The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-01-02

mage estimates made by the state
that they are often taken as the basis
for the sale of the fee, the fixing of
federal taxes and other purposes.
"The values made by the commits
sion are probably just and fair, yet
as compared to farm property they
are on a considerably higher basis
of full value.
Some Companions.
"In 1918, the last year when real
estate was valued, the full value of
all iron ore properties in Minnesota,
according to tax commission figures,
was, $608,191,137 and the assessed
value was $304, 095, 568.5O.
.''All the rural estate in 20 Southern
Minnesota counties that year had a
full value for taxation purposes of
| 5000, 736,947 and and assessed value
of 03,245,649. Here is list of
! the counties where the assessed value
of all rural estate just equalled the
assessed value of the mines of the
state: Blue Earth, Carver, Cotton
wood, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Fill
more, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston,
Jackson, LeSueur, Lincoln, Lyon,
Mcleod, Martin, Mower, Nicollet,
Mobiles, Olmstead, Pipestone, Rice,
Rock. Scott, Sibley, Steele, Wabasha,
Waseca and Watonwan.
"But you may say that this does
not show that the iron interests pay
more taxes than the farmer. Very
well, let us see.
1.-The total taxes levied on iron
properties in 1918 payable in 1919,
according to the tax commission, was
| $13, 048,053. In these 20 counties
the total taxes for all purposes paid
| by the rural districts, that is farm
ers, amounted to only $7,398,O54 for
the same period. In order to equal
the taxes paid by the mines We must
add the rural taxes in twenty more
counties as follows: Brown, Chi
sage, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Isanti,
Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle,
Morrison, Murray, Otter Tail, Polk,
Redwood, Renville, Stearns, Stevens,
Swift, Todd and Traverse, totaling
I$5,648,958 and making a grand total
for these 40 counties just $1,041
less than the total taxes paid by the
mining industry alone.
you will note that / have not
picked out poor counties, but have
made the selection from the best and
richest agricultural sections of the
state. The comparison is significant
as it proves beyond doubt the wilful
distortion of facts which have led the
people astray on the tonnage tax
issue.
Based on full value the iron mines
contribute just SO per cent more to
the state revenue fund than does the
real estate and rs per cent more than
does city real estate which is as
sessed at 40 per cent of full value.
1t cannot therefore be said truthfully
that the iron ore industry is not now
paying most substantial tax.
In 1918 the total mineral tax for
state and local purposes of $13,048,-
| 053 equaled about nine cents for
every ton of merchantable ore so far
discovered in this state and now To-
Gated here.
"That year approximately 44,068,-
419 tons were shipped from the mines
and the total gross market value at
lower lake ports was $3.50 ,291 81 5,
or about $5.43 per ton. But this
is far from the net value of the ore,
for, after deducting only the cost of
labor and transportation, we have
but $2.25 ton remaining as the av-
erage value of this ore at the mine.
And we should allow the proper re-
auctions for depreciation, interest,
commissions, exploration costs and
other items, the total would be still
further greatly reduced.
Does the farmer in Southern Min
nesota pay any taxes on his wheat, his
corn or his oats? He does not, un-
less he happens to have a few bushels
in his granary when the assessor calls
on May LIST. At any rate this assess
ment is most insigni6cant, amount
ing to only Sc, 348, 900 full value for
the entire So counties in 1918.
81 have shown what ton of iron
ore is worth delivered at Lake Erie
ports, latter all charges have been
paid. A ton of wheat delivered at
the local elevator is worth $50 gross
as compared to the $5.43 for a ton
of ore at Cleveland. A ton of beans
is worth $3.50, a ton of corn SAC and
a ton of fax $140. So you see a
ton of iron is not such a very valua-
BILE thing after all.
II think it will be acknowledged
that it is a very, very conservative es-
innate to say that at least two-thirds