Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-06-28
ASSESSMENTS DECREASE.
Indications of Falling Off in the
Value of Personal Property
in State of Iowa.
MAY MAKE UP LOSS ON REAL ESTATE.
The Board of Control About to AS.
sumo Power-Disposal of State
Warrants Recruiting for Regi-
ments Now In the Field = other
State News of General Interest.
Especial Correspondence


State News of General Interest.
Especial Correspondence
Des Noines, June 20.-The county
auditors are now making their reports
of assessment of personal property for
1898 10 the auditor of state, and the in
dication is that there will be consid-
cradle falling off in the valuation of per-
sonal property, but part of it will be
made up by the addition to the realty
assessment on account of new build
ings. The state board Of review may
also add to it somewhat in the process
of equalization, or review. Only about
80 counties have reported, so it is inn
possible now to estimate with any de-
gree of accuracy what the net result in
the entire state will be. Some of the
counties are very much reduced by the
operation of the neg law, while others
are largely increased.
The result depends very largely upon
the assessor and upon the system of as
sessing that has been in vogue in the
county heretofore. If the county has
been assessed on q high valuation, it
will show a heavy falling off under the
new law, and if it has been assessed at,
say 30 per cent. of its cash value here
tofore, it ought to show gain this year,
and if the assessor has done his duty it
will. Take the two counties of Wash
ington and Van Buren,, for instance.
Last year the personal property assess
ment of Washington was ST ,S61, ISL, and
this year it is $1,131, 6T2, a falling off Of
$729,519, or over 80 per cent. Van Buren,
county was assessed on personal prop
erty last year $1,l00,290 and this year
$663,767, decrease of $436,532, or over
80 per cent. Other counties will show
gains, but not as large as these losses.
The net decrease in personal property
valuation in the state may amount to
100000, but it will be partly overcome
by the additions and changes in other
ways, so that the net reduction will not
be as large as feared. The reductions
We're occasioned by the listing of prop
erty at its full cash value, to be as
sessed at rs per cent. thereof. People
would not give in the full cash value
when they had been accustomed to Civ
ing in only 20 to 80 per cent, SO the
operation of the new law reduced the
net valuation below what it has been
heretofore.
The Board of Control.
The board of control is about to as
sumo its full and almost unlimited pow
er over the state institutions. 1t will
take charge July i, and will then begin
~, al, 10, ~, ,.s< III re
upon every purchase made by the
stewards Of the several Institutions.
The boards of trustees will leave enough
on hand to run the institutions until
August i, since the new law makes it
the duty of the stewards to file requisi-
tions with the board of control before
the 18th Of each month for what is re-.
CURED for the following month and the
board itself has no authority to pur-
chase. tits probable that an expert pur-
chasing agent may be employed, who
shall make it his business to inform
himself thoroughly on the prices and
best places to buy everything needed
by the institutions. The New York
board of lunacy, which manages all the
hospitals for the insane in that state,
employs such man at salary of 81,
600 a year and he saves a great many
| thousand dollars for the state during
the year.
Disposal of State Warrants.
The old system of disposing of state
warrants mot paid for want of funds
will ba followed in the future and the
law passed by the legislature authorize
ing the executive council to sell war
rants to the highest bidders, in antici-
patton of state revenue, to raise money
! to pay warrants issued in pursuance of
appropriations, will be ignored. 1t is
considered unconstitutional because the
state constitution expressly says that
no money shall be paid out of the state
treasury except upon an appropriation
| by the legislature. There is no appro-
priation covering the payment that
would have to be made when such q
| warrant came due; there is no provision
for drawing the warrant, the law being
very uncertain in this respect. No one
can say to whom, and upon what au-
thority it should be drawn, nor does the
| law direct the auditor of state to draw
| the warrant. The executive council will
therefore not act upon the law, which.
If 1T is valid, would authorize the council
to issue and sell warrant July 5, the
beginning of the fiscal year, for ST. $780,
600, the full amount of the anticipated
revenue for the next year. The rate of
interest has been reduced to five per
cent, and State Treasurer Herriott is
confident that he will be able to find q
ready market for all stamped warrants,
SO the persons and institutions receiv-
ing them will be able to get them
cashed at par, without hunting about
for purchaser.
Filling Up the Regiments.
Recruiting for the four Iowa regi-
ments now in the field, to bring them up
to the required number, 1896 men each,
has commenced, The Fifty-nrst regi-
ment, the one that goes to the Philip
pines, has been nearly filed, and by the
time this is read, will have its full quota
of men in camp. Its recruiting stations
were in Des Moines, Creston and Red
Oak, and about ten men were offered
| for every one who could be accepted.
The recruiting details from the other
regiments suffered delay in receiving
instructions, but are now at work TAX.
| ing In volunteers. The stations for the
Fiftieth regiment are at Iowa City, Mus.
catine and Keokuk; for the Forty-ninth
ut Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Dubuque,
f. II. ~