Der Nordstern. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1874-1931, 1920-06-10

bated on every ton smelted within the
state. That being declared unconsti.
t%utional, a straight av.-cent tonnage
tax bill was offered by Representative
Jefferson, Joined by Representative H.
O. Bjorge, and was defeated.
But the issue came back still
stronger In 1909, and the bill passed
both branches Of the legislature. But
it was vetoed by the late Governor
John A. Johnson in a ringing message
which did SO much to clear the public
judgment on this measure that as an
issue it 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 it was
beaten in the house, this time .
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 it's 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
lions, and it WOULD have been the
end Of it 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 a plausible vote-getter in the ton
mage tax issue, Townley dug it up and
made it n Of the principal planks in
the Nonpartisan platform. Neverthe-
less, it was defeated in the 1917 legis-
lature and again in the regular session
Of 1919; but it was rushed through In
a panic by the special session of Sep
TENDER, 1919, and vetoed by Governor
Burnquist.
It 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 U%ndisputed.
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 disprove them:
That no state Ievies a tonnage
tax.
That every state o. country that
has eve had a tonnage tax has
abandoned it as unjust, sunwise and
improbable.
That the iron mines are now
paying taxes on a higher vaIua-
ton than any other form Of prop
erty in the state, that they are
paying a higher rate on this high
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,ooo.
That the "steeI trust owns or
controls only 80 Of the 1872 Iron
mines Of the state, that it does not
or operate a single mine o.
the Guyana range, and that 1t does
not control oNE-HALF OF ONE
PER CENT Of the iron ore known
to exist in Minnesota.
That the Guyana range, Mime
sota's newest iron range, a field
Of low grade ores, is Ianguishing
today because of excessive iron
ore taxation and that any further
mineral tax, no matter what it's
form, tonnage tax, profits tax or
other super tax, will completely
put 1t out of ~business-and this is
a sample of what such ~penaiizing
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 it 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 years, but that If the deveI-
opment of the states low grade
ore Is encouraged iron mining In
Minnesota will last for many CEN
TURIES.
That the iron ore industry brings
the STATE ALONE this year owe
five million dollars in cash az we'll
az IN Astounding prosperity that
affects every portion Of the state
a yearly cash payment and an an
nuaI prosperity which will con-
tinue undated, and probably In
crease If the industry Is ncour
aged, but which will cease entirely
In a few decades II the tonnage tax
prevails.
The issue today in Minnesota Is
we shall greedily grab a few
each ear for a few years