The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-03
PROMINENT GRANGE MEMBER
OPPOSES THE TONNAGE TAX
Attorney Herbert J. Rushton, One of
the Most Ardent Opponents of the
Proposed Measure, Speaks
at Convention.

one OF the active members OF the
Michigan Grange who opposed the
tonnage tax resolution on the floor Of
the Traverse City Grange State Con-
vention was Attorney Herbert j.
Rushton of Escanaba, a Michigan
man born on a farm in Washtenaw
county, and for years an active work.
er I'm Grange circles in the upper PEN
insula.
Mr. Rushton was drawn into the
study OF the proposed tonnage tax
by nothing else than his own ideas OF
rnr play md DIS personal 'hs.rto-
tons of he difference between actual
mining conditions and the haring in
accuracies OF the statements printed
and circulated among members OF the
Grange. In a contest where defeat
was assured i'm advance, Mr.. Rushton
advocated uniform state Tax on all
property on an equitable ad valorem
basis. In the debate at Traverse City
he said I'm part
Mr.. Chairman: This copper and
iron tax plan is the product OF some 1
scheming politician, who is seeking To
make himself solid with the farmers, |
who knows that the farmers are ar |
fcted with what you might call cor
porate hydrophobia. and knowing that |
all he has to do is to shout Down with |
the Corporations"
Whether it is right or wrong, he ex-
poets you will gather around him
like flock of sheep around salt |
pan. Some Of you might take offense
II you We're told that by indorsng this
resolution you were very close to the
line Of Socialism but, in the opinion
Of many, it is true.
You should remember that at pre-
sent the mines are assessed under the
ad valorem system the same as your
farms or any other property Now, If
they are not being assessed high
enough. II is the duty Of my friend
who introduced this resolution or any
other citizen Of this state. to make a ;
complaint to the State Tax Commits
sion, whose sworn duty is to investi-
gate the same. But / can say TO you
on good authority that there has been
no authentic complaint made since
the year OF 1906. when the State Tax !
Commission raised the taxes OF our !
northern mines eighty million $780,
600 OOO) dollars. /
You should know that out of thirty
seven copper mines operated in the {
Upper Peninsula during 1908 only $
seven paid dividends Some of you,
no doubt, are laboring under the i'm
preston that all OF them are Calu-
met and Hecla mines, but they are far ]
from it.
1 ask you to consider three ques-
tions bearing on this tonnage tax re- [,
solution: 7
l. Would this not be double toxa- t,
ton.
2. Would ii not be demonstrations q
al as an attempt to tax interstate com. o
3. Would it not be class leglsla. +
ton? (
There seems no more reason for G
axing a pound of copper or iron ore k
han there is for taxing a unit of any /
lther commodity that comes out Of T
he ground. or that has been manu- j.
actured from materials that come p.
nut Of the ground. o,
II seems to me that the proposed VI
measure is unjust in that it imposes
} tax on energy and enterprise. The y,
mining Industries Of the north are the r,
market for our agricultural districts. al
they create big prices for everything $,
We farmers have TO sell. Eggs are Ii
orth .f.~ty-o."ut ',sl cents md but. .,
r f1r,y-Nro lI-t cents In tact d,
verifying that the northern farmer
reduces, brings high price because nj
Z me great demand of the mining c
So you win readily see how Sc
le farmers would be effected II any
UGH socialistic resolution as the one
Introduced should become a law.