The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1932-10-13
Proposed
Amendments
to the III
Constitution
State of Minnesota
To be submitted at 1892 General
EIncfsop
STATE OF MINNESOTA.
LEGAL. DEPARTMENT.
HON. MIKE HOLM.

STATE OF MINNESOTA.
LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
HON. MIKE HOLM.
Secretary OF State.
Pursuant to Mason's Minneso'
Statutes of 1927, section 46, l herr
with transmit a statement of II
purposes and effect of the propose
amendments to the constitution {
the state of Minnesota which al
to be submitted to the electors {
the state at the 1882 general elee
ton, in accordance with certai
acts adopted by the Legislature 6
the 1881 session thereof.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I
BY the adoption of Laws 1873
chapter 420, the legislature has pre-
posed an amendment to article
section l, of the constitution, relat
ing to taxation. This section no
reads as follows:
THE power of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspend
ed or contracted away. Taxes
shall be uniform upon the same
class of subjects. and shall be
levied and collected for public
purposes, but public burying
public hospitals, academies. col
leges, universities, and all SEM
inaries of learning, all church
es. church property and houses
of worship. institutions of pure
ly public charity, and public
property used exclusively for
any public purpose, shall be
exempt from taxation, and
there may be exempted from
taxation personal property not
exceeding in value 5000, for
each household. individual or
head of a family. as the legis-
lature may determines: Pro.
vided, that the legislature may
authorize municipal corpora
tions to levy and collect as
sessments for local improve
ments upon property benefited
thereby without regard to q
cash valuation. and provided
further, that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to
affect, modify or repeal any
existing law providing for the
taxation of the gross earnings
OF railroads"
If amended as proposed, this ses
tion will read as follows:
1.-THE power of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspend
ed or contra Cted away Taxes
shall be uniform upon the same
class of subjects. and shall be
levied and collected for public
purposes. but public burying
grounds. public school houses.
public hospitals, academies,
seminaries of learning. all
nhnrPhaS
houses of worship. institutions
of purely public charity, and
public property used exclusive
ly for any public purpose, shall
be exempt from taxation, and
there may be exempted from
taxation personal property not
exceeding in value 5000. for
each household, individual or
head of the family, as the legis-
lature may determine. The leg
fslature may enact any law re-
quired to make the taxation Of
national banking associations
conform to the laws of the Uni
ted States. Taxes may be i'm
franchises and privileges meas
ured by income, including in
come, franchises and privileges
of railroad companies, which
may be classified, and which
taxes may be graduated and
progressive, and the legislature
may prescribe reasonable ex-
emptions, and such taxes may
be in lieu. in whole or in part,
OF taxes on any class or classes
Of real or personal property as
the legislature may determine.
1t shall not be necessary to
submit to q vote of the people
any law imposing a tax upon
the income, franchises or privi-
leges of railroad companies.
Any and all provisions of the
constitution of this State in
consistent herewith are here
by repealed. Provided, that the
legislature may authorize NUM-
cipal corporations to levy and
collect assessments for local
improvements upon property
benefited thereby without re-
gard to a cash valuation, and
provided further. that nothing
herein contained shall be con-
strued to affect, modify or re-
peal any existing law provid-
Ing for the taxation Of the
gross earnings of railroads."
The Purpose Of the Proposed Amend.
ment
The proposed amendment Is intend.
ed, first, to give the legislature spe
cific authority to enact such laws re.
banking associations as will con.
form to the laws of the United States
The laws Of the United States at ore
sent provide In substance that tn,
states may tax the shares of a ma
eionai banking association provided
that the rate Of tax on such share,
shall not be greater than Is assessed
upon other moneyed capital in tn,
hands Of Individual citizens Of sucf
state coming In competition with tn,
business Of national banks. At pre-
sent the laws Of Minnesota provid,
that shares Of such a banking asso
citation shall be assessed at thirty
:hree and one-third per cent (33 1/3d
of their true and full value. Money.
and credits and mortgages upon ant
contracts for the sale O
real estate are taxed In this state a
2 lower rate. The supreme court o
the United States has held that tn,
plan Of taxing shares Of
national banking association Is Inva
I'D because these shares are taxet
ut higher rate than moneys ant
credits and mortgages on and exc
cutory contracts for the sale Of rea
estate: Under the proposed amend
Inent II Is Intended to give the Ieais,
Iaeure the power to enact laws fol
the taxation Of national banks thai
shall be In harmony with the fedora
statutes on that subject, even though
such laws might offend other provi
sions Of the state constitution.
The remainder of the new matter
which would be placed In said sec
lion by the proposed amendment I,
nc authority to enact laws providing
for a tax on Incomes, and on fran
chises and privileges measured by In
come, including income, franchise.
and privileges Of railroad companies
IL is proposed that all incomes ma,
be classified and that taxes may bt
graduated and progressive; that 10 &
say, the rates may be different OF
incomes Of different sizes. 1t Is In.
tended that the legislature shall hav,
power to allow reasonable exemp
lions from such taxes and to pro
vide that such income taxes may b,
In lieu, either In whole or In part, o
taxes on such other classes of rea
Or personal property as 1t may deter
mine. II Is proposed that any law
imposing tax upon the income
franchises and privileges Of railroad
need not be submitted {,
4 vote of the people, as now provided
b, article 4, section 32a of the con
81 ituticn.
This Effect of the Proposed Amend
ment
The proposed amendment, II adopt
ed. will have the following effect:
NH