The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-05-18

Everyone of the influential residents
of the range communities worked hard
and honestly for the appointment OF an
interim committee to iron out the in
tricacies of the Weber-Carley bill by
personal observation and touch with
the pepole affected. The committee
was named, and soon expects to call on
the cities from Duluth to the south,
Grand Rapids to the west and Ely to
the East.
On this committee are men who have
been active in the fight for the passage
of the bill, defeated in the legislature,
the defeat, even by these men, having
been later sought to give them an OPP
portunity to act on the actual facts in
the matter. To the cool headedness of
Grove Wills of Eveleth and Purcell
Barker of Virginia, is much credit due
for having STAYED off the passage of
the drastic measure and the appoint
ment of the interim committee.
For forty years there has been con-
tinual controversy over mining taxes.
First, a tonnage tax bill was defeated
in the legislature and promise made
by the Steel Corporation to build steel
plant in Duluth. The corporation Kept
its promise and millions were spent in
the erection of the plant at Morgan
Park. Later the fight for more was
gain renewed in the legislature and
tonnage tax bills were passed only to
be vetoed by Governors John A. john
son and j. A. A. Burnquist.
Under the administration Of Gov
ernor j. A. o. Preus tax of per cent
on iron ore values at the mouth Of the
shaft was put in force and paid regu-
larry. A few years ago it was in
creased to per cent. This year the
legislature again upped the tax to 9
per cent as compromise for ten
per cent tax proposed, with a conces-
sion to the mining companies to put
per capita limit on the taxing powers Of
the range communities under the
Weber-Carley bill
The authors of the Weber-Carley bill
had an idea that the range towns were
spending altogether too much money
and that other towns, not on the ranges,
were entitled to share in the enormous"
wealth produced through taxes on min
ing property in this section of the
state This thought became quite pro-
nolnced in the last session and with
cut a doubt would have been made a
law had not better counsel prevailed
with the result Of an interim COM
mittee appointment.
Under the per capita limitation pro-
posed in the bill, the City of Ely would
not have been seriously affected for
years or until valuations deprecated
materially and bound to follow. Ely
never has levied the limit. School Dis
trict No. Il would have been little af-
fected by the passage of the bill and
the city not at all While We would
not have been materially affected, the
people of this city were in sympathy
with the fight to stop the passage OF
1.-THE bill, feeling it was bad measure
for the range towns and the county in
general.
The Mesaba range towns and cities
never paid much attention to Ely and
lcLtAc1y ONCIlOohC0 O01 SA4oeIA4NC Wi1CL
We wanted anything. When We asked
lfor a member of the legislature from
the Vermilion end, the Mesabi elector-
late hoped onto the proposition with
both feet with the result that we have
mot been represented in the legislature
lin years, or since the election of A
~. Thomas in 1921. While We did not
lexist in the scheme of things as ar
ranged on the MeSabi, when the bill
came up to curb the range, the cry fol
help went out from Virginia, Eveleth
lChisholm and other range towns and
Ely responded, notwithstanding the
cowing and bullying We had experienced
at the hands of the MeSabi range voters
Now, after having successfully killec
the legislation for two years at least
with the appointment of the interim
committee, We notice some of oul
neighbors are dissatisfied, inasmuch a.
the legislature failed TO name Mesab
range men on the interim COMMITTEES