Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1936-11-07

Dear Sir:
In compliance with the provisions OF
Section 46 of Mason's Minnesota Sta
tutes OF 1927, | herewith furnish you
statement of the purpose and effect of
all proposed amendments to the Constr
tuition of the State of Minnesota which
are to be submitted to the electors OF
said state at the general election in 1885,
IN accordance with certain acts adopted
by the 1885 legislature.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I.
By the adoption of Chapter 1913 of the
avs of 1885 the Legislature has pro-
osed an amendment to Article OF the
tate Constitution. The proposed amend
nent, if adopted, will not alter the
orm OF any ext. ling section of the
constitution, but will add new section
20 be known as Section of said Article
The proposed amendment reads as
Amy OF the public lands OF the
state, including lands held in trust
for any purpose, may, with the ap-
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
exchanged therefor were subject,
and the state shall reserve all min
rights in lands so transferred by the
state"
re Purpose and Effect of the Proposed
Amendment.
The purpose and effect of this pro-
osed amendment is to authorize the leg.
stature to provide for exchanging any OF
The public lands of the state for lands OF
he United States and land privately own
I'd, such exchanges to be made with the
approval of a commission consisting OF
ne governor, the attorney general and
he state auditor. Such exchanges OF land
afnot now be made because the State
constitution does not permit the iegis.
,ture to authorize the sale OF school
,nds, state swamp lands and state in
ernal improvement lands except oy
ubIic sale. One immediate purpose In
ranting such authority Is to make It
ossibe for the state to acquire COM
| act areas of land for forestry and other
reservation purposes by exchanging
nd outside of such conservation areas
lands Of the United States and prl-
,teIy owned lands within such areas.
The proposed amendment requires
at all mineral rights, water rights and
alter power rights In lands so transfer
I'd by the state shall be reserved. The
Ind so acquired will become subject to
ne same trust, IL any, as the land DIS
osed of. For example, IL school land is
wen In exchange. the land received will
ecome school land
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 2.
By the adoption of Chapter 394 Of the
avs of 1885, the legislature proposed
| n amendment to Section l of Article
! + the State Constitution.
This section now reads 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 sub
| iects, and shall be levied and col
lected for public purposes, but public
burying grounds, public school
| housaS Ouh1ic hOSnitalS academies.
| colleges, universities, and all semin-
aries of learning, all churches,
! church property and houses OF wor-
ship, institutions of purely public
charity, public property used exclu-
| sively 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, indi-
vidual or head of family, and
household goods and farm machin-
cry, as the legislature may deter
mine:
provided, that the legislature may
| authorize municipal corporations to
levy and collect assessments for To-
cal improvements upon property
benefited thereby without regard to
| cash valuation, and provided fur
Their, 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"
II amended as proposed by the legis-
ture, this section will read as follows:
| "The power of taxation shall
never be surrendered, suspended or
| contracted away. Taxes shall be
uniform upon the same class of sub
jects, and shall be levied and COL
lected for public purposes, but pub
lie burying grounds, public school
houses, public hospitals, academies,
colleges, universities. and all semin-
vi NJ
church property and houses Of wor-
ship. institutions of purely public
charity, and public property used
exclusively for any public purpose:
shall be exempt from taxation, and
there may be exempted from taxa
in value s2oo.oo Tor each household.
individual or head Of family. and
household goods and farm machin-
cry, as the legislature may deter
mine:
Provided, that the legislature
may authorize municipal corpora
lions to levy and collect assessments
for local improvements upon prop
erty benefited thereby without re-
| gard to a cash valuation, and pro-
sided further. that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to at
| feet, modify or repeal any existing
| law providing for the taxation Of the
gross earnings Of railroads.
Provided further, that after Jan
| uary /, 1887, no tax shall be imposed
| on any real or tangible personal
| property for any state purpose, ex-
cept that authorized by Section 10
| of Article 9 of this Constitution.
and/or for the payment of Indebted
ness of the state incurred prior to
January /, 1887; but this proviso
shall not limit. but the state shall
have, the right to impose taxes upon
Rpyalties, occupations, sales. re-
oeipts, incomes, inheritancss, gifts,
pSivilsgss, franchises, or Hcenses, or
tpon property on the basis Of gross
earnings e tonnage, or upon in-
4a1kfls 4 every kind"