Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1934-10-20
TWIN CITY HERALD

Gated sums of money not exceeding
the amounts which, would have been
realized by such governmental subdi-
visions from the assessments against
or taxation of such lands if privately
owned"
1t will be noted that the present Sec
ton 10 of Article 8 remains unchanged
as the first para graph of the proposed
amendment but that second paragraph
is added to said section.
The Purpose and Effect of the Proposed
Amendment
The purpose of the proposed amend.
nent Is to give the legislature the power
to co one of two things which 1t now
lacks the constitutional power to do,
namely: first, to authorize the taxing OF
any land, ana the assessment of bsne-
fits for improvements against any land,
which the state has acquired and owns
or may acquire and own through the
operation OF the system CT rural credits
and to provide for the payment OF such
taxes ana assessments out of the fumes
of the Rural Credit Department; or, Sec
ond, to appropriate to the counties,
towns, school districte, cities, villages and
boroughs in which are located lands ac-
quired and owned by the state under
the rural credit acts sums OF money not
exceeding the amounts which would be
realized by said governmental subdivi.
sions from the TAXATION of such lands
and from the assessment Of benefits
against such lanes II owned by private
persons.
Under the Rural Credit Act the state
has become the owner of thousands OF
farms located in various counties of the
state. As our State Constitution now
stands, such land, being owned by the
state, cannot be taxed. 1t naturally fol-
lows that other land within tile same tax
ing district must pay higher taxes.
Likewise. the legislature does not now
have the power to appropriate to the
counties, towns, schco! districts, cities,
uiIlaHec and hnrop-he funds OF the
Rural Credit Department to reimburse
them for losees suffered by them be.
cause large areas of land acquired by the
state unCer the rural credit law thereby
have been removed from the tax rolls
The effect OF the passing of this amend
n1cnt, If the power thereby given is
acted u2or by the legislature, will be to
make good to these local subdivisions,
suffer because they cannot tax rural
= credit land.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 8.
By the adoption of Chapter 442 of the
Laws of 1888 the legislature has pro-
posed an amendment to Section of Ar
ticle 8 of the State Constitution.
This section now reads as follows:
THE power OF taxation shall never
be surrendered, suspended or con-
tracted away. = Taxes. shall be uni
form 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, colleges, uni
versities. and all seninaries of learn
ing, all churches, church property
and houses of worship, institutions
of purely public charity, and public
property used exclusively for any
public purpose, shall be exempt from
taxation, and there may be exempted
exceeding tn value 5000, for each
household individual or head of
family. as the legislature may deter
mine: Provided, that the legislature
may authorize municipal corporations
to levy and collect assessments for
local improvements upon property
benefited thereby without regard to
a cash valua ton, and provided fur
ther that nothing herein contained
shall be construed to affect, Modify
or repeal any existing law providing
for the taxation of the gross earn
ings of railroads.
If amended as proposed by the legisla-
ture, this section will read as follows:
1.-THE power of taxation shall never
be surrendered. suspended or con-
tracted away. Taxes shall be uni
form 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 colleges, uni
versities, and all seminaries of learn
in3, all churches, church property
and houses of worship, institutions
of purely public charity, public prop
erty used exclusively for any public
purpose, shall be exempt from taxa
ton, and there may be exempted
from taxation personal property not
exceeding in value 5000, for each
i household, individual or head of a
family, and household goods and farm
machinery. as the legislature may
determine:
Provided, that the legislature may
ai-ra ioi-1 fn
levy and collect assessments for local
improvements upon property benefit
ed thereby without regard to 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"
The Purpose and Effect of the Proposed
Amendment
The purpose and effect Of this amend
ment is to grant to the legislature, In adj
dition to the power now granted by said
section 10 exempt 5ersorai pro7erty, the
authority to exempt from taxation, such
household goods CT each household, and
such farm machinery of each farm, as
it may see fit. BY the present Section
OF Article the legislature is granted
the authority to exempt from taxation
ing in value 600 for each househo!5, In.
diyIual, or had OF a family.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 4.
By the adoption of Chapter 443 of the
Laws of 1858 the legislature has proposed
an amendment to Article 8 of the State
Constitution This amendment will not
add to or alter any existing section of
the Constitution, but will add a new sec
ton to be known as Section of Article
8. The proposed amendment reads as
follows:
ANY of the public lands of the
state, including lands held in trust
for any purpose may. with the APP
prevail of a commission consisting of
the governor, the attorney general
and the state auditor. be exchanged
for lands of the United States and
other privately owned lands as the
legislature may provide, and the
lands so acquired shall be subject
to the trust, if any, to which the
lands eychonpad therefor were sub