New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-10-01

TELL OF VICTORY IN TONNAGE
TAX CONTROVERSY; SAVE
PRIMARY LAW.

PRIMARY. LAW.
To the Members Of the National Nom
partisan League and the People
of Minnesota:
We, the members Of the legislature
Endorsed by the National Nonpartisan
league and elected By the people in
1918, take this opportunity
Of congratulating you upon the whole
some influence you have exerted upon
the legislative body in this state since
the regular session last winter.
The evidence that the legislators
have hardened to your voice on some
important propositions are many. The
refusal Of the legislature to pass any
of the bills changing the election laws
and the passage of the tonnage tax
bill through both houses Of the legis-
lature indicate that you have been
heard from. You have for once dem
onstrated your influence when acting
in an organized way.
In this connection, we want to re-,
view briefly the efforts we have made
to enact the League program into law,
and especially our efforts to enact the
tonnage tax. We as your representa-
tives, have aimed at all times to carry
out the mandates Of the people as ex-
pressed in the program on which we
were elected.
Bills for Whole Program.
During the regular session last win
ter we introduced measures covering
practically every point in the League.
program. A portion Of this program
requires changes in the constitution.
"A bill for constitutional amendment
was accordingly introduced permitting
the state to engage in the operation
Of terminal elevators, -four mills, pack
ing plants and other marketing facili-
ties whenever in the Judgment of the
people such state operation becomes
necessary to protect the people against
exploitation by spectators and gamb-
ers in food products:
We introduced also such other meas
ures as could be enacted into law at
the present time. Among these latter
the most important was the tonnage
tax. This bill provided for 10 per
cent tax on the net profits Of com
panies engaged in ore production. The
evident fairness Of this measure is
such as to obviate the necessity for
comment or explanation. After con-
siderable time had been spent in pub
lie hearings and general discussion
the committee finally reported out the
League (Welch) bill without recon-
mendation. AS is now well known the
League bill was lost in the house by
two votes.
Tonnage Tax Victory.
], At the opening Of the special SEES.
sion the Leaguers introduced another
tonnage tax bill essentially the same
as the one introduced at the regular
session Mr.. Bendixen also reintro-
duced his bill practically the same as
it had been introduced at the regular
session and embodying the main fea-
lures Of the League bill Both bills
were introduced at the same time, but
it happened that the speaker present
ed the Bendixen bill first, thus putting
it ahead Of the League bill for con-
sideration by the house.
The League members had decided
to support whichever bill came up first
and when they discovered that the
Bendixen bill had been put ahead Of
their own, they supported Mr. Ben
dixen's motion to suspend the rules
and put the bill on its passage at once.
This motion, requiring two-thirds
vote, was lost All League members
then supported the motion to make the
Bendixen bill a special order. They
had fully determined that nothing should
stand in the way Of passing tonnage tax
legislation at this session. AS a result 7
The Bendixen bill passed the house by an
overwhelming vote, 101 to %. 81. & 81
incidentally, we call your attention
TO the change in front on the part Of |
many who opposed such legislation
last winter. We take this as evidence
that they had heard the protests Of /
the people and feared the political
if they again defeated
this measure. The overwhelming vote
in the house made profound impress
sion on the senate, and in spite Of the
determined opposition Of the old guard
the bill was forced through the senate
By q vote Of So to 20, and the people
would now be enjo ying the benefits oil