The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-08-26
WHAT OTHERS SAY.

Virginia Daily Enterprise Threat in
the near future of measures akin to the
Dietz iron ore tax diversion bill should
not be taken lightly by the electorate
of the Range section of Minnesota.
AS matter of very recent observation
by a member of the Virginia school
faculty, just returned from an extended
tour of Southern and Western Mime
sofa, many rank and file people there
are evidencing a very apparent dis
position to believe that it is in order for
the rest of the state to divert a large
portion Of the taxes now spent locally
in Iron Range communities, the di-
verted taxes to be made available to all
of the people of Minnesota. This, of
course, was the essential principle of
the Dietz and its companion measures,
happily sidetracked in the special ses-
sion of the Legislature.
This particular Virginia school man
reported that he was fairly appalled, by
the general attitude Of hinterland Min
nesota in the matter of iron ore taxes,
especially as that attitude seemed to
crystalize in a point of view that judged
Iron Range localities profligate in their
present and past use of the tax revenues
from mining properties. He says that
they believed it high time that this
many individuals told him bluntly that
spending be curtailed and that the diff
ference, plus perhaps some more, be put
in the states general revenue fund.
1--WE are going to take part of your
extra money!"That was about the sub
stance of what they told this Vir-
ginian, and usually the expression was
made with some show of determination,
leaving the nearer with the feeling that
Dietz bill or something very much
like it is so inevitable that only the
best of judgment by the people and
their officials in these Range areas will
avert the most drastic kind of re-
striction. Ambitious projects and plans
for structures that are hard to justify,
in the light of what other communities
have, certainly ought to be forgotten
Time flies so swiftly that before long
we shall be facing another session of the
Minnesota Legislature, when perhaps
good many things now dormant will
again occupy the limelight, and some
of these questions are going to be
mighty disturbing to Range COM
placency.
1t is apparent beyond dispute that the
determination of Southern Minnesota
to participate in the iron ore tax rev.
enues in larger measure than now pre-
walls has been fomented by the poll
ticians of Northern Minnesota, and es-
pecially by few bad eggs sent to the
legislature. One or two particularly
prominent or notorious ones among
them have been openly offending in
this respect, losing no opportunity when
on tour to vent unbecoming and vicious
attacks upon the mining industry-to
the detriment of both industry and
people here located. These rabble-
rousers have kind of luck here which
gives them the public vote, but the pub
lie in other parts is apparently not so
glllible.
Experience such as the one related by
the Virginia school executive are not
assuring. They suggest very strongly
that the mountebanks which our own
people have elevated to place and cir
cumstance have sinned previously in
undertaking campaigns of untrl1th and
vituperation against the sections prin-
cipal industry-an industry without