The nonpartisan leader. [volume], February 01, 1917, Image 15

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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Fargo Ice Cream & Dairy Co.
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E A I S
Acute and chronic treated at the Fargo
Sanitarium by the use of Radio Rem,
Osteopathy, and Hydriatic treatments.
Write for descriptive literature.
FARGO SANITARIUH
Dr. J. E. Cavanagh
1829 Third Ave. S., Fargo, N. D.
HOTEL PRESCOTT
FARGO, N. D.
is being renovated and J2000 new fur
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ROOMS 50c TO $1.50
City Steam Heat
Case and Cousineau, Props.
If Your Radiator
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llie Fargo £ornice &
a
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for warm weather to start your Ford.
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FARGO, N. D.
Band Instruments
Good Quality Reasonable
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faction Guaranteed. Send
for free catalog, with fall
description and prices.
Everything Knowm In Music
STONE PIANO COMPANY
FARGO GhAND FORKS
Dept. B":
DELCO-LIGHT
Del'eo-Light is every man's electric
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and provides electric current for
ght and power for anyone anywhere.
Electric light—clean, cool, safe—for
your home and your barns.
Agents everywhere
B. F. ASH ELM AN
Distributor
Cor. Broadway and Front Street.
FARGO, N. D.
ST.
CHANEY-EVER
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CHOCOLATES
They Are Good
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Fargo, N. D.
A GOOD SCHOOL
Thorough Courses. Trained Teach
ers. Courses: Business, Shorthand,
Stenotypy, Civil Service and English.
FREE TUITION to first one hundred
students who enroll. Write for infor
mation.
INTERSTATE BUSINESS COLLEGE
309 Broadway Fargo, N. D.
W. H. Bergherm Props. O. C. Heilman
mgm
PAUL, Jan. 29.—The big fea
ture of the past week's session of
the Minnesota legislature was the
introduction of the Bjorge tonnage tax
bill by Representatives Bjorge, Bendix
on, Warner and Tom Davis. The pres
ent Bjorge bill differs from the former
bills in that it does not affect the local
or s.tate taxes on the advalorem basis
but is an additional tax of 2 per cent
on the gross value of the ore removed.
This change removes the objections
voiced by the people on the iron ranges
to the former bill, that it would remove
their only source of revenue, which was
also the reason given by the late Gov
ernor Johnson for vetoing it As a
result a large number of Northern
legislators have expressed themselves
as being heartily in favor of the new
bill.
With an average gross value of $1.95
per ton the proposed tax would amount
to nearly 4 cents per ton. The gross
value of ore removed from the mines
in the past four years Is as follows:
In 1913 $84,033,756
In 1914 38,495,226
In 1915 56,244,192
In 1916 (estimated) 90,000,000
The average revenue under this bill
for 1913, '14 and '15 would have been
$1,198,487.82, while for the past year it
would have amounted to the stupend
ous sum of $1,800,000. The ton value
of iron ore is based upon the market
price at the Lake Erie ports less what
is spoken of as a book cost, being the
cost of mining, transportation, etc.,
which, according to the federal bureau
of corporations and also given by the
report of the Stanley investigating
committee in 1912, was $2.53 per ton.
President Cole of the Olivfer Mining
Company, a subsidiary of the United"
States Steel corporation, testifying be
fore the Stanley committee in 1911,
stated that 40 per cent of the Minne
sota ores were Bessemer producing
ores 40 per cent were high-grade non
Bessemer producing ores.
MINES UNDER TAXED
NOW, FIGURES SHOW
The average market value of the
Bessemer ores is $3.82, and that of the
non-Bessemer producing ores is $3.14
therefore, the net value at the mine of
the Bessemer -would be $1.29 and the
average for the non-Bessemer ores
would be 61 cents. According to the
Minnesota tax commission the esti
mated tonnage in the Minnesota iron
ore mines is 1,439,000,000 toils, on
which is placed a tax valuation of $265,
500,000. Taking President Cole's esti
mate we should have 557,600,000 tons
of Bessemer ore and 557,600,000 of non-"
Bessemer ores. Upon the above stated
valuation the Bessemer ores' should
be worth $724,524,000 and the non
Bessemer producing ores $351,116,000,
leaving 287,800,000 tons of lower grade
ore not valued at all.
It will, therefore, be seen that the
value of this ore should be $546,820,000
taxed at 50 per cent, compared with
the above stated tax valuation of the
Minnesota tax commission of $265,500,
000, or nearly twice the value placed
upon it by the tax commission. "Over
taxed already," say the mine owners,
—but-In view of the above' one might be
apt to somewhat discount the steel
barons painful and pitltful plea for
their poor widows and orphans.
Those who oppose the bill say that
with the modern scientific methods of
mining engineering they can accurate
ly estimate the total amount of ore in
a
mine. However, taking a list of 20
mines as a basis we find these esti
mates to be mere guess work. The
total estimated number of tons in these
twenty mines in 190,9 was 7,668,058,
while the records show that the total
shipments from these 20 mines from
1909 to 1914 was 16,065,526 tons, or that
during these five years alone 8,397,468
more tons were shipped out than the
total estimate of 1909, not to mention
the tonnage removed since 1914, or
what remains in "the mines today.
REMOVAL OF ORE
DEPLETES ASSETS -j*"
Another argument is that the tonnage
tax is wrong because it is a tax on
industry and inconsistent with the ex
emption or improvements from taxa
tion idea. However, they fail to state
in what way, form or manner either
the community or the state is,improv
ed by the removal of the ore. It seems
that they fail to realize that instead of
improving the community and increas
ing its resources it is. depleting it to
just the extent of the value of the
amount of ore removed.
... According to the.Stanley committee
Tonnage Tax Bill Before the
Minnesota Legislature
Proposes Four Cents Per Ton on Iron Output
Addition to Present Taxes
By Special Correspondent
report in 1912 the cost of transporta
tion was, by rail 24 cents per ton by
lake, 35% cents per ton, while the
average charges were: by rail, 60 cents,
and by lake, 60 cents, or a total trans
portation charge of $1.20 per ton, or a
profit of 60% cents per ton. The lake
rate alone is now $1 per ton. No won
der that the dividends of the companies
Involved in this business beat farming
dividends all hallow.
The Duluth, Mesabe •& Northern
Railway company's dividend for 1908
was 110 per cent 1909, 145 per cent
1910, 240 per cent 1911, 125 per cent.
The Duluth & Iron Range railroad
dividend for the same period is as fol
lows: 1908, 120 per cent 1909, 140
per cent 1910, 100 per cent 1911, 125
per cent.
According to the Stanley report the
United States Steel Corporation made
a net profit of 60 cents per ton on the
transportation of 77,304,164 tons or
$46,547,167 from 1902 to 1906. Their
total ore shipments from 1906 to 1916
were 325,478,631 tons, and if the profit
was the same from 1906 to 1916 as from
1902 to 1906 the United States Steel
has made a profit on transportation
alone from 1902 to 1916 of $241,834,167.
FOUR CENTS A TON
WILL NOT RUIN THEM
The argument that the tonnage tax
would drive the mining companies out
of business is not taken very seriously.
Mr. Bjorge cities statistics of two years,
one a bad year, the other a good year,
1907 and 1908, when the average year
ly net earnings of the United States
Steel corporation was $259,000,000.
Which, after deducting 7 per cent divi
dend on the actual money invested,
would leave $147,000,000 in excess pro
fits, or $9.20 per ton on the 16,000,000
tons, being the average yearly output
of the finished product for that two
year period. It takes about two tons
of ore to make one ton of finished ar
ticle, or an excess profit of $4.60 per
ton of ore. Therefore, it is not likely
that the small tax of four cents per ton
would drive them to the poor farm.
Mr. Bjorge is a member of the.
Fanners' Nonpartisan League of
Minnesota. The tonnage tax on iron,
ore is a League demand. It has been
before several previous legislatures,
was passed at one time, but was vetoed
by Governor Johnson. There was no
Farmers' Nonpartisan League at that
time. There is now. The League took
no part in the past election.- It will in
1918. How many of the legislators will
want to be recorded against the ton
nage tax?
LIKED LEADER ARTICLE
Hawley, Minn., Jan. 21.
Editor Nonpartisan Leader:
I was very agreeably surprised to
read your article in your last issue
touching on the political activity of the
Minnesota railroad and warehouse
commission. There is much to be said
on that score before the next general
election is held and anything I can do
for the cause of the farmer I will glad
ly do. KNUD WEFALD.
READY TO HELP
Rolla, N. D., Jan. 18.
Editor Nonpartisan Leader:
Here is letting you know that we
were not able to get to the massmeet
ing on account of the weather, but we
want to let you know that if there is
any way we can help in the fight we
will be in the trenches with rifles load
ed, ready to help put through the
League program in North Dakota at
once. H. L. LENTZ.
LUMBER
DIRECT TO THE CONSUMER
Builders Lumber Co.
WRITE US SEATTLE, WASH.
REGISTERED STOCK SALE
AT WILLISTON, FEB. 27 AND 28.
24 Percheron Stallions—2 to 6 years. 12 Hereford Bulls
22 Percheron Mares 2 to 10 years
4 Shires Mares
1 Shire Stallion
1 Belgian Stallion
ANCIENT ORDER UNITED
WORKMEN
OF NORTH DAKOTA
Insurance in force
Reserve
..$12,000,000.00
.. 1,500,000.00
Issues policies from $1,000 to $5,000
at 25 per cent less than old line life
companies.
Life Insurance is needed because
nine out of every 'ten men leave no
estate and ninety per cent of estates
of $5,000 or over are lost within 7 years.
Without obligation write for informa
tion and sample policy.
HOME OFFICE,
Fargo, N. D.
Treat your
seed oats be
fore seedin
again, wit
the
Imperial Smut Machine
the only perfect Smut
Maehine made. Guaran
teed that you will have
no smut in your grain
next fall. If you have we
will refund your, money in full. Isn't
that fair? We also have a machine that
takes wild oats out of tame oats for
seed and the best cleaner and grader
for all grades. All machines trial guar
anteed'. Write us.
MINNEAPOLIS SEPARATOR CO.,
314 Erie Street Minneapolis, Minn.
Clyde Hardware Company
CLYDE, N. D.
Specializes on high quality Hardware
such as
The Great Majestic Range
De Laval Cream Separators'
Heath & Milllgan Paints and Oils
Louden Hay and Barn Door Car
riers
Zenith and Hickory brand tools of
all kinds.
We also have for sale a Case tractor
threshing outfit, complete, run fifty
lays. Will sell separate.
MR. FARMER ATTENTION1 Tour
children need a typewriter as well as
yourself.
TAKE
advantage of this
opportunity: 500 ma
chines of all makes such
is Underwoods, Reming
tons, Olivers, etc.. from
$10 to $65, guaranteed
rIVE years. Write for
RHIS trial offer. A. M.
ju.,
1"62 N.
Dearborn St. .Dept.
MPL, Chicago, III.
and Tumors successfully treated
(removed) without knife or pain.
All work guaranteed. Come, or
write for free
Sanatorium book
Dr.WILLIAMS SANATORIUM
3023 Unirtnitj
AT.,Minneapolis,Mi—.
Hotel Columbia
GRAND FORKS, N. D.
Across the street from
G.
N. Depot.
Centrally located. European plan.
Rooms, 50c to $1.50 Popular priced
cafe in connection.
OSCAR KNUDSON, Prop.
MULEFOOT HOGS FOR SALE
Prize Winners in the North Dakota
Pork Production Contest. Very easy
keepers. Have never seen one sick.
This is your chance if you want to
produce pork cheap, if you want to
win prizes and if you do not want
losses. $50 each, for boar or sow $75
for sow with pigs. Just a few left.
E. SCHERE, Blsbee, N. D.
SIZE! SIZE! SIZE
IN
POLAND CHINA
BRED GILTS
These gilts are of the highest qual
ity and are by or bred to Mankato
Wonder, our 2-year-old, 1000-lb.
1 erd boar.
Special service to mail orders.
Mankato Stock Farm
O. S.. LASBY, Manager
MANKATO, MINN.
For Quick Results Use
"Classified" Ads.
14 Shorthorn Bulls
5 Shetland Ponies
10 Bred Sows—Poland
Duroc-Jersey.
gla
This stock is all registered in the correct books and will be sold as repre
sentea. To those who want good, young, sound mares and stallions or bulls, will
be offered an unusual opportunity.
These animals are Just right to go out and do service in this western
climate.
Remember this stock will'be at the Great Northern barn the day before
the sale and we ask buyers to come on that day and go over the stock.
Remember also that Wiiliston is a Percheron Horse and Beef Cattle centre
and buyers will have a chance to get the best of the young stock.
Terms'pf sale. Cash credit may be obtained by responsible parties at the
following banks: First National, Williams County State, Wiiliston State.
Hon. Prank Hyland, W. W. Keltner, Harry Brown, Auctioneers.
The Pure-Bred Live Stock Association of Williams and McKenzle Counties,
Owners.
China and
I