The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-01-19

Is $l.OO Per Year. PRINCE
relieved of the necessity of paying
coal dealers or coal combines any
more than a fair profit on this prime
necessity of life.
AS the readers of the Union are
no doubt aware, the state officials and
the members of the legislature we're
given the tine of their lives by certain
citizens of st. Paul at the opening of
the session. There is quite a story to
this. 1t appears that shortly after the
election representative of certain St.
Paul interests com plained to a member
of the last house from this district of
disposition on the part of country
members to fight shy when representa-
tive business men put in an appear
ance at the state capitol. "Well, -,
was the retort, "what can you expect?
You never bother your heads about
the members until you want some
thing, and when you get up there you
have to be going around asking
who's this and who's that?' The
trouble is that you fellows are lot
of tightwads. Why don't you loosen
up little and get acquainted. You
can take it from me that that's the
proper caper." "Well, confound it,
what would you have US do?" was the
impatient response of the St. Paul
man. That led to the suggestion of
the reception, "and let me tell you,"
added the solon, "you want to do it
right. Show them the time of their
iives.''
That was certainly what was done.
And that it was appreciated was
apparent. The St. Paul men made
themselves solid as the princes of
good fellows. The members could do
no less than formally respond, and
the final wording of the resolution
was significant. In it the members
pledged themselves to leave nothing
undone toward the development of
the state ''and it's capital city"
Those who we're not completely be-
witched are now wondering whether
this means larger grounds for the
capitol or new historical library
building, whether the St. Paul folks
hope to get the legislature to adopt
the governors pet scheme of acquir-
ing the land for and constructing
boulevard from the old capitol to the
new, or whether there isn't something
else in the wind. At all events they
seem satisfied that there must be
something behind the extraordinary
demonstration for which one must 90
back to the days when the prospect
for a new capitol was being pushed to
find parallel.
Representative Spooner has intro
duced bill to increase the railroad
gross earnings tax from 4 to 5 per
cent. A similar bill is credited to
Charley Warner of Aitkin county.
Spooner would have made the tax 6
per cent, only 5 was all the tax CON-
mission would stand for. The
wisdom of making the change is seri-
ously questioned by conservative
men. 1t is possible, they say, that
railroads do not pay as high rate
of taxation as other property, al
though of this they are not entirely
satisfied. Farm assessments, it is be-
lieved, are not generally as high as
one-third their market value. AS
sessments of merchants stocks and
other personal property are equally
low, while vast bulk of intangible
property escapes taxation altogether.
The gross earnings of railroads, on
the other hand, are shown to the last
penny. It is seriously questioned by
those who have studied the matter
whether, it a full valuation we're put
on all real and personal property, it
would not be found that the railroads
pay quite as high rate of taxation
as the average of taxpayers.
g g 6
There is still another view taken of
the matter. The wages of railroad
men have in recent years advanced
sharply. Material generally has gone
up in price. Operating expenses were
never so great as now. We neverthe-
less protest that railroads must not
advance rates; indeed are demanding
that they be reduced. Is the time, it
is asked, propitious to demand from
the railroads that they pay more taxes
which indirectly in the end must
come from the pockets of the people?
Is 1t not of greater Importance to
them that freight and passenger rates
should be kept down? The fact is that
thara are twn c;1oe