The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-07
Seek Laws That Will
Give Higher Tax Levy
From Mondays Daily.

Members of the school board, the
executive committee OF the Com
mercial club and number OF other
business men met with Senator ,.
d. Works and Representative Niles
Porter in the parlOrs OF the Elks
club Saturday evening to consider
legislative matters which directly
concern Mankato. About twenty
men were in attendance at the
meeting.
The first matter discussed that
relative to the state aid for the
Mankato Fair association. The local
people want to secure aid from the
state without antagonizing the asso-
Citations in this and other sections
of the state.
An amendment to the school
charter for this city was also
brought up. The board of educa-
ton desires that the levy for the
current fund be increased from six
mills. The present charter was
made about thirty years ago and
within the last two or three years
the current fund has been over
drawn and runs behind several
thousand dollars each year. Unless
the tax levy for this fund is in
creased this condition will be per-
manent. In order to meet this def
cit the board has been levying
more for the special fund and then
using it illegally for the current
fund. W. B. Davies, a member OF
the board, prepared bill raising
the levy for the \current fund from
six mills to nine mills, but this Dill
aroused opposition from st. Cloud,
which has ten mill limit. The
la wmust be general and so the
other cities of the class of Mankato
want the limit high enough to ac-
commodate all of them.
Another Bill Prepared.
Mr.. Davies then prepared another
bill raising the limit to fifteen mills,
which Senator Works introduced.
Representative Porter has introduce
ed another bill, which does not
meet the wishes of the board so
we'll This bill provides merely
that at the discretion of the state
superintendent of public instruction,
money can be borrowed from the
special fund to the current fund.
The board decided that it would
rather have measure passed
which would directly legalize its
acts Such measure as this
would not increase the tax levy, but
would merely provide for the dis
tribution of it more satisfactorily.
The expenses of operating the
schools have materially increased i'll
the last two or three years, because
of the erection of the new building,
the increase i'll the price OF many
supplies, the increase i'll salaries OF
teachers and ianitors, and the cost nj
maintaining the manual training,
domestic science and agricultural
departments, all of which are pro-
gressive measures and necessary to
keep up the standard of the school.
w. ID. Willard moved that the
meeting 20 on record as favoring
the latter bill. which Mr.. Davies
formulated. and the motion carried
unanimously.
Another matter, which was
brought up was legislation, which
affects the tub factory. Both Sena-
tor Works nd Representative Por
ter have introduced bills and they
have been urged to get together on
the matter, and will no doubt do so.
The eastman distance tariff bill
was also brought up. The bill this
year incorporates commodity rates
in it. and Senator Works and 9th
ers interested locally say that the
bill as it stands at present Will ad-
versely affect Mankato much more
than the bill of two years ago. 1t
has been suggested that the bill as
it now stands would have the effect
of keeping the stone, lime, cement.
brick and other industries OF that
nature from doing business outside
of Mankato. The rates would be-
come so great that competition
would be impossible.
1t was decided to take this mat
ter up at the meeting of the Com
mercial club this evening, when 1t
will probably be thoroughly discuss
ed.
4 Senator Works and Representa-
tive Porter were unable to remain for
the meeting this evening, and the
conference in these matters was
held Saturday for that reason.
Express rate schedules directly
competitive with the federal parcel
post system will be placed in effect
throughout the United States, If the
tariffs proposed by the Interstate
commerce commission October are
approved following the examination
of rate briefs to be submitted to the
federal body by all express carriers
today.
i No hearing on the universal rate
problem will be held by the inter-
state commerce commission, accord
ing to reports The estimates filet
by the express companies show their
earnings under the charges now in
effect for a definite period and the
revenue possible under the proposed
schedule for the same length of time.
1t is expected that a decision will be
reached by the commerce commits
sion this month.
In many instances the express
rates under the proposed schedule
would be cheaper than the federal
parcel post service. Charges on pack
ages of one, two and three pounds,
in certain instances may exceed those
of the parcel post.
Like the federal service, the new
express schedule is arranged upon
zone basis. The zones, however,
are limited to one degree of latitude
or longitude, approximately fifty
miles in extent.