The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-01-15
Discusses Proposed
Tonnage Tax.
Attorney Rushton One Of Those In 0p.
position to Proposed Measure At
Traverse City Grange Convention.

Traverse City orange COnvenuon.
Escanaba. Mich. One of the active
members Of the Michigan Grange who
opposed the tonnage tax resolution on
the floor of the Traverse City Grange
State convention was Attorney Her
hert J. Rushton of Escanaba. Michi-
gan man born on farm in Washtenaw
county, and for years an active worker
in Grange circles in the upper peninsula.
Mr.. Rushton was drawn into the
study of the proposed tonnage tax by
nothing else than his own ideas Of fair
play and his personal observations of
the difference Of actual mining condi-
tions and the in accuracies of the state
ments printed and circulated among
members Of, the Grange. In contest
where defeat was assured in advance,
Mr.. Rushton advocated uniform state
tax on all property on an equitable ad
valorem basis. In the debate at Ira
verse City he said in part:
Mr.. Chairman: This copper and iron
tax plan is the product of some schem-
ing politician, who is seeking to make
himself solid with the farmers, who
knows that the farmers are afflicted
with what you might call corporate
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 that you will gather around him
like flock of sheep around salt pan.
Some of you might take offense if you
were told that by indorsing this resolu-
tion you were very close to the line of
socialism, but, in the opinion of many,
it is true.
You should remember that at present
the mines are assessed under the ad
valorem system the same as your farms
or any other property. Now, If they
are not assessed high enough, it is the
duty of my friend who introduced this
resolution or any other citizens of this
state, to make complaint to the state
tax commission, whose sworn duty it is
investigate the same. But, ! can say
to you on good authority. that there has
been no authentic complaint made since
the year 1906, when the state tax com
mission raised the taxes of our northern
mines eighty million $3.50, OOO, ,OO0) dollars.
You should know that out of thirty
seven copper mines operated in the up
per peninsula during 1908 only seven
paid dividends. Some of you, no doubt,
are laboring under the impression that
all of them are Calumet & Hecla
mines, but they are far from it.
ask you to consider three questions
bearing on this tonnage tax resolution:
/. Would this not be double taxation?
2. Would it not be unconstitutional
as an attempt to tax interstate com
merce?
3. Would it not be class legislation?
There seems no more reason for tax
ing pound of copper or iron ore than
there is for taxing unit of any other
commodity, or that has been manufac-
tured from materials tnat come out OF
the ground.
1t seems to me that the proposed
measure is unjust in that it imposes
tax on energy and enterprise. The
mining industries of the north are the
market for our agricultural districts.
They create big prices for everything
we farmers have to sell. Eggs are
worth thirty eight cents and butter
forty-two cents. In fact everything
that the northern farmer produces
brings q high price because of the great
demand Of the mining counties. So you
will readily see, how the farmers would
be affected ifany such socialistic resolu-
tions as the one introduced should be-
come law.