The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-09-23
ATTACKS THE
ASSESSMENT
Continued from Page /.

salaries. while the legislators them
selves drew but $4,000.
He said that the expenses of run
ming the capitol building in 1890 were
but s4S,952.74, while for the last year
the cost for the same service was
$112,511.77. In the tax department Of
flee, he said that in 1890 100000
acres of land were returned delinquent
to the land office and $4,000 descrip-
tions were advertised and sold. In
1908 100000 acres were returned de-
llnquent and $1,000 advertised and
sold. During 1890, 20 clerks, at $1,000
year each, and some short time
clerks. to bring the total expense up
to $52,07S, handled these sales, while
last year il took "A full time clerks
and enough short time clerks to bring
the total expenses up TO $l12,3SO. "Or,"
he added lit required a little more
than 100000 in the latter year to per-
form a little more than one-half the
service of the former year"
Mr.. Hemans attacked as useless the
salt inspectors and oil inspectors. He
charged that q or 2S men at $1,000
are appointed as oil inspectors when
there is no reason for such inspec-
ton and the duties consist only in
owning a stencil and marking the
barrels inspected"
AID valorem Mine Tax.
on the subject Of taxation of min
ing properties Mr.. Hemans did not
declare for tonnage tax, as demand
ed by the State Grange, but rather for
more equitable tax upon mines
based still upon the al valorem basis
but with the assessed valuation fixed
by an impartial and partisan
commission such as assessed the rail-
roads
He pointed out that the mines dc
not pay taxes nor are they assessed
in proportion to the railroads, To say
nothing of the farmer and small prop
orty owner.
The ad valorem system, he insists, Il
the correct one since some mines pro-
duce but 12 pounds of copper to thu
ton of rock while others produce A
pounds TO the ton of rock at the same
cost for labor. Thus he declared {
specific tax would work a great in
Justice to the mine producing but l.
hounds to the ton The trouble will
the system as now operated, he in
sisted. was that the valuations ar
fixed by the supervisors of the coun
ties in which the mines are located
and these supervisors, he charged
are for the most part in the emplo'
of the mining companies.
Employers Liability Law.
. 81 believe that the time has com
. when we must attempt to solve b.
. legislative enactment the question G
. the toll of life and limb that is bein
. daily demanded of the worker for tn
. maintenance OF our great industri'
and transporting systems" said Nj
Hemans. ut is a question of far reach
ing consequences and upon 1t man
of our sister states have commission
at work collecting information an
seeking for "A solution. Every studei
of the law and of modern industri'
conditions knows that the legal doc
trine of "the fellow servant" "assun
ed risk" and "contributary negl
gence" that were applied to the sing
condition of earlier times cannot
applied with justice to the compile
conditions of the present. To adju
the law to modern. conditions so TIL
it shall provide a just rule of con
pensation to the worker for injury
ceived and at the same time prote
the employer from what in the ca
of a small employer, might mean rul
is problem that the wisdom of
man has correctly solved; but to
honest effort for it's solution the Der
ocratic party should stand comml