The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-04-07
STATE LEGISLATURE
Battle on Occupational Ore Mining
Bill Scheduled to be Pulled
Off in Senate Today.
Senate Passes House Highway Ad-
ministratiOn Measure With But
Few Amendments.

ministration Measure With But
Few Amendments.
The occupational tax on mining of
iron ore will be fought out on the
floor of the senate this (Thursday)
afternoon. This was the decision of
the senate committee on taxes Friday
afternoon after formal action had
been taken on the statutory ore tax
bill, the proposed constitutional a.
mendment and the royalty tax. The
committee voted, 8 to 5, to recon-
mend for passage the iron ore occu-
patton tax. By the same vote it de-
cided not to ask the elimination of
the words Occupation tax" from the
bill. By a vote of 7 to 5 the commit
tee refused to postpone Indefinitely the
bill for a constitutional amendment
for an ore tax and the royalty tax
bill was sent out of committee by
vote of to 6. Centering their fight
on the "occupationap tax feature of
the bill, which is entirely new in all
tonnage tax history, the opposition
has aroused much sentiment in the
state against it based on the fear that
it will be precedent for special taxes
on other occupations.
Without a dissenting vote the SEN
ate last Thursday passed the house
highway administration bill with but
few amendments. The most impor-
tant amendment provides for the linn
itation of the amount that might be
spent for hard surfacing to 20 per
cent of the construction fund for one
year. The house had fixed the limit
at rs per cent. The idea back of the
limit is to permit the proper grading
and crawling of the roads within the
next two years before much hard sur
facing is done.
The Dilley pure coal bill has been
killed by the senate committee on cor
porations and finance after passing
the house: It limited slate and other
foreign substances in coal to 121s per
cent. Coal men protested, saying the
cost of picking over coal would in
crease the price to the consumer and
national legislation would be the only
solution.
The house bill to authorize school
districts to pay 8 per cent-against 6
per cent now-on outstanding war
rants was characterized as measure
in the interests Of bankers which
might be regretted when the country
gets back to normally and was killed
by five to 80 vote.
A bill to make instructors in agri-
cultural schools eligible to member
ship in the teachers retirement fund
was defeated by vote of 81 to So.
The house appropriations committee
IS considering request for $4,000 to
erect hangers and prepare a military
field near the twin cities. Lieutenant
Colonel w. c. CARTS told committee
men the government is ready to recog
nize the air squadron of the Minnesota
national guard and grant it 100000
in additional equipment if the field is
provided -
The house has advanced measure
to the calendar raising wolf bounties
from $3.50 on adults and SO on cubs
to $40 on each. The county is re-
quired to pay an additional SIS.
Cities of the fourth class may ap-
propriate up to $4,000 for monuments
for soldiers and sailors under bill
favorably recommended to the house.
Three senators and three represent
tatives may go to Washington to ap-
peal for modification of federal grain
grades. A resolution to this effect
has been approved by the house COM
mittee on rules. The legislature has
passed a bill requiring state grades
to be changed back to former Mime
sofa standards, and the object of send.
ing delegation to the capitol is said
to be in the interests of northwest
grain growers.
A proposal to prevent the Mime
sofa state fair or county fairs from
opening their gates on Sunday was
defeated in THE senate committee on
state and county fairs. Several
women's organizations, including the
W. c. T. u, and ministers favored the
measure.
The new state industrial commits
sion has presented it's budget to the
appropriations committee asking
total of $375.123 a war IN covor oil