The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-10-20
Wake Up, Voters;
Amendment No. 1
JUDGE A. r. A. LAUDON EX-
PLAINS WHY VOTERS SHOULD
STUDY THEIR BALLOT.

STUDY THEIR BALLOT.
The veriest jackass must smile
when it~thinks back at some of the
stunts which our Minnesota voters
have pulled on themselves in years
past. Just as sure as fate the same
thing is going to happen in the COM
ing election. For years many OF US
have been yelling our heads off for
the init Tive and referendum. We
have not had the initiative, but we al
ways have had the referendum on our
~,st important laws, the constitution
>nendments. Yet our record must
ssthe angels weep.
.,r years we cussed and discussed
sslse the railroads were not pay
,ig their proportionate share of the.
taxes. Legislature after Legislature
submitted constitutional amendment
raising the gross earning tax from
three to four per cent and then from
four to five per cent. Time after time
the voters voted it down, with the re-
suit that what the railroads failed to
pay the voters had to pay themselves.
In the coming election the voters
are going to improve the railroads
roads at the farmers expense Sure
aly the railroads will have no objec-
ation if our farmers are willing to tax
themselves for this purpose. This
8ridiculous result comes about by rea-
son Of the following facts: Our pres
entseoTstitution provides that the "five
per cent gross earnings tax shall be
IN li,su 0f all other taxes" What is
fae result When we build county
nr isfiicial ditch and drain the water
y4az rom the railroads roadbed,
\ b .npnogihg their property, we
eH mo assess benefits against the
&c ilroad iGy reason of the "in lieu Of
ali other axes" provision. TIC remedy
hiss condition our legislature now sub
nlits i constitutional amendment so
That The railroads can be taxed the
same AS the farmers. Yet thousands
our farmers are going to vote
airat this amendment Can it be
ioeeauHe they prefer to carry the bur-
den 81 inlprov ing the railroads prop
elgy taerls elves.
freef and safely predict in ad-
vanee that this measure is going to be
defeated, ald Thus another fool vote be
gecerEt Eted iii
Minnesota voters are likewise very
pt stps vet to spend $1,500,000 of our
TAX payel money in building roads
III New XorE, California and other
statei hat good spending Mime
sasa 8Sax money IN other states can
do oar people Is very difficult to see.
ct ssas are. very apt to do that very
III Iifnts comes about by reason of
Slse leliesging egal nlixup. Our Unit
I'd se5 Government has gone into
the road blfiid ng business and is now
appraops q SI0D, 100000 each year
ia aid the ates Il building roads. As
We wears go By the Government will
Matless increase these appropria-
I'll. Now, Uylele Sam happens to
Bust little hard headed. By law
~ says to the states that before he
turns this money over to the states,
the state must fnafch it dollar for dol
lar. IEiSela Sam row allots to Min
nesoha zach year $2,800,000, but he
sa u.s. that befo Sc turning this entire
SUM oyer to Minnesota, Minnesota
nisas also put In $2,800,000. Now, the
poEtf iilspney That goes in Minnesota
road and Bridge Fund is the one mill
tax, goa will remember we had the
devils own Tile. in getting this law
trough TITS law only puts in Min
aesoEas ,ad and bridge fund sum
s@slisatIs 81 esseess of 100000. The
rssaltssis Il hat under our present law
We casuct ma sch Unclel Sam by over
$ 5000 90 u reason of that Uncle
Sam is gong TO held over 1900 900
Ill o1,f money d way from us and use it
in bsIildsfag roads in either states. This
is pretty pic lie that Minnesota is
iii ard there are only three states in
the Taiols that are lii the same boat.
nd yet hStas sands Of our voters are
going to vote u way our tax payers
money to build roads<nl other states.
q When our constitution was adopted
the automobile had not been invented.
Travel by team was. only for short dis
tances. So the constitution placed the
burden on the farmers OF building the
roads Since then the. automobile was
born. The greatest number and larg-
! Syst of them are. located in our big
cities. long as cur high powered
big city ga1s insist that they must
rib sIaIl ous If our roads, it is only
fair ts a1ake them help pay for it.
AS LIE tax will be paid entirely by
l automobiles and trucks, Amendment
| No. I lis gopd amendment TO vote.
i for. The tax on automobiles and
trucks now Goes into the common
fund, ana not the Road and Bridge
Fund The amendment will transfer
THE entire tax into the Road and
Bridge Fund
The reason 50 many of our amend
hnents have failed in the past is be-
cause our cons tuition has placed a
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