Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-12-25

warts and was one Of the few in the
state which stood staunchly by Taft,
Eberhart and the interests and pol
icies they represented.
DIR. STONE rs PEEVED.
In the 53rd legislative district in
which Mr.. Verify resides there was
a particularly bitter contest. DR..
Stone, prominent progressive men,
Der Of the house was a candidate for
re- election, and no stone was left I'M
turned by the reactionaries to defeat
him. His most active opponents
were Verify and Len Rice, the form
or administration member, and the
doctor says that they did not stop
their fight against him when he was
nominated, but later would have de-
feated him with Democrat if they
could. It is alleged also that no pol
itical practice was too sharp for
Verify and Rice to resort to, though,
Of course due allowance must be
made for what one says while still
suffering from the bruises sustained
in g heated campaign.
TO FIGHT VERITY'S ELECTION.
Notwithstanding the Vaccinations
Of his enemies, however, DR.. Stone
won out, and won out handsomely.
1t may be imagined how he feels
about it when he learns that the man
whom he regards as his bitterest pol
itical enemy is after all to share with
him the rewards Of a victory he did
everything he could to prevent. He
naturally feels that he will be wound
ed in the house of his friends if a
senate which processes to be pro-
gressive gives the very best place
at it's disposal to so pronounced a
reactionary as Verify. He proposes
to see about it, and although it may
be very likely that the machine may
be able to put Verify over, I am mis-
taken about the doctors resources if
they will not find that they will have
plenty Of things to interest them
while they are doing it.
AGAINST LOCAL ASSESSORS.
The tax commission strongly re-
commends in a report recently issued
the abolition Of the present system
Of assessment by township and To-
cal assessor and the substitution for
lit Of a system of assessment by
county assessors. The argument
which has considerable force is that
more capable and disinterested as
SCISSORS can thus be secured. The
commission also favors assessing
property at fifty per cent Of it's real
value. 1t appears that as things are
at present the assessment may be
fifty per cent in one county, thirty in
another and twenty in another, an
abuse which up to this time the COM
mission has not been able altogether
to prevent, though probably the in
capabilities are not quite as great as
before the commission was estab-
lished.
| UNFAIR CRITICISM.
While the commission has no doubt
been able to affect some reforms in
the system of taxation in vogue in
this state it's work has been greatly
retarded by the failure of the legisla-
ture to cooperate with it and to en-
act necessary legislation to enable it
to carry out any definite program.
At the same time the commission is
blamed for not doing the effective
work that was expected Of it and
promised for it when it was created.
That work is compared to the Min
nesota commissions discredit with
what has been done by the Wisconsin
commission in the way of equalizing
the burdens Of taxation. A more
careful and impartial investigation
Of the matter would show however,
that the effectiveness Of the Wiscon-
sin commission is largely due to the
fact that the. legislature of our sis
ter state has been guided by it's re-
Communications, and placed at it's
disposal the machinery with which
it has been able to do the effective
work it has accomplished.
THE COMMISSION UNPOPULAR.
However that does not alter the
fact that the Minnesota tax commits
sion is not popular. It is blamed not
only for not introducing reforms
which can only be effected through
Legislative action, but it is blamed
for the increase of taxation which in
this state has been the necessary and
inevitable result Of legislative and
executive extravaganza. The COM
mission, though entirely Innocent in
this matter, will have reason to con-
slider itself fortunate if it survives
the approaching session. That bill
will be introduced looking to it's
abolition and to the substitution for
| it of the old board Of state equaliza-
ton there is little doubt, and such a
measure will receive strong support.
AN EDUCATION COMMISSION.