Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-02-11

| per IIlIlc IOT III pdSScHkcT tIdIlC, UuJ AOE
mileage when ! 900 miles was to be the
smallest amount sold, he thought 1t
should be done. 1t is probable that the
matter will not come to a consideration
OH the floor Of either house this session.
The section Of thu proposed revenue
| bill which provides for the taxation of
mercantile corporations has been the big
bugbear of the week The representa-
tives Of these corporations felt that there
were inQuisitorial features in the bill
which they could not stand and they
| came before the committees in large
numbers and from many parts of the
state with the complaint that if they
were forced to make public the details
| OF their business to the assessors, as Is
required by the proposed bill, they
would have to go out of business as cor
porations. The matter was referred to
q subcommittee of the ways and means
committee in the senate and they have
! about agreed upon a change in the re-
port of the code committee which will
! probably be more satisfactory to these
| corporations. 1t is, that in the case of
| corporation engaging in merchandising
| or manufacturing and having their
| capital represented by shares Of stock
! they shall list their real estate. personal
| property and moneys and credits in the
same manner as individuals and the
| owners OF capital stock having listed
| their property as above directed, shall
be exempt from assessment and taxation
on such shares of capital stock. The
subcommittee has not yet made it's re-
port to the full committee, but it is
believed that it will be adopted by the
committee and reported to the senate for
passage.
Propose Taxing Stockholders.
Another part of the proposed revenue
law which is just now causing consider
able comment in certain circles is the
section on building and loan associa-
tons. Section % of the new bill pro-
vides for the taxation of the shares of
stock i'll such associations. 1t provides
that the stock shall be taxed to the indi-
vidual holders of it at their place of res
idence. On or before Jan. 81 of each
year the officers of all domestic and local
associations are required to made the
same verified statements to the assessors
that other corporations are required to
make, and must give the amount Of ex-
pense and reserve and the value of each
share and list of the stockholders, to-
gether with the amount of their hold
ings, must be sent to the county audi
tors by the officers of the association
The holders of stock are to be assessed
upon the value of the stock as thus as
certained, except that if person has
made loan ON his stock he is entitled
to deduct the amount of the loan from
the value of the stock i'll listing his
property for assessment. There is con-
siderable opposition to this part of the
bill, and it is thought that it will
scarcely be passed in it's present shape.
1t is probable, however, that some way
will be devised to tax stock in such in
situations.
An important action was taken by the
joint committees of both houses on pub
lie health. 1t was voted to recommend
that the law governing the gathering of
vital statistics be amended 80 that in
stead of requiring the physicians to re-
port blIths and deaths, the assessors are
to be entrusted with that work. They
are to obtain all the data for these vital
statistics at the time of making the as
sessment each year. This will make
some of the statistics rather old, but
they will be more valuable than at pres
ent, for the reason that they will be
complete.
Includes Home Companies.
The senate committee Oh ways and
means has decided TO recommend the
taxation of Iowa insurance companies
one-half of per cent on their gross
premium receipts in the state. Foreign
companies will also be taxed per cent
on their premium receipts in the state
instead of 21a per cent as heretofore.
1t is expected that this decision on the
part of the committee will be the signal
for roar of opposition from the state
companies and it is more than possible
that when the matter comes before the
two houses the tax on the state COM
panies may be eliminated.
The contest over the question of the
state printing and binding has been at
fever heat among the Des Moines papers
all the week. The whole matter has
been referred by the senate committee
to subcommittee who are to report in
what way, if any, money can be saved
on this work. The committee is op-
posed to letting the work out by con-
tract and there will be no attempt to
abolish the offices of printer or binder.
1t is probable that the committee will
report that saving can be made in the
quantity of the work that is gotten out.
SOuc Vi Inc Reports Vi Ille Slute uepdfG-
ments are lun bered up with large
amount of matter which is decidedly
useless and out of place in reports which
should be concise and to the point to be
of any practical value.
One thing that has happened in con-
nection with this squabble into which
the newspapers have been thrown has
done great injustice to Mr.. B. Murphy,
editor of the Vinton Eagle. Everybody
in Iowa knows how Mr. Murphy worked
without reward and at a loss of his own
time and money that fund might be
secured for the education of the blind
mute, Linnie Haguewood. He sue
ceeded in his efforts and the money
which was obtained for the girl was
religiously and scrupulously kept for
that purpose. One night during the
past week Mr.. Murphy came to Des
Moines.
The next morning the Register said
that Mr.. Murphy had come "to state
his mistaken belief that the state print
ing is another sort of 'Linnie Hague.
wood SO far as the reduction of the ex-
penses of that Des Moines snap is con-