The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-01-16
Stuntz Township. 1924; Balkan
Township, $1,256; Ely, $651..

Stuntz Township. 1924; Balkan
Township, $1,256; Ely, $651.,
E. C. Kiley Of Grand Rapids also
made a forcible talk. Mr.. Kiley be-
lieves that should the people Of the
southern part of the state be shown
what an injustice astonnage tax would
be to this section of the. state in par
ticular and the whole state in gen.
eral, that the agitation for the tax
would cease. He eontended that the
mineral belt of the state extended as
far south as Rock county in the ex-
treme south end and that time would
develop minerals in several of the
other counties besides those already
producing.
Mr.. Lommen Of Biwabik stated he
had made trip through some of the
counties advocating the tonnage tax
and that he had interviewed several
Of the editors of influential papers.
All expressed themselves as willing
to give the matter due attention.
One of the best addresses of the
meeting was made by Representative
Chas. T. Murphy of this district. Mr..
Murphy cited the fight of the St.
Louis county members of the legis-
lature in the last session against the
bill and the conditions. met with. He
and others We're of the opinion that
the constituency" in the southern
end of the state had been fed up on
tonnage tax argument by the spell
binding politicians who had taken the
constituency up on the mountain and
said "all this will take away from
the Steel corporation if elected and
hand to you. Your taxes will be as
nought after get through with the
Corporation" This was all to be &C
complished through the tonnage tax
bill. The politician however, failed
to state that should this industry be
crippled, the farmer would also be
crippled and the state treasury would
likewise suffer. The spellbinder also
failed to tell the farmer that the ton
mage tax would mean the ruination
of the independent miners and force
them to dispose of their interests to
the larger corporation which would
become larger still and control the
iron markets of the country. The
big corporation would then add all
additional expenses to the price of
manufactured articles and the farmer
would not only be deprived of the
revenue today accruing from the tax
es on ore lands to the state but
would be compelled to pay his pro-
portionate share of tAe extra expense
in the price of implements, stoves
and machinery requised by him.
Mr.. Murphy also made the state
ment that out of 101 votes cast for
the tonnage tax in the House that
only 35 were avowed tonnage takers
at heart but that they excused them
selves with the statement that their
Constituents demanded the vote
land like Frankenstein the issue came
back to haunt the creator of the
monster. Judging from his remarks,
it was plain that should the people
come to know the effects of the meas
ure on themselves and the state, the
politician with the alluring bait of
"no taxes for you" would not have
such smooth sailing.
/ Senator Adams of Duluth also
made telling address and several
others spoke on the same lines
Among those attending the meeting
were large number Of lady del
egates from the several civic or.
CARNATIONS of the range towns and
Duluth.
On the invitation Of the Cuyuns
Range men present it was decided tt
hole the next meeting at Brainert
and the date was fixed on Januar,
LIS.
| A committee on. resolutions Of
which A. P. Silliman of Hibbing wa.
| chairman presented the following res
olutions which were unanimously ad
lopted. The program as outlined a
the Hibbing meeting of the commit
tee and the officers named was ad
lopted. The officers of the executiv,
lcommittee are r. W. Hitchcock
chairman, w. j. Archer of Virginia
Walter Brown of Chisholm, E. C
Kiiey of Grand Rapids and G.. H
Lommen of Biwabik. The resolu
1tions adopted read:
Whereas, Since the discovery o
iron ore in Minnesota, more than !;
quarter of century ago, there ha
been built up in Minnesota unde
our present system of taxation, on
of the country's greatest industries
bringing prosperity to hundreds o
thousands of the states citizens, dis
tributing large benefits to every quar-
ter of the state, and adding to the tax
liable valuation of the state more tina
$500, 1000, 900, and
Whereas, In the establishment O
"a $25,000,00 steel plant in Duluth
Minnesota, has made a beginning
(which If properlv ancorraOpd WI