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

The mining interests said the ton
mage tax would put the iron ranges In
jeopardy. The people Of the ranges
said the same At the time the meas
ure was before the legislature IN 1907.
these facts were brought out and the
statements were made Through the
kindness of Governor Johnson, who
could see farther than the township
in which he resided. he vetoed the
tonnage tax bill. A few years later
il showed I'D again and Governor
Burnquist put the KO sign on the
measure. Then the tax robbery ap-
peared under the guise Of an occupa-
ton tax and was tackled onto the laws
of the state This came 50 easy and
the 6own-State solons added another
burden IN the shape OF royalty tax
On the mining companies These two
were super taxes on an industry which
was then paying on so per cent valu-
alton 70 other property's 20 and 80 Is
per cent.
What was predicted has come 10
pass. The state laughed al the argu-
ment that the extra taxes might drive
out the industry and added super
tax on super-tax The mines have
closed and out Of 186 IN this county
alone, only SO are IN operation This
has all happened since the Super-taxes
became effective and there are author
tiles in the state thoughtleSS enough
TO lay the blame for the closing TO the
super-taxes, contrary TO the wise ones
from the granger districts Now, that
what was predicted has happened,
the legislature is attempting to shift
the blame for its own short-Sighted-
ness 70 the range communities and
make them the goat And, they VIII
DO il and make themselves believe
they are right. They have the votes
to do il with and stand IN the light
as did Germany Ii the war, might
makes right"
The attitude of the down-state
solons was fully expressed in 1907 when
We heard one of the legislators make
the statement that IF St Louis, Hen
nepin and Ramsey counties paid what
taxes they should, my county would
not need to pay a dam cent Con-
stantly since, the merry grab has
been going on and We IN the mining
districts have had to pay and pay. We
have built up a sixty million trust
fund for them IN the few years since
the mines have been working and in
return are receiving mere plttance
for our road and bridge and edu-
cational funds.
The super-taxes have closed mines
and have stopped development Be
fore the super-taXes were added, IL is
shown that the state received more
from the adyalorem taxes from the
mines on the so against 20 and 80 1-3
basis Of valuation than it now receives
with the super-taXes added Only a
few Of the best mines are working and
no new ones are being developed Even
state school lands are not being ex-
plored or developed. Should by chance,
anyone find mine it is clearly shown
that he would be broke" with this,
that and the other taxes
The claim is made that the ore is a
heritage Of the people of the state and
that the southern counties should
share in the distribution Of this heri-
tage Who built up the trust funds
of the state? Every forty containing
a mine has paid TO the state in COM
parison 10 the forties Of the best
farming lands in the south end Of the
state taxes enough, should the forty
with the mine not pay anymore, it
VIII take the farm forty matter Of
300 years TO catch up TO the amount
already paid by the mine forty.
Now that mining tax reduction has
broken up in a group Of sectional
fights, the inevitable is in the ofing.
We predicted week or so ago that
the legislature Of this great state Of
Minnesota IN the land of the. free and
the home Of the brave, was rather in
clined towards mining tax reduction
program but wanted the towns and
cities on the ranges to stand cut ID
the ad valorem basis while the bal
ance of the state hung on TO the &C.
cupation and royalty parts of the
taxes. The inevitable is bill which
VIII cut the per capita limitations on
cities and villages from 500 to $50.
The bill takes coginzance Of previously
ooCc faz1rl