New Ulm review., 1912-10-30
ONE MILL STATE ROAD TAX UP
TO VOTERS
Gross Earnings Tax and Seven
Senator Amendment AIse 10
Be Passed Upon.

BE FaSsea Upon.
Unless the voters also vote and vote
intelligently on the constitutional
amendments, they will have signally
failed to do their duty as American
citizens. It should be borne in mind
that majority of all the votes cast
are necessary to secure the adoption
of these amendments. II q voter fails
to vote on any one of the amendments
it will be counted as q vote against
such amendment.
The most stimportant of all the amend
q ents are the First which, if adopted
will prove boon to road building,
and the Sixth which limits the number
of state senator's that any county can
have to seven. We give below short
explanation of each Of the amendments
that our readers may thoroughly
familiarize themselves with their pro-
visions.
FIRST AMENDMENT.
The first amendment authorizes q
one mill state road tax.
The object of this amendment is
to authorize the legislature to levy q,
special tax of not more than one nillr
to aid in the construction of roads.
and bridges. The present law limits
this tax to one-fourth of q mill, or
about s3OO,O for the whole state-
should the proposed amendment be-
adopted that amount would be raised
to about 81 200, 600, or as much there
of as the legislature might deem
necessary for that purpose.
10 addition to getting ample funds
for building the roads it also means
better methods In road building, as all
work partly paid for out Of this fund
must be done under the supervision Of
state experts. Furthermore, this fund
/ can be used only on country roads and
1 none Of II can be used within the
boundaries of municipal organiza :
tions. In other words the proposed
llaw. il wholly for the benefit Of the
country. This would be one-sided
|legislstion but for the fact that while
the cities cannot ass any part Of this
tax on their own streets they easily
recoup their outlay by the gain II,
trade, in consequences Of the improved
roads, which In time are sure to
double the returns of the lands.
| At the present time the farmers are
doing the work and furnishing most
of the money in keeping up the roads
throughout the state. If amendment
No. passes, a part of this burden
will be taken from the farmers and
placed upon the whole state. This is
as it should be. In the past the large
cities of the state have done almost
nothing. The whole state is benefited
by good roads and should pay for
them in equal proportions. If the
farmers want the state to take hold Of
the road question, they should vote
for this amendment. The amendments
have usually failed to pass because of
the light vote received throughout the
country districts Of the state. This
amendment is especially for their
benefit and should receive the solid
support of the voters living In the
country districts.
SECOND AMENDMENT.
The adoption of Amendment No. g
will authorize the state to act in the
collection and disbursement Of special
funds for the payment of damages
done to growing crops by hail or wind
or either. The adoption Of the amend
ment will authorize the legislature OF
the state to use the taxing machinery
of the state for the collection and
disbursement of the fund, the tax to
be levied only on such lands o. ore
listed voluntarily BY the owner and no
person sustaining loss fron wind or
hail or both shah receive damages un-
less his property 10 listed and taxed
TO help raise said fund.
l GROSS EARNINGS TAX.
Between the second and third
amsndnsnt there-is, . proposed lsv,
upon which the voters can vote. ana
which must also receive majority Of
oil the votes cast In order to bo
Adopted. 1tis . nroposition 10 raise
the gross earnings tax of Ssilroad
properties from four to Eve per cent
II ia we'll known fact thst railroad
property is not taxed anywhere near
its real vslue. But to tax 1t upon the
same basis as other property is taxed
/ would be so intricate and involve so
i. much extra labor and possibly lead TO
discrimin alton that it is deemed best