Askov American., 1932-02-18
Amendment
CAMPAIGN ON
Gathering at State Capitol
Starts Work for State
Income Tax.
Amendment to Constitution
Will be Known as No. l
at Fall Election.


campaign committee to work for
the adoption of the income tax amend
ment to the constitution of Mime
sofa was formed at a meeting in the
offices of the State Tax Commission
in the capitol Tuesday. Representa-
tives of farm organizations, civic
bodies, and persons who have made
study of the income tax from diff
ferent parts of the state were gath
cred to discuss plans for putting over
the amendment which will be No. 1 at
the November election. The meeting
was called by Senator Robert G.. Bell
of Detroit Lakes, who is an ardent
supporter of this newer form of tax
alton.
Senator Charles F. Serline of Mora,
was chosen temporary chairman and
]. S. Jones, st. Paul, secretary of the
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
was selected as secretary
Senator Bell said the campaign for
the income tax amendment is nom
political fight and that it should be
backed by all deep-thinking persons,
whether Republicans, Democrats or
Farmer-Labor.
To Lower Real Estate Taxes.
During the discussion which was
taken part in by many it was brought
out that some folks who would ordi-
narily be for the state income tax are
ac unHooiHo1 on1
are those who oppose this new form
of taxation either because they do
not understand it or because they
have been misled by false propaganda.
Even the farmers and home owners
who would be the chief beneficiaries
of an income tax because it would
lower real estate taxes are in many
cases skeptical on account of it being
pictured by opponents as ''just another
tax and more tax money to be
spent The purpose of the income
tax, as was so clearly brought out at
this meeting, is to collect more tax
money from such sources where the
income is good and where the burden
of the tax will not be felt so much
to equalize the tax burden much more
than now prevails.
The real opposition to the income
tax, however, comes from those with
the higher incomes. those who are
not now paying their just share of
the cost of government and in ac-
cOrdance with protection from gov
ernment. They will spend real money
~, Info hn nd &har
will be many radio talks against it
before the campaign comes to an end.
For this reason it was emphasized at
the meeting in the state capitol, that
it is none too soon to set to work in
concerted action to bring the message
before the people and to have many
volunteer workers in the field advo-
eating the necessity of voting for the
amendment which will require ma
jority vote of all those voting at the
election. A mere majority of votes on
the question will not be enough, it re-
quires a majority of all those voting
at the election to carry the amend
ment
Committee Selected.
A campaign committee of Is was set
up-One person from each of the old
10 congressional districts and five at
large. These will meet again on
March 10th to perfect the organiza-
tion and go on with the campaign.
They will select their chairman and
other officers and may also add more
members to the committee.
The committee comprises:
First district, A. w. TAFT, Owatonna;c
Second district, DR.. L. L. Sogge, Win
dom; Third district, DR.. E. E. Novak,
New Prague; Fourth, Mrs. A. j. Nc
Guire, st. Paul; Fifth, Charles F..
keyes, Minneapolis; Sixth, ]. E. Ode
gard Santiago; Seventh, former State
Senator Iyer Lee, Glenwood; Eighth,
to be selected later; Ninth, Senator R.
c. Bell, Detroit Lakes; Tenth, Sena-
tor Charles F. Serline, Mora. At
large-A. j. Olson, Renville, presi-
dent of the Minnesota Farm Bureau
federation; Senator Henry Spindler,
Buffalo, Senator Nels Petersen, Milan,
Representative Louis Herfindahl, Ben
son, and Senator Victor Lawson, Will
mar.
Exemptions, distribution of the tax
money, and other questions were gone
into, but it was unanimously agreed
that those we're questions to be set
tied later-after the amendment is
passed. The big item now is to have
the amendment passed by the voters,
made part of the constitution, and
then the legislature will know it can
pass an income tax law that will be
constitutional. Without the amend
ment there is some doubt as to its
constitutionality.