The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-02-18
Tuning In on The Minnesota
Legislature
By SENATOR WIN WEBER

and reliable st. Paul printing firm had
the low bid, the bid being $4,000 less
than the next lowest. But the higher
bid included the little bug" on the
front page of each of the booklets. The
bug" oh, yes! That is the insignia
of the union shop. Labor, the organized
variety, demands that it appear on
every job printed in a union shop, and
labor sees to 1t that no printing goes
to any shop not unionized-in other
words, not having the Bug" The Sec
rotary of the Senate, authorized to &C
cept or reject bids, voted for the lowest
responsible bid, but low and behold the
Rules Committee of the House would
not have it so. That little bug" must
be printed on the book. Labor must
be recognized and it was so ordered
by the House Rules Committee. But
things began to happen. 5000 was 5000,
even if 1t was the taxpayers money,
and the House Rules Committee was
notified that if it had no more regard
for the taxpayer than to fritter away
5000, that some action would be taken.
Result the low bid accepted, the poor
little bug" omitted and the taxpayers
5000 to the good.
In every session of the legislature we
hear much about taxation and per-
haps more than any other form of tax
alton, that on the mining companies
doing business in Minnesota. People
generally know little about the amount
Of monies paid by the larger industries
and far less about the taxes paid by
the mining companies This writer got
some real surprises this week when he
glanced over the annual report of the
State Auditor, that he might vote in
|telligently on the proposed tax legisla-
ton. The figures are authentic and fol
the years 1885 and 1886. However, a
comparison of any other year would
show the same results. In 1885, the
report shows the combined tax pay.
mentS of all the Railroad Companies
telegraph companies, all the telephone
companies, all the express companies
all the sleeping car companies, all the
freight line companies, all the inheri-
lance taxes collected, all the chain
store taxes collected, all the money anc
credit taxes collected, and all the state
income taxes collected in 1885 amounted
to $13,414, 456.43. The same collections
in 1886 amounted to 4,808 .008 IS
Now, dear reader, hold your breath In
1885 and 1896 the mining companies
in Minnesota paid more taxes than al
these agencies combined. In 1885 this
goose that lays the golden eggs PAID
into the Minnesota treasury SIG, 268 ,66T
and in 1886, $19,171 1876. Put that in
your pipe and smoke it and then ask
yourselves if the mining companies are
being undertaxed?
And talking about the mining COM
panies, your correspondent is reminded
of little happening in a House COM
mittee the other morning. Rep. Kelly
VI NA4AoA1OA4iA, was DClO1C UlIC
committee in favor Of civil service
bill. Rep. Widstrand of Hibbing, also
a Farmer-Laborite, glancing at the bill
said, in words to the same effect: "Why
man, this bill affects Hibbing. You
have civil service bill before the legis-
lature designed to take state employees
out of politics, and here you have a bill
that puts employees on the range in
politics, and sir, you know as well as
I do that the only industry we have on
the range is politics. Score 1 for Wild
strand, 0 for Kelly.
sssss
This writer introduced a bill Thurs
day that will be good news to the far
merS of Minnesota, especially those
having mortgages on their farms which
are held by the Rural Credit Depart
ment. The present law provides that
the rate of interest shall be less than
one-half of one per cent nor more than
three-fourths of one per cent above the
average interest rate paid by the state
for money borrowed, and in another
section that interest on defaulted pay
ment on taxes, liens, judgments, assess
ments or insurance shall be seven pei
cent. S. F. 622, the bill referred tc
would reduce the interest rate to pei
cent and 5 per cent respectively With
the state loaning money to munich
palities and counties at 3 per cent ano
| with the bonds of many counties selling
as low as "a per cent, it would seen
that the farmer has been the forgotten
man, and if not the financial goat. L
anybody is entitled to a reduction ii
| interest rates it is the farmer, for !
think it is pretty well agreed that NJ
farmer can continue in business at the
present rates he is paying. just t;
keep the records straight it's a liberia
bill by a conservative Senator.
House File No. is causing stirrins
debates in the House committee ant
loud voices resound through the cor.
ridors when the bill is up for consider.
alton. The bill purports to coordinate
consolidate, and in some respects amenC
an existing law covering the subject O
acquisition, ownership and operation O
various public utilities and certain adj
ditional lines of business which the Law
does not now authorize the utilities tt
engage in. The previous acts which
authorized municipalities to e0tenc
electric service 80 miles beyond theil
corporate limits, by a majority vote O.
the electors, except in villages where
SD vote is required, covers the whoit
subject of the acquisition, ownership
leasing and operation. The new bill il
another one of the reorganization bills
since it seeks to advance the philosophy
and practice of government ownership