The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-26
ARE AGAINST
TONNAGE TAX
1,y commissioners Say It Would
Be Grave Error

r,ot the massage of tonnage tax
$50. ,ould be great error for Michi-
... IN make, is the opinion of Orlando
. parpes and Thomas ID. Kearney,
,,,bors of the state tax commission,
NC the Grand Rapids Herald. The
tonnage tax issue is to be one of the
,ooI ones in the coming campaign. The
CHANGERS have initiat1ry petitions al
,e,dy in circulation and in addition
are urging that every candidate for
en-, legislature be placed on record on
mi. issue aud voted against unless h"
s willing TO stand for the tonnage tax.
considerable sentiment for the tom
maze tax is being aroused among MEM
t.rs If organized labor and the farm
.,, and Labor working together will
r,oye a most formidable alliance.
81 sincerely hope the people of Mich
t,,o will not go wrong on this matter"
sad the members of the tax commits
,on. 1T would be pretty nearly Il
c,nmity 10 Michigan should the ton
mayo TAX become effective. In Michi-
can m. ores are much leaner than in
other states and are taken out at much
greater cost The tonnage tax would
then result in placing Michigan mines
in an unfair position with reference
to similar mines IN other states.
Many of the Michigan mines pay no
dividends at all TO put tonnage tax
mon them would result irr the closing
If such mines and throwing out OF
work large numbers Of men at pres
,nt occupied in mining.
Should Go Carefully.
oOrganized labor should make very
certain Of lis ground before assisting
in placing such u tax upon the Mich
iaan mines Had a tonnage tax been
in effect during the last few months
the conner mines would have paid but
very little tax as a result of the strike.
If the strikers were tn prevent th1
mines from producing ore. the mines
would pay no taxes at all. Under
present conditions, the mines have
leen forced to pay their taxes even
though they We're earning little or
nothing
Moreover should a tonnage tax be
placed uron the mines of Michigan - |
large number of miners would mos; |
certainly be- thrown out of employ |
ment as many of the mines with lean |
creS would close down. That would |
result a Thousands OF miners in the |
upper PENINSULA coming below the |
straits 10 find employment in othe'
lines Of labor here. The passing of q
tonnage tax would be = great mistake
tur Michigan to make"
While the state tax commission WAS |
In the ron country they were shown |
at one mine 800, ZOO tons of lean ore |
which had stood on the stock piles
iorr Years waiting the time when tho
market would demand even that sort |
~ ore This mine was earning no mon
W al al but it was still employing |
many men. II was one of the CleVe-
land Cuts mines and was operated
10 expectation that some day these
lean ores would be of value. TIL"
Cleveland cliffs hal enough paying
mines in various parts OF the country
20 !, could afford To run a few mines
at loss. But if tonnage tax We're
10 be placed upon these mines, they
would all he closed and their men
thrown out of employment.
Rejected in Minnesota.
\ few weeks ago Governor Eberhardt
OF Minnesota, who was i'm Michigan
TO address the Michigan state Grange.
in speaking of the tonnage tax propo.
sition said:
The PEOPLE of Minnesota have sew
'rdl times ON a referendum rejected
the tonnage tax II would prove dis
aSIfous TO our iron mines To have IL.
We have many rich mines and more
poor ones. II the tonnage tax were
!" he applied in our state. all those
I"nGe towns located Ground the poor
mines would be put out OF business.
Inc companies owning the mines
would simply work the good ones and
the poor grade ores and those mines
winch are more expensive To operate
would he closed dotV.i That would