The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-02-04

of the house.
This bugaboo of taxation has been
considered at every session for several
terms. Once it passed and Governor
Johnson, the most popular executive
the state has had, vetoed it.
At the time the bill first came up
for consideration there was some need
for reform in the taxing of the iron
interests of the north.
At that time the range mines were
assessed at $64,OOO,O0O which was evil
IDENTIFY grossly under estimating them.
The tax commission was created as
much to adjust this faring discrep-
ancy as for anything else. The COM
mission set about its duty and has in
creased steadily the assessment of
these mines until today they are as
sessed at 100000.
There is an increase of nearly five
fold since the tonnage tax bill was
first introduced.
1t is evident that the arguments eff
fective then are no longer effective.
What then is the argument?
Conservation of natural resources.
Yes, but these lands have passed into
the hands of private parties and the
question is not of conservation but of
tax. Also it should not be forgotten
that the state of Minnesota today
holds more mineral rights than the
United Steel company and all private
owners combined
Members of the house say the
southern part of the state wants such
tax. This may be true but are the
residents of the southern part of the
state in a position to know whether or
not such a tax is equitable and just.
1t is no little significance that there
has never been found farmer, a day
laborer, small retailer or any other
business man in St. Louis county who
fayors the tonnage tax. They are
unanimously opposed to it.
If the steel trust is the organiza-
ton being attacked why are not the
people of st. Logis county up in arms
demanding a tonnage tax?
They are the people most directly
effected.
If St. Louis county is suffering at
the hands of the trust the residents of
that county will know it as quickly as
the residents of Redwood county.
If the company is not paying its
just proportion of taxes in the most
satisfactory manner surely the peo-
pie of that section of the state would
be the first to discover this fact.
Yet the farmers of st. Louis county
are opposed to a tonnage tax.
There must be reason, and there is
a reason,
On the present basis the county
knows what proportion of tax the
Steel people will pay. 1t can make its
assessments and lay its plans with de-
finite knowledge of what moneys are
coming into the treasury.
On the tonnage tax basis the a.
mount of money would always be un-
certain, fluctuating greatly, and de-
i pending entirely upon the demand for
iron.
The north, producing a small a.
mount of grain, has no right to come
into the southern counties and insist
upon particular form of grain tax
alton. Imagine: If there were 2,0O0,-
900 people living in ST. Louis county
they could dominate the rest of the
state and they might insist upon a
pound tax on wheat and cattle, prin.
ciple to which the southern farmer
and business man would very strenu.
ously object.
Yet this is what the residents of the
agricultural districts are trying to dc
to the north. Redwood county pro.
duces no mineral, has no expert know.
ledge of the nature of the industry, 9
good many residents of this county