Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-27
Property to the Value Of $500 Not
Taxable.
MUST MAKE CLAIM WHEN ASSESSED,
Should Also Go Before Board of Equal.
ization and Advance Proof OF the
Justness of Claim-Collector
kemble's Mistake.

How much taxes do you pay??" ask
ed one old soldier of another on Main
street the other day while the report
er was standing near. ''Why, j have
been paying about $32 until this year
when the valuation was raised and I
will pay this year about $4O," remark
ed the second veteran. did you know
that $500 worth of property was ex-
empt to you?" said the first old SOL
der. 'Well,N yes, l knew it but I new
er asked for the exemption. l don't
know but what | will this year, tho
answered the other. This gave the
reporter an idea. 1t perhaps was not
news to a majority but it was to him
and he went straightway to a lawyers
office. The legal gentleman produced
the code and handed it to the report
er with the following passage mark
ed:
"The homestead, not to exceed $500
in actual value, of the widow of any
Union soldier or sailor who died dur
ing the late war while in the service
or who has died since; also the home
stead not to exceed $500 in actual val
ne, of any %honorably discharged Union
soldier or sailor, unable to perform
manual labor and dependent thereon
for the support of himself and fami-
ly; but the value of any other real es-
tate owned by himself and family shall
be deducted from such exemption. In
case of the living soldier or sailor the
assessor shall note the fact of the
claim to exemption or the assessment
roll, and the same shall be subjec1 to
reversal by the board of review"
Nov the soldier must follow this
up" remarked the lawyer, land go
before the board of equalization after
the assessor has turned in his books,
otherwise they might disallow the
claim for exemption as they would
have a right to do in the absence of
proof that the claim was Just. There
are hundreds of old soldiers in this
city dependent upon their own efforts
to make a living who are entitled to
the exemption but for some reason or
other they do NOT take advantage of
it in very many cases. This year,
however, the claim for exemption can
not be made because real estate was
assessed last year and if the claim was
not made then it cannot be made until
next year when another assessment of
realty will be made. Speaking of taxes
it just entered my mind, did you see
what a fix Revenue Collector kemble,
of Burlington, is in?" The reporter
said he had and herewith appends the
article relative thereto:
A Costly Mistake.
Thru a bill presented to congress by
Secretary of the Treasury Gage, a
costly experience has just come TO
light by which Collector j. M. Kemble,
of this district, was a loser to the
amount of $4,000. The bill in congress
is to reimburse Mr.. Kemble for the
amount which he was compelled to
pay thru an error.
Shortly after the appointment of the
collector the war revenue act of June
10, 1895. went into effect. On June 80
Nh. Kemble received a consignment
which purported to contain 100000 g
cent revenue stamps. He receipted
for the package without asking any
questions, when it was afterwards dis
covered that the shipment was 100000
stamps short. The department was
notified of the mistake, but the United
States government is not in the habit
of accepting explanations and a per-
emptory demand was made on Collec-
tor Kemble for the payment of So, 900,
the amount of the 100, 900 revenue
stamps, which had not been received.
There was no other course but to
cheerfully pay the money, and this
the collector did, Immediately filing a
claim for the $4,000, placing it in the
hands of Senators Allison and Gear.
The result of their labors is noted in
the following Washington dispatch:
Secretary Gage has transmitted to
congress for its consideration the claim
of j. M. Kemble, collector of the
southern Iowa district, for 1000. 1t
seems that on June 80, 1898, a package
containing 100000 2-cent revenue
stamps was shipped to MI. Kemble at
Burlington. This amount Mr.. KEN.
BILE had to pay. The commissioner
strongly recommends that congress re-
imburse him, believing that the mis-
take was caused either in Washington
or at Burlington by reason of the ire
mendous rush for stamps for a short
time after the passage of the wal rev.
enue law June 13, 1885,"
Paid a Dollar Draft.-The other day