Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-05-07
TAX SYSTEM ANTIQUATED

The several talks on income taxes
given in Pine county last week by ].
S. Jones of st. Paul, secretary of the
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation,
were to the point and instructive. Mr..
Jones has made a study of the tax
problem and is strong advocate of
the state income tax.
Paying taxes according to ability
to pay" was a point that he empha-
sized strongly and also brought it
out clearly by asking the question:
Is not an income tax the most fair tax
that can be imposed?
Mr.. Jones expressed satisfaction
with the constitutional amendment
bill passed by the recent session of
the state legislature and asked that
all his hearers be on the alert to work
for its passage at the general election
in 1892, so that the legislature fol-
lowing can pass an income tax on
which there will be no doubt as to
its constitutionality. He warne
against speakers representing the Min
nesota Taxpayers association whose
of state income tax and who are
continually pleading for more time.
In commenting on the amendment to
the constitution being a good one, he
said that there would have been dam
ger through enacting legislation into
the constitution and in time it might
have defeated the purpose of the con-
stitution, adding that time brings
changes and therefore the constitution
should be elastic enough to provide
for such.
Mr.. Jones said there are four prin-
cipal features of an income tax-ad
ministration, exemptions, rates, and
ALLEGATION. These, in his estimation
had been well taken care of in the
statutory bill that was introduced in
the recent session but which did not
pass. Admitting that improvements
might be made in the bill, he said,
however, it is good one to work fur
Their on in the next session of the leg
islature.
The speaker went on to show how
reductions have been made in local
tax expenditures out over the state
this year, township levies alone hav-
ing been reduced $1,25O,OOO or approx
imately 1870 on an average. He said
there are 1872 townships in the state,
dependent school districts, $40 vii
lagos, II cities, and 81 counties, the
officers of which are serving at nomi-
nal or small salaries. The break in
extravaganza" which speakers for the
Minnesota Taxpayers association are
talking so much about has been looked
into, but even so the burden of tax
on general property is too much and
a state income tax must be enacted
to relieve the situation. With expenses
cut to the bone general property tax
payers would still be paying too much
under the present system.
The total annual income in Mime
sofa is $1,6OO,00O, 900; $4O0,0O0,000 of
this is from tangible property such as
real estate and personal property and
yet the latter pays most of the tax,
so change must come about, said the
speaker. The system of placing prac-
tically all tax on general property has
outgrown its usefulness; it belongs to
the horse and buggy age.
Touching upon education, which is
the biggest item of expense in the tax
bill, Mr.. Jones said that it is far from
being local problem. 1t is state
wide, or even national in scope. Citing
his own experience he said that he
was born, raised and educated in the
state of Kansas, but was now and had
for years been working in Minnesota,
and so it is with thousands an even
millions of others.
Mr.. Jones, who has attended tax
conferences in Chicago. in the East,
and has travelled far and wide-being
a man of ability and very studious,
concluded by saying that there has
not been a problem before the Mime
sofa voters which has been fought as
hard as the proposed state income tax.
Men of wealth generally are opposed
to it.