The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-03-01
LEGISLATIVE LETTER

very live issue in Minnesota however.
Delinquencies in taxes make des-
perate situation in many northern
counties. Every now and then some
body hurls a few more thousand acres
of delinquent taxes at us; our heads
reel with the staggering burden Of the
figures Something must be done
about it. Northern legislators propose
that the state foot the $2,500,000 bill
and take the delinquent acres over for
a state game refuge. They say 1t
would pay. Others fear that it would
be the state that would pay and that
in terms of additional millions.
Old Age Pensions.
Led by that square, outstanding,
hard hitting house member, Repre-
sentative Frank Starkey, and by the
resourceful Senator George Nordlin
labor is urging an old age pension
law permitting counties to pay not
more than one dollar a day to those
who are full Of years and empty Of
pocket. Some conscientious objector
comes along and says that if every
person in Minnesota who has reach
ed three score and ten is paid dol
lar day it will cost the counties three
million eight hundred thousand dol
lars.
Labor is also moving strongly for
the 81 hour week for women for a
state printing plant, for the labelling
of prison made goods, for "the high
est prevailing wage" on public build
ings, for a service brake on private
detectives claimed too often to be '.la-
Dor spies, and for other remedial
legislation.
Retirement Insurance.
Old age pensions are not the only
pension pebble on the legislative beach.
The teachers of the state, however,
are more particular in their use of
language. They call 1t retirement
fund.-. Do they want it? We are not
sure, but somebody is doing a good
job of stirring them up to say that
they want it. Life for st. Paul post
men is just one letter after another
from the teachers The appropriations
committee of the house, which now
has the bill, will have to hire another
room or two to file the letters in
There is a teachers retirement fund
law now on the statute books but the
teachers want better one The one
they've got pays them $3.50 a year
upon retirement; they want one that
will pay $500. So they've got a bill
asking the state to increase its con-
tribution from $4,000 per year to
$700, 1000 per year. That seems to be
where the rub comes.
Taxation.
The Committee on Taxes is one of
the worst trouble makers that any
legislature ever has. More disagreeable
things can come out of the Commit
tee on Taxes than from any other
place on earth.
When your economist writes about
taxes he always uses such perfectly
splendid words as flair" and "euuita-
bic" and so forth. But when you get
your tax notice from the county
treasurer you are plumb sure there are
no such words in the legislative lex
icon. The tax laws of Minnesota are
crazy work quilt; every legislature
rudely tacks on few more patches.
Some of them scratch like sin and
look like Satan.
Taxes! Oh, we've got 'em In Mime
sota-real estate taxes, personal prop
erty taxes, money and credit taxes.
gas taxes, bushel taxes, mortgage reg
istry taxes, occupation taxes, tonnage
taxes, license taxes, royalty taxes,
gross earnings taxes, inheritance
taxes. Do they annoy you? Well.
now they are talking about head tax
and sales tax on cigarettes and an
income tax. The income taxi There's
tax that will sock you In the eye.
Fair and Equitable.
What a thing of rags and taters the
Minnesota tax code is may be ilIustra-
ted by the tremendous variation in
tax exactions. Put $4,000 In q real
estate mortgage and you pay So tax.
Put it in note and you pay $50 tax.
Invest 1t in live stock and the state
exacts $207 from you. Buy $4,000