a high-cost producer and the neigh
boring property more fortunately con-
ditioned which cannot be had under
the plan OF taxing both on their output.
and Is preferable because OF its mani
fest fairness and proved practicability.
The people Of Michigan, whether
they are found above or below the
narrow waterway dividing the two pc
ninsulas stand for an honest deal and I
fair play, a fact that the proponents
Of the tonnage tax scheme failed to II
take into account. The state Is theirs.
In its entirety and in all its parts. and h
they want each and every part of IL
treated like all the others, and an II
treated justly. The square deal" and
nothing else, goes in Michigan, in spite
Of Jim Helme and chronic kickers of
his breed.