Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1920-06-10

tntional. a straight five-cent tonnage
tar hill was offered by Representative
Jefferson. Joined by Representative n.
O. Bjorge, and was defeated
But the issue came back stiil
stronger in 1909, and the bill passed
both branches OF the legislature. But
It was vetoed by the late Governor
John A. Johnson in ringing message
which did so much to clear the pubic
Judgment on this measure that as an
issue 1t began from that time to
dwindle.
A tonnage tax bill was introduced IN
the 1911 legislature, but it was beaten
in the house. never reaching the SEN
ate.
The bill was again introduced in the
1913 legislature. and again 1t was
beaten in the house, this time even
more decisively.
So far had this issue paled in public
interest that in the 1915 session no
tonnage tax bill was even introduced
the tonnage tax was dead; dead be-
cause it had served its purpose and be-
cause people had become convinced
that it was wrong.
That seemed to be the end OF the
tonnage tax, which had threatened to
divide the state into two hostile sec
tions, and 1t WOULD have been the
end OF 1t if Townleyism had not come
into the state.
In 1916 Townley. flushed with
triumph from his North Dakota vic
tories, reached out for Minnesota. See
ing plausible vote-getter in the ton
mage tax issue. Townley dug it up and
made it one OF the principal planks in
the Nonpartisan platform. Neverthe-
less, II was defeated in the 1917 legis-
lature and again in the regular session
of 1919 but it was rushed through in
panic by the special session of Sep
TENDER. 1919, and vetoed by Governor
Burnquist.
1t will be an issue in this campaign
only because Townley has made it an
issue
Is Minnesota. having produced the
results it sought with this issue and
then dropped it. ready to risk deadly
injury to the people OF the entire state
by adhering to this issue in order to
help the 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 the fol
lowing pertinent facts and no attempt
has been made by the proponents of
the tonnage tax to dsprove them:
That no state Ievies a tonnage
tax.
That every state or country that
has ever had a tonnage tax has
abandoned it as unjust, unwise and
improbable.
NAT the iron mines are now
paying taxes on higher valua-
ton than any other form Of prop
erty in the state, that they are
paying higher rate on this hiob
valuation than is paid by any
county in Southern Minnesota and
that the total revenue Of The
STATE ALONE this year from the
IRON ore business Is more than
$5,ooo 900.
NAT the steel trust" owns or
controls only 90 Of the 1872 iron
mines OF the state, that il does MT
o~" or operate a single mine on
me Guyana range, and that Il does
NOT control ONE-HALF OF ONE
PER CENT Of the iron ore known
to exist in Minnesota.
That the Guyana range, Mime.
sofas newest iron range, a feis
OF low grade ores, is lanouishino
To-Day because Of excessive ;,or
ore taxation and that anv t,,....
mineral tax no matter what its
'orm' tonnage tax. profits tar a,
otner super tax, will conolet.lv
Put u out OF business-and this ,s
a sample Of what such peraIi,;no
taxes will do to all low orad. 80
ore development in Minnesota.
That Minnesota has only ,4oo.
ooo'ooo tons Of commercial, 49,.
out that il has hundreds ~ h;,,,.
OF tons Of low grade ore: tia, ,or
mage tax will kill the iron or. i,
oustry IN Minnesota in the ,:.x, an
10 81 years. but that if tn. d.
opment OF the states lo,.,
ore IS encouraged iron minino !.
Minnesota will last for manv ceM
TuRlES. ec"
I'd. me IRON ore industry brinos
the STATE ALONE this ve.,
hse million dollars in cas-, ,
as an aboundins prosperity ~.
a"ec's every portion Of the stat.
yearly cash Payment and =,
noa' prosperity which will .on
t'nue undated. and nroh,., W."
crease If the industry is .neon.
aseo. OUT which will cease en,ir.lx
10 'e~ decades If the tonnao. -,
prevails TAX
The issue today in Nir,o
~ne.her We shall greedily grab = ssa,
millions each year for a few n Few
"hiie our high grade ore is $50
taken out or whether We shan hn
our energies to developing ,wr u
nous deposits OF low grade enoi-
maintain Minnesotas suprems anu so
.ne iron ore industry for more ~. ~
Thousand years. In our greed o., n