The Tomahawk., 1917-03-22
PROPOSED TONNAGE TAX MEAS
URE DEFEATED IN STATE SEN
ATE BY GOOD MARGIN Ar
TER ADOPTION By HOUSE.
ACTION PUTS QUIETUS
ON PROPOSED MEASURE
Final Vote Is 30 to 81, Killing Measure
for This Session at Least-Four
Hours of Fine Cratory
Precedes Taking Of
Vote.

Vote.
St. Paul, March 16.--Voting 27 to
40, the Senate killed the bill which
would impose a super-taX on the out
put of the iron ore mines. The meas
ure had previously passed the House
by a vote of 50 to 81.
tThe four and a half hours of ora
tory and debate were not necessary to
insure the bills defeat. Before the
session started, proponents of the
measure admitted they did not have
enough votes to win.
Has Been Prominent.
For the last two months the ton
mage tax question has been one of the
predominant issues before the Legis-
lature. AS in previous sessions it was
the "bugbear" of the legislators from
the North country.
Senators from the cities and from
southern Minnesota joined with the
men from the north in putting the
quietus on the bill which was more
drastic than any of the tonnage tax
measures that have engaged the at
tention of previous law-making bodies
in the state.
Two Per Cent Tax.
The bill, introduced in the House
by Representatives Bjorge, Warner,
Davis and Bendixon, provide for tax
of per cent of the value of all iron
ore at the mouth of the mine.
The outcome of the fight in the Sen
ate was victory for one of the upper
body's youngest members, Senator O.
II. Griggs of Virginia, who led the
fight against the BILL. Veteran legis-
lators and the less seasoned united in
giving Senator Griggs the credit for
one of the most striking victories in
the history of the Minnesota legisla-
ture.
Five Speeches Made.
Naturally there was oratory galore,
Senator James A. Carley of Plainview
led the debate for the bill. Senators
O'Neill, Gillian and others spoke for it.
Senators George H. Sullivan, Frank
E. Putnam of Blue Earth, Charles
Adams of Duluth, F. H. Peterson, j.
w. Andrews, A. S. Campbell and 9TH
ers assisted Senator Griggs in the
fight against the measure.
The speeches Of Senators Sullivan
and Putnam were classed as among
the strongest arguments ever present
ed against tonnage tax measure In
the Minnesota legislature, either in
this or in previous sessions.
Senator Sullivan revived. the inter-
1f io a
spectators, which had begun to lag
somewhat. He said it takes from to
10 times the value of ore to raise 1t
to the surface Of the ground.
ITO tax one dollars worth of 'natur-
al heritage this bill would tax from
81 to $40 worth Of labor" he said. 1T
is not fair to impose a tax on the
northern part of the state that does
not apply to the rest of Minnesota
"BIue Sky" Law Praised.
St. Paul, March Jeff the Mime
sofa House passes the "blue sky" law
providing for a securities commission
to regulate the sale Of stocks and
bonds, the state will have model
code in the opinion Of financial OK.
perts and attorneys familiar with the
operation Of such commissions. The
Senate has passed the bill, which was
introduced by Senators E. P. Peterson
and J. D. Sullivan.
Pleased With Amendment.
The experts and attorneys are par
ticularly pleased with the amendment
which provides that no advertisement
of stock and bond sales shall contain
the announcement that the securities
have been passed on by the state COM
mission. This is permitted in other
states, but financial men say It is i'm
proper since the commission does not
approve the stocks or bonds offered,
but merely gives them clean bill of
health so far as fraudulency is con-
cerned. With another minor amend
ment, the bill passed the Senate, with
out opposition.