The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-06-11

Jefferson. Joined BY Hstrss.rtatlvs h.
Q. Bjorge. and Wa debated
But the Issue eatas back stu
strenasr in 1905, and the bill tsslsd
both branches Of the legislature. But
1t was vetoed BY the late dovskher
John A. Johnson in ringing message
which dM % much to clear the public
judgment on this measure that w en
Issue. Il began from that time to
dwindlS.
A tonnage TAI bill was introduced in
the 1911 legislature. but II WIS beaten
In the house, never feashint tAt seh-
ste.
The bill was again introduced In The
1911 legislature, ind again II wAs
beaten y the hsuss, this time svtn
more ds6istv1ly.
DO fax I'D thu issue palsd IN public
interest that IN the 1915 yessid4 10
TONNAGE tax bIiI was even tnte>lutsd
Tho Tonnage tar was dead; dead b.
cause Il had served 10 purpose and b.
cause people had become convinced
that Il was wrong.
That seemed to b the end Of The
tonnas, tai, which had threatened %
divide the Stats into two hostile ~
tions. and It WOULD have been the
end Of Il II Townleyism had not come
into the state.
In 1915 Townley, flushed With
triumph from bis North Dakota We
tories, reached out for Minnesota. &c.,
Ing 4 plausible vots-gettsr in the ton
mage tax issue, Townlsy dug It up and
made It one Of tho principal planks In
the Nonpartisan platform. Neverthe-
less. It was defeated in tho 1917 leSis-
lature and again in the regular session
Of 1919; but It was rushed through IN
Z panic by the special session Of Sop
tember, 1919, and vetoed by Governor
BurnQuist.
Il will be an issue In this campaign
only because Townley has made It an
issue.
1s Minnesota having produced the
results it sought with this issue and
then dropped 1t, ready to risk deadly
injury to the people Of the entire state
BY adhering to this issue in order TO
help tho carpter-bagger Townley pull
political chestnuts out Of the fire?
Facts UndIsputed.
The people Of Northern Minnesota.
thru the Minnesota Fair Tax Associa-
ton have conclusively proved tho fol-
lowing pertinent facts and no attempt
has been made by the proponents OF
the tonnage tax to disprove them:
That no state Ievies tonnage
tax.
That every state Or country that
has ever had 4 tonnage tax has
abandoned Il 40 unjust, unwIss and
improbable.
That the Iron mines are now
paying taxes on higher vaiua.
ton than any other form Of prop
serty In tho state, that they are
paying q higher rate on this high
valuation than 10 paid by any
county In Southern Minnesota and
that tho total revenue Of the
STATE ALONE this year from the,
Iron ore business 10 more than
$6,ooo,oo
That the "steel trust" owns Or
controls only 81 Of the 132 Iron
mines Of the state, that Il does not
own Or operate q single mine on
tho Guyana range, and that Il does
not control oNE-HALF OF ONE
PER CENT Of tho Iron ore known
to exist In Minnesota.
That TIE Guyana range, Mime
sots's nswsst Iron range, field
Of fow grade ores, 10 IanoulshIng
today because Of excessive iron
ore taxation and that any further
mineral tax, no matter what Ito
form, tonnage tax, profits tax Or
other super tax, will completely
put It out Of buslness-and this 10
sample Of what such psnalIzlns
taxes will do to all low grade Iron
ore development In Minnesota.
That Minnesota has only 1,4oo,-
100000 tons Of commercial ore,
but that Il has hundreds Of billions
Of tons Of low grade ore; that ton
mage tax will kill the Iron ore In
dustry In Minnesota In the next 80
to 20 ysare, but that II tho deveI-
opmsnt 81 the state's low grade
ore 10 encouraged Iron mining In
Minnesota will last for many GEN.
TURIEo.
That the Iron ere Industry brInes
tho sTATE ALONE this year over
five million dollars In cash 40 we'll
% an abound'ng prosperity that
Affects svsry portion q the state
yearly Zach payment and an an.
nuai prosperity which will con-
tInus undated, and probably In
oreaoe II tho Industry 10 snoour
aged, but WhIoh will cease entirely
In q few deoadee II tho tonnage tax
prevalls.
The issue today in Minnesota IL
whether We shall greedily grab = few
millions each year for few years
while our high grade ore u being
taken out or whether w shall bend
our energies to developing our enor.