Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-05-02
RAILROAD TAX ELECTIONS.

ms county. VOte on inc litil PIoAiiio'
upon the subject of levying a tax OF
one per cent. for two years in aid of
the project to extend the Central
Railroad of Iowa to this city. The
assessment last year amounted, in the
city, to $1,GO3,6 and in Center town.
ship outside of the city, to $7S3, 1927,
making total of $2,3S6,939. The two
per cent. tax on this sum would foot
up $47,73S.7S. 1t is quite probable
that this springs assessment, which is
not yet completed, will overrun some
the assessment of last year, and yet
the excess will likely be small. In
Richland township, this years assess
ment is completed, and from it we
find the total assessment of the town.
ship to be 1901, 045. The election in
this township takes place on the 10th
proximo, and it is proposed to levy
there one and one-half per cent. in
1877 and the same in 1878. The whole
three per cent. levy would raise &c.
O3l.35, on the basis of this years as
scssment. We feel quite sure that the
assessments next year will he materi-
ally larger than those of this year, in
both townships, and, still, it cannot
be expected that the total amount of
the tax for both both years will quite
equal 100000, and it is probable that,
deducting losses in collection, the ut
most realized will be $4,000. We
understand that in some quarters
there will be some personal subscrip-
ton to the road, or donations which
may raise the sum total to $4,000.
1t should always be borne in mind
that the road must be completed be-
fore the company is entitled to any
portion of the money raised by the
tax. The people are, therefore, very
) carefully guarded against paying ou
their money and still losing the road
In Center township each thousand
dollars of assessment will pay tel
dollars each year. The majority o
tax payers will fall under this sum
and but few comparatively will have
to pay over $50 year. In Richlant
+, township. each thousand dollars will
+ pay yearly fifteen dollars, and bu
f few under this rate will pay over 81
: annually. 1t should be borne il
q mind, too, that the road must be bull
: before the people of Richland town
: ship, under the terms of their notice
could be called upon to pay into lii
Q county treasurer more than one as
: sessment, and since the notice Of cleo
n ton in Richland township makes thi
o certain there, 1t would have equa
q effect in this township. II does seer
a to us, therefore, that we would be re
! cciving beforehand a full eqnivaler
1t for what we shonld pay out.
$, We have not now space to exten
l. this article, and will only put tn
d query to the citizens of Ottnmwa
N What is it but railroads that has gi,
q en- Ottumwa her conspicuous prom
Il hence? To farmers we put the que
II ton: What has given you in Ottun
g wa one of the very best markets, an
s. one of the cheapest points to NAL
your purchases Of goods at in I'll
State of Iowa, but concentration
70 railroads here, largely reducing
V. sharp competition the rates {
m frcights? The only answer any hol
10 est man can make to this is, our ne
:, work of railroads. We add, Their
W fore, that what has proved so vital
ID our prosperity ought to be increase
q and all the railroads obtained tn
~ we can possibly get. We cannot ha'
IN too many. Every one will add If
10 measurably to our convenience, o,
o. population, our wealth, and our pro
t. perity, both in country and city.