The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-06-11

speech was overflowing with patriot
ism, and his remarks were received in
a very enthusiastic manner by the
crowd.
Following the address the Ladies
chorus OF Mapleton, accompanied by
Beryle Busse, rendered several de-
iightful selections. AS an encore then
sang Sweet and Low" in a very
pleasing manner. %
Miss Harriet Nerbovig Of Mankato
gave several of her readings which
were appreciated by the assembly
Her first reading was For France
and as an encore she gave almost
Beyond Endurance"
Miss Florence Whipple, County Red
cross nurse, gave q ten minute talk
saying that she was there in the in
terests of health. She announced the
clinics which will be held in Mankatc
and urged all to attend.
The Woods quartet sang several
selections, in the same excellent man
ner which they had displayed in the
first numbers.
morning program, and those in at
tendance dispersed to the picnic
grounds, and enjoyed the picnic din
ners that they had brought with them
Had Community Sing.
Inc Mapleton band opened the aft
ernoon with several OF their selec-
tons, which was followed by a COM
munity sing, under the direction of
Miss Cornelia Mansfield of Mankato
Keep the Home Fires Burning" I'm
Forever Blowing Bubbles" Battle
Hymn OF the Republic" and Katy
were some of the songs that were
sung by the gathering. All joined in
with will, and much amusement was
caused by the competition started by
different groups to see which could
sing the loudest
Address Of Julius Schmahi.
julius Schmahl of st. Paul, until
recently candidate for governor, in
the main address of the day, made the
tonnage tax his main feature of his
talk, placing it as the leading issue
before the voters today.
Mr.. Schmahl opened his address by
stating that he was pleased to be with
the old settlers on day such as this
1T was only through the sweet uses
of adversely that Blue Earth county
emerged from the virgin wastes OF
wood and prairie, to struggle on
against all obstacles, and in the face
Of disappointment and disillusion
through the intermediate stages of
Improvement and progress on still
bravely and hopefully on, until at last
it fought its way to the proud emin-
ence it holds today among the fairest
beloved Minnesota" Mr.. Schmahl
said in part. He quoted Thomas
Hughes of Mankato who told of the
unfolding Of the region in and around
Blue Earth county, and of the terrible
and vivid experiences that the early
settlers encountered with the Sioux
Indians. 1--WE speak with reverence
and gratitcde," Mr. Hughes. wrote
"of the settlers of our countp." ~
at is a far cry from wealth, ease
and complacency of 1920 back to the
last decade of the seventeentha cen
fury, when LIE Sueur, the explorer, ex-
Earth river which supplied paine SfUr
the aborigines, mistook it for ID seep.
per-" said the speaker. Mr. Schfnahl
went on to tell how LIE Sueur was dis
appointed In his ind, but declared
that the agricultural resources OF Blue
Earth exceed all the value that could
be realized from copper mines.
What proud and tender memories
/ of early associations. of fiber testing
trials, sof the threading OF dark val-
|leys of struggle by the iunquenchable
torchlight of civic aspiration, must
throng through the minds of the Ma
pletonians gathered here today, de-
clared the speaker. y
old settlers living near Mapleton,
among them the, names of Payne,
Sprague, Taylor; Cornell and Annis.
He quoted from the records of 1861,
which contained, the names of men
long since deadn but still xlive in the
memories Of friends and acqualnt-
| ances. 80.
Taking up the tonnage tax, Mr..
SchmahI said! I'm it's immense de-
posts of iron, ore, Minnesota is one
of the richest mineral states in the
union. 1t hasa measued merchant
able tonnage, of aboutI 1,400, 900, 0OO
tons, valued aby the taxing officials OF
the state at; more than $565,OOO, 600.
In addition, there are millions OF tons
of so-called slow grade ore, running
from 80 per cent to As per cent IN
charitable, but which win undoubted-
| ly be of commercial value in the not
distant future"
| Mr.. SlAmahl continued: Approx
mately 60 percent of all the iron ore
mined in the United States during the
past ten years has come from Mime
sofa. Under the laws of this state,
the mined iron ore is regarded as
part OF the realty in which it is To-
Gated, and Is so assessed and taxa
The equitable valuation of the lands
for purposes of taxation presents
many difficult problems II is neces-
sary that the tonnage, IS well as the
grade of the ore In a given descrlp
ton of land, be ascertained before II
can be fairly valued. This can be
done with reasonable accuracy, but al
a considerable expense where the
iron ore is in basins, as on the Mesa
ba range"
The speaker stated hat the reve-
nue. system of Minnesotl rests on what
Is known as a genera, property tax
and this tax may be described as
tax on the value of the property
Property of the same general charac-
ter or class must be fairly valued In
order to pay the expenses OF the
THE objections most frequently
urged against the principle of a ton
mage tax on iron ore may be summar :
lied as follows. Iron ore should not
be subject to different tax than that
imposed on other types Of property In
the state; iron ore is now paying a
higher tax than any other property
in the state; two different taxes
should not be imposed on the same
property, and that the tax Is section
al" said the speaker.
| Ore May Be Exhausted.
- In answering the first and second
objections, Mr.. Schmahl said that
iron ore is different from the mass OF