The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-01-28


ultimately be paid back to the state
out of the income from the compen-
sation insurance premiums.
The department of education plan
for materially raising the standard of
the public schools of the state
through thorough-going revision of
the state aid to schools is exciting
some opposition throughout the state.
This opposition is based on mis-
understanding and is expected to
largely disappear as the department IS
plan is explained in detail. The pro-
posed revision of state aid is neither
an increase or decrease; it is re-
arrangement designed to stimulate
the states public school progress.
Tonnage Tax Deluge.
Everybody's doing it now In
PRODUCING tonnage tax bills. Warner
of Aitkin came in with No. 5 Monday.
Bendixen, with record of two a ses-
sion to maintain, will have No. 6 in
before the week is out. Of the MAX
ing of tonnage tax bills there is no
end. Every little tonnage tax bill
has meaning all its own, too. Ben
dixen wants the fame of it, Welch
hopes to revive the dying League,
Trowbridge seeks that jewel of great
price, consistency, Wilkinson frank
ly says Glands up, Warner wants
to put the T. T. where it will have to
stay put They all want the money.
Wilkinson's is the only honest bill
among the lot. The Colonel just
slaps on another so per cent in val
uation and shoyels the kale into the
treasury. No pretenses about the
bill of the man from Washington, no
fine spun theories about the heritage
or diminishing values, no pious rant
ings about the "steel trust"-he just
wants the money, and he takes the
shortest path to get it.
Four of the five tonnage tax bills
now before the house are "net pro-
fits" bills-in other words, income tax
bills. met profits is just one of the
smooth sounding terms the tonnage
taxer employs to ease his conscience.
Bendixen's net profits bill is an in
come tax of eight per cent on mined
ore in lieu of all other state taxes on
iron ore He guesses that it will net
the state $4,500,OOO. Welch's bill
is ten per cent income tax in addit-
ion to all other taxes. His guess is
eight or ten millions. The Trow-
bridge bill levies an income tax on
sand, gravel, peat, mari, stone, and
other natural products in addition to
ore. 1t is senseless bill, of course
it taxes other people besides the
"steel trust. In fact, it taxes so
many of us that our guess is that it
will never get to first base. What
kind of law is this that levies tax
on all of us when the "steel trust" is
so handy? Away with it and let its
author be the first victim of the cap
ital punishment bill. The Warner
bill is an income tax on iron ore to
be written with indelible ink into the
state constitution. It's one virtue is
that it doesn't lick its chops quite so
loudly as the others. 1t proposes to
lock up in trust fund for future
generations one half Of its spoils.
TIL o+La,. bo1f - mill oo+ 1,.;x1- orJ
be merry on.
The next (third) tonnage tax hear
ing will be next Monday morning.
If anybody know what's going to hap
pen after that he knows something
that 1913 members of the legislature
are just guessing at.
Trying to Beat Vic Power.
'.tt Hoffman bill to make Hit-
bi.g pure and indebted and discour-
AZ. victor L. Power in the habi: he
has of being its mayor passed the
house by unanimous vote. It's reg
istration bill and it's advocates have
great hopes of it-maybe Vic will
Oilly DCdb LtSIH 1OuI W OIC ttiiS LlliiC.
George Rodenberg's little bill to
license garages almost provoked a
riot. The legislative mail of the
week groans under the burden of pro-
tests that are being hurried to st.
Paul against this bill. The garage
men are determined not to let George
do it. He wont. If the garage bus
mess ever gets dull, boys, don't be
discouraged; uncork another inkpot
and sharpen a quill-you're the best
letter writer's of the session so far.
Somebody has introduced a bill
cutting down the number of required
publications of the annual financial
statement from three to one. Just
as the State Editorial Association is
preparing to meet in st. Paul too.
Advertising is undeniably a good
thing, but the pitiless publicity that