Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-10-23
The Constitutional Amendments.

The Constitutional Amendments. .
Atwater, Mimi, Oct. 81, 1912.
Editor Willmar Tribune: b.. +. 81. V.
Almost every session Of our leg
islature passes one or more consti-
tutional amendments to be submit
ted to the voters at the next general
election. -... ~,
Our last session passed six, and
at the special session proposed a
raise in the gross earnings tax from
four to five per cent, a proposition
that will be voted on November
fifth. It's an important matter, the
most important as far as taxation
is concerned that will appear on our
state ballot, and no voter can af-
ford to overlook the proposition. 1t
means that hereafter. the railroads
in our state shall pay 80 1-3 per cent
more taxes than they have done,
and according to the annual report
Of State Tax Commission, made to
the governor in 1911, this raise will
not in any sense be unreasonable
when compared with the taxes borne
by other property taxed on a valu-
alton basis. AS a matter Of fact
a six per cent tax would be nearer
right. Thus no one can contend that
the proposed raise would be I'M
reasonable.
The Tax Commission took the
railroads own basis Of valuation as
submitted by them in open court in
the so called Sanborn rate case. The
additional annual revenue to the
state will be over million dollars.
This proposition is practically the
only one passed by the present leg
islature that will bring to the state
additional revenue of a considerable
amount without the raising Of our
revenue tax.
Every voter who is in favor Of
fair play and who believes in eqal-
ity in taxation should vote "yes".
You will find it on the separate con-
stitutional amendment ballot in
third place printed in bold type.
Now another suggestion to the
readers of this paner: The first
amendment on this ballot authorizes
future legislatures to levy one
mill tax on all property instead Of
one fourth mill as at present.
This proposition is right in line
with the modern demand for greater
and more systematic Improvement
Of our highways, and it ought to
be ratified by our voters. It may
mean an additional tax Of approx
mately three quarters of million
dollars per year, but, this will be
more than offset if we also ratify
the proposed increase in the gross
earnings tax. These two PROPOSE
tons should go hand in hand, they
are both right and are distinctly
progressive in their purpose.
And finally remember, kind voters,
that these propositions in order to
be carried and ratified will have to
have at least one half Of the total
vote of the state. In other words
if the average total vote for our
candidates on the state ticket is
100000, the amendment must have
at least 151,001 affirmative votes
in order to be ratified. Remember
| this as it also applies to the other
five amendments which you will
find on your short ballot. All of
these amendments are important,
and one Of the fost important is
the socalled "seven-senator" a.
mendment. To limit the legislative
power Of the big cities Of our state
with their immense floating popu-
lation should appeal to all good citi-
zens as a question Of highest public
policy.
All states with big cities have
been obliged to do something along
that line as for instance New York,
New Jersey and Illinois.
To re-apportion our state on a
strictly population basis would be a
dangerous surrender Of the power
Of progressive legislation which we
fortunately yet enjoy.
HENRY FEIG.