The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-03-04

hazardous OF occupations. He carries
compensation insurance to protect his
men, but some other shyster contractor
does not carry compensation insurance
and has the advantage in bidding for
work" Later when it was called to
his attention Senator Mullins got good
laugh out of his error in speech, as did
the Senator whom he was using for
comparative purposes.
Well, wise or unwise, politics is going
to play big part in the legislature
from now on, if the action of the House
committee on Taxation is fair bar
ometer. The first vehicle to make the
going hard for members of the Senate
when they stand for reelection, is the
Income Tax Bill. This bill was dis
cussed at an open hearing in the Senate
chambers a week ago. The chamber
was too small to accommodate the hun
dredS that wanted to be heard in OPP
position. The bill in its original form
would give Minnesota the highest in
come tax but despite the facts pre-
sented in opposition at the hearing, the
House committee not only recommended
| the bill to pass, but recalled it and
| adopted amendments making it even
more drastic. The bill, as first pro-
posed, and which most everyone thought
unreasonable in its demands with it's
provision for raise in the maximum
rates from to 1914 per cent in the
case of corporations and 1914 per cent in
the case of individuals, now calls for
doubling the rates in the original bill.
The rates would be twice as high, under
the bill as amended, as any in the
nation. The political burlesque comes
in the statement made by the author
of the amendments who frankly adj
mitted that he desired to put the
Senate on the spot"
Well, the Senate can play the same
sort of game, if it wishes, but such by
play would merely mean that thous-
ands of industries in the state would
pack up and leave. Believing that duty
comes before political horseplay, the
Senate will undoubtedly strike out
everything after the enacting clause
and incorporate in lieu thereof a sane
and sensible bill.
The farmers of Minnesota will re-
ceive aid from the counties and state
in financing their seed for spring
!: planting as result of the Seed Loan
bill which passed the Senate on Thurs
dow tJoa hill ,,ro,,io,,cl,, l,o,,;yo ,ooeeaJ
the House. The bill, which this writer
!: drafted two years ago and again spon-
!: sored in this session together with Sen
: FoSlein, Is much the same as that of
: two years ago, but calls for slightly
: higher repayment in kind than two
years ago. The state lost $4,000 two
!: years ago and in order to reduce this
great loss those who pay in kind this
year will be required to pay two bushels
of equal quality grain for one bushel
received, and in the case of corn, three
bushels for one received. The law will
be administered by the State Auditor
the county boards and township officers
as heretofore.
The flood of bills being introduced
in both branches of the legislature af-
: fecting the mining business in this
: state, impreSses one more and more
that eventually some law must be
enacted that will make the state and
: all its people the beneficiaries of ore
: tax monies, rather than just those
: people who live on the iron range. Your
: correspondent, coming as he does from
: Southern Minnesota, may not know
much about the mining business, but he
does know that the ore beneath Min
nesota soil is the heritage of all, and
only as it is preserved will the state
school trust fund attain its full and
logical size. A little perusal of the
state auditors books is revelation to
any taxpayer. The mining companies
have paid on an average the past IL
years, to the state and its subdivisions
the enormous sum of 22,243, 6SS an
nually in taxes. OF this huge amount
the range counties and cities, villages
and school districts have received the
lions share of 5,432, 4220O. The state
has received but $6,811 ,286OO.
Now even the most ardent range citi-
zen must admit that that is not as it
should be. Range villages, cities and
schools are spending too much money
money that belongs to all the people
in the state. But past performance in
dicateS that there will be no lessening
OF spending on the range so long as
the mining companies pay 96 per cent
of the cost of municipal and school
government. Range villages and cities
will continue, as long as the present
laws exist, to have a policeman on
every corner and a clock winder for
every municipal or school clock
The only way this gay spree of spend
ing can be stopped is by legislation and
I have in mind what I consider a
remedy, which if enacted into law would
add to the state treasury no less than
five millions of dollars annually. First
I would abolish local ad valoren taxes
against iron ore. I would then have
the State Auditor spread a tax against
iron ore at the average total rate in
the state, which at the present time is
about 70 mills and which is virtually
the same millage as the mining COM
pan1eS now pay, so the mining COM
panies would not benefit under the
plan. The proceeds would then be dis
tributed much as follows: LIST, The state
to take the amount represented by the
state levy in mills, at present approx
mately IL mills, thus assuring the state