The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-01-18

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and how disbursed; /; the net amount
Of profits and le dividend made, with
such other facts rs may be necessary
to full statement OF the affairs and
condition of such railroads." This
requirement. is complied with BY only
. small number Of companies; and II
Is not made the duty Of any oflicer Il
enforce the provisions of either statute
The latter report may be compelled By
. writ OF mandamus asked for by any
stakeholder; but thereis no penalty Ia
either case for failure TO make report.
If It were made the duty OF some
public officer to enforcs the
making Or these reports. there can b
little doubt that they would b ob.
tained Other States. with q largeI
experience than ours, yet with inter
ests 10 greater, require systematic re-
ports for the information Of the people
and to aid In Intelligent legislation
There are also questions Of safety fol
life and property, In the management,
and repairs OF old roads aud IN the
construction OF new ones. that Suggest
the need OF ofiiciai snpsrvision. |
would recommend the appointment ol
. board OF commissioners, clothed
with authority to inspect tue several
railroads in the State. their mode ol
construction, management, mode ol
operating, charges, connections, &c.
and with power to compel nm observ
ance of the laws Of the State concern
Ing railroads. '16'
I have before made suggestions as T.
the disposition to be made Of railroad
taxes. The question rs to the mode oi
raising these taxes has been much dis
cussed, aud that now prevalent In tfi,
State has been more or less severely
criticised. I am, however. Of tht
opinion, that IL is the most practical
met il,od yet devised for the purpose
But, In order that this sort OF property
should bear its just proportion Of the
public b.r,,eps, ii ~ only proper that
bthe tax now levied upon gross earnings
should t,e increased. The entire sum
collected from railroads for the year
1870, amounted to ,Sl86, ~ ". ! The
property paying this tax 10 estimsted
by tie Treasurer of State - worth
S75. 100000. To correspmsd with sthe
assessment of other property. il would
probably I've valued for revenue pur-
poses Ut some $3O,OO0. .OtW. Tho tax
ootain9d from railroads, therefore, Is
equal to about ak and y quarter mills
ON what, under the estimate adopted
would be tile assessed value Of this
kind OF propsrty. have eis whore
given tho average tax throughout the
State for the same year AT 81 per cent.
or about 4 We tim e.s that cOnt ributed by
railroad property. It may he sasd
that this calculation is based upon ssl
over valuation of the property Of rail
roads Perhaps 1t 10; yet It cannot
certainly he so far oat Of the way AZ to
obliterate the fact that u very great
disparity exists between the revenue
from this class Of property and that
from other sources. This state ol
aftairs, l submit. can readily be RENE.
died without imposing any undue bur
deus upon existing lines, or crippliDg
new enterprises. s af44ss8
CENSUS AND APPoRTIosSMENr.--f
| census of 1870, taken by the federal
| government, reports "A population ol
l, ,l9l ,S02 in the State This 10 Nh in
crease Of lJ0, ,9SS over The figures given
by The State census Of the prsvious
yesr-ths largest gsia yet made BY the
State during the same period, vis.
about sixteen mouths The advancs
| made since lLe census Of 1860 10 SIG.
$50. The rapid stridos Iowa has made
are better realized upon comparing hsI
| growth with that OF other states. In
1850 she stood twen.y-seventh OF the
Stales OF lhe Union In point of popu
lation. In 1856 shs ranked twentieth
| aud in 1870 eleventh. Among the du'
ties devoiving upon you, at the pres
ent session, will be that Of apportion
ing the State into seven Congressiona
| districts. or If the bill pending In thu
| United States Senate psss.s, into nins
Of them. in justice. the representa-
! lion In the present Congrsss. aud cOu
sequenLy in the electoral college mex
fall, should he based upon the esnsu,
of 1870; hut efforts to effect this result
have hitherto fa led. and will not
probably NOW be ewed An apppr
t tioa".ent Of the state inio sesaioria
distIicts for fou, years, sn. Into repre-
sentative districts for two years, vii
also be necessary. The iudicia
| districts lnsy now also he reorgnn-
lied IL. four years. ! would sug
ge.t the creation of another judicia
district, in order To relieve some o
our o,erburdened districts. and, At th'
same time. to provide for the newe
hut more rapidly growing counties.
| REUNION OF Iowa SOLDIERS.
Chapter ninety nine OF the acts o
las, session appropriated the sum Q
SI5,00 for the expenses OF reunion
of Iowa soldiers then In contenpia
tion. Arrangements were forth will
entered into for the accom- pIishRen
Of tbs subject. The time for the reun
ion was postponed until August 3ls
and september lat, 1870. All the rail
road companies in the Sta'e very gen
eroasly agreed to transport the en!iste'
men of the late war free OF charge
sad the officers half fare; while tb
United States government loaned sew
eral hundred tents for the accom- mmoda
tion Of the multitude. Contracts wer
entered into for all the supplies need
ed, aud the mast elaborate Arrange
a n