The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-30
HIBBING MINE TAX MEETING
PROVES A CLEARING FIZZLE
Hot Arguments Presented Against Any Reduction Mining
Taxes; Special Session of Legislature Advocated Raise
Tax Penalty on Delinquents


meeting in Hibbing Friday at which
the County Commissioners were present
TO try and work out some amicable
adjustment with the mining companies,
the municipalities of the range towns
and the commissioners on tax matters
following the announcement that the
companies would not pay the last half
Of the taxes on their properties, we
are not able to give only hearsay &C
count of the meeting.
staff correspondent of the Duluth
dailies covered the meeting and gave
the following account of the Friday
affair:
"Discord between range officials and
st. Louis county commissioners put
an abrupt end to conference here
today on the threatened tax strike"
of mining companies, and the meeting
was adjourned less than an hour after
it started
Representatives Of Range communi-
ties made an unsuccessful attempt at
adjournment only 20 minutes after the
conference opened, when commission
ers admitted they had no proposals
to offer" After half an hour of heated
argument, several members of the vir-
GINA and Ely delegations strobe out of
the meeting. Adjournment was moved
again and. this time, voted.
While the commissioners said they
had no definite plans on the tax
question, precipitated several months
ago when mining companies announced
they would withhold payment of taxes
due Oct 81, range speakers with one
exception declared in substance, the
mining interests don't need relief"
More than lbs persons, including
members of several range school boards
as well as municipal officials, were
present.
A call by Jacob L. Pete, county
board chairman, who presided, asking
any representatives of mining interests.
if present, to state the position of their
companies, received no response.
When the meeting opened, Com
missioner William Newman announced
that the county board, which called the
conference following resolution
passed by the Hibbing Chamber of
Commerce requesting it, had no def
Unite plan to put forward. He said
that as far as the county tax levy
was concerned, the board had been as
sured by mining companies that it was
not great aggreSsor"
"Dissention arose Immediately after
wards, when several range officials ac-
cused the commissioners of coming
here seeking tax relief"
That's not true" Pete replied. 1.-The
board is merely waiting to be con-
vinced when the mining companies de-
eide to lay their cards on the table"
Lets adjourn then" shouted Alder
man Herman j. Eaton, Virginia.
He so moved but the motion failed
of a majority. Launching into the
tax question, Eaton declared he was
in favor of asking Gov Floyd 3. Olson
to call special session of the legisla-
ture to demand that the mining COM
panies pay their taxes, and then, he
said, IF they won't do it-throw EN-
out of the state"
"A plea for harmony was made by
M. II. Mcmahon, Virginia attorney,
who said that "antagonism won't get
us anywhere"
Mayor Edward wheelecor of CHS
holm, declaring that ''the consumers
pay mining company taxes in the price
of the finished product" suggested that
the governor and legislature inspect
mining properties and fix fair valua-
ton. He was followed by Luke 2.
Burns, Virginia city attorney, and F.
B. James, city assessor at Ely, both of
whom spoke against relief.
Il. R. Caleb, Hibbing, village attor-
ney, suggested the chair ask mining
company representatives to speak
When none did so, he seconded a
motion to adjourn. Several delegations
began to leave.
Representative Mark Nolan, Gilbert,
then suggested that individual govern
ing units on the range petition Gov
ernor Olson to study the tax question
and, if he deemed it necessary call a
special session of the legislature The
penalty for delinQuencies ON mining
properties ought to be raised to rs
or SO per cent" he said He recon-
mended individual petitions because
it had been agreed beforehand that no
vote would be taken at the Con
ference
What We want to do" Nolan said,
rs to start constructive program not
to give tax relief but to use the arm
of the state to make the mining in
terests pay"
Pete then declared the meeting adj
journed, with the parting word that
the county board stands ready to
cooperate with range communities at
any time on this question"
What the next step in reaching an
agreement might be, was a matter of
conjecture after the meeting. Several
range delegations expressed the opinion
that the county boardE@wten it de-
cides something address in
dividual letters to governing units on
the range"