The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-07-22
Tuning In on The Minnesota
Legislature
BY SENATOR WIN WEBER

Is big Business" and he hopes to scar
the people of the state into voting TO
him as the one Moses to lead them GU
of the wilderness, just as he shooet
the voters into his camp last campaign
on the mythical sales tax bugaboo.
That the State Senate is tired of tn,
tactics employed by some range Sena
tors and Representatives in constant
ly charging that every Senator who doe.
not agree with them is the tool of thu
Steel Trust" was again fittingly demon.
strated Wednesday when the Senate
Rules committee voted out unanimously
a Resolution offered by Senator Neu.
meier, Saltwater, authorizing the ere.
alton OF an interim committee Of the
Senate to study the taxing of the Min
ing industry and distribution of such
taxes, to examine the expenditures Of
local government units in the Mining
districts as compared with the expendi-
lures of other communities in the
state, to make recommendations fol
any legislation deemed advisable, anC
providing for the payment of the ex-
penses of said committee"
The resolution seeks to do much the
same thing as the Dietz-Swenson-Nel-
son bill, but was offered by Senator
Neumeier who fears that such bill
as offered by the trio named would
never pass the House. A hard fight
will no doubt be made to kill the resolu-
ton by those from the range, but their
very act in battling 1t would prove the
very need for such an investigation.
The resolution calls the hand of the
Governor and its more important
"Whereases," will no doubt be of in
terest. The important are:
WHEREAS, as This State has been
blessed with many natural resources of
great potential wealth the greatest of
which are the iron ore resources; and
WHEREAS, as Governor Benson said
in his message to the Legislature during
the special session, this iron ore wealth
is a natural heritage of all the people
Of this state and should be used for
the welfare of all our people; and
WHEREAS, the taxes paid by those
possessing and mining this resource
should be used to reduce the taxes not
only on those properties within the
territory of the mines but on those
within the state as whole; and
WHEREAS, it is claimed by many
that the state is not getting proper
of the taxes paid by the
mining companies and that the COM
munities adjacent to such mines are re-
ceiving too large proportion of such
taxes and so are getting more adj
vantages from this tax source than
since this natural wealth be-
longs to all the people of the state, the
home owner and farmer who staked
their fortunes in the soil of Minnesota
as well as those who happen to live in
the mining district.
NOW THEREFORE BE 1T RE-
SOLVED, BY the Minnesota State Sen
ate, that there is hereby established and
created an interim committee to be
of five members of the Senate
to be appointed by the Committee on
Committees of the Senate, which COM
mittee shall:
1. Make a study of the mining in
dustry and communities on the Iron
Ranges to determine whether the state
Is receiving a proper share of the taxes
now being paid by the mining COM
panies.
2. Study the governmental expendi-
lures of the mining communities as
compared with similar communities in
other parts of the state and determine
or not eXtravagant or un-
reasonable expenditures are being made
by those units of government which can
and ought to be eliminated and whether
or not general reduction in expendi-
lures by such governmental units can
be made, in order to bring them some
what more in line with those of similar
communities In other parts of the state
and so make a more equitable distribu-
ton of the tax funds obtained from the
mining companies.
8. Recommend to the next session
of the legislature, if the committee
deems it advisable after making this
inquiry, legislation increasing the states
share of the taxes paid by the mining
and reducing the amounts
allowed the local governmental units in
the communities where the mines are
located.
4. Recommend any other legislation
which the committee concludes from its
inquiry will place the taxing of mining
and the distribution of the
proceeds Of such takes upon fairer
and more equitable basis.
For the purpose of carrying out said
duties such committee shall hold hear
ings, examine witnesses, carry on such
and inquiry as in it's
opinion may be proper. Said commit
tee shall prepare its report, which said
report shall be completed not less than
thirty days prior to such session of the
legislature and filed with the Secretary
of State and copies thereof shall be
printed for public use. Said committee
shall cause to be prepared necessary
bills to carry out and give effect to its
findings and recommendations
'BE TT FURTHER RESOLVED, that
such committee shall have power to
subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, to
compel the attendance of witnesses and
the production Of books, records and
papers and other documents required to
make full and complete knowledge of
the subject under consideration.
Veteran Dynamiter Hurt
By Small Firecracker.
Luverne-"Better let Dad do it-you
MIGHT oct hI1yt Elra MI Iakfairo DooL