Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-04-03

ou1 pay, OUT are TO receive tnelr
actual expenses. There is nothing in
the bill to prevent members of the
legislature from serving on the COM
mission and, inasmuch as no salary is
allowed, they would be allowed to
do so.
Railway Assessments.
The executive council concluded the
assessment of all railway property in
the state last Friday. The computa-
tions are not quite completed, but the
aggregate assessment is increased
about ST 100000. Last year it was $44,-
633,661. This year it will be something
over $46,O00OO0 This increase is
caused chiefly by the 600 miles of new
lines built in Iowa during the past
year. These lines We're assessed at an
average of $4,000 mile. Those not
completed, but where some work has
been done, are assessed at $1,000
mile, and the secretary of the council
is looking for more of these lines
which have not been reported, which
will increase the total assessment.
Principal Appropriations.
The conference appropriations COM
mittees of both houses met Thursday
afternoon and agreed on the principal
appropriations, including $360,O0O for
the new hospital for the insane at
Cherokee; $4,000 for land for various
institutions, $4,000 for transportation
of the Fifty-first Iowa volunteers
from San Francisco to Iowa, $4,000
for the Benedict Home at Des Moines,
and the following items for the edu-
cational institutions, being nearly all
that was asked:
State University : Additional support
fund. annually, $4,000: contingent fund.
$4,000.
Agricultural College-Additional support
fund. annually, $4,000; engineering build
ing, $4,000; presidents house, $4,000; horse
barn, $12,0OO and purchase of stock, 100000
State Normal School--Additional teach
ers' fund, annually. $l6,500; contingent, S5,-
600: repairs, $1,000; library, $1,000; military
instruction, $1,000; librarian and assistant.
$1,000. and new building $1,000 These al
lowances are final
Telegraph and Telephone Tax.
The Cheshire bills for the taxation
of telegraph and telephone companies
have been defeated in the senate and
substitute by Blanchard adopted
by vote of 26 to 81. The substitute
applies the present methods of taxing
telegraph and telephone property,
which is similar to the system of as
sessing railway property. Provision
is made for the distribution of these
taxes among the counties and smaller
assessment districts, according to the
location of the lines. This provision
is made in order to meet the defect
of the present law pointed out by
recent supreme court decision, which
is to the effect that all such property
must be made to bear the burdens of
taxation the same as individuals and
that it cannot be excused from taxa
ton for city, school and county pur-
poses by paying Il state tax. There
fore these companies will in the flu
ture pay their taxes the same as the
railway companies now do.
New Tax Bill.
Senator Healy, after long study, has
devised new bill for the taxation of
insurance companies which has many
strong features to recommend it. All
| stock companies are to be taxed as
other shares of corporation stock are
taxed locally. Mutual companies are
taxed on property of every kind local
| ly. All companies of all kinds are
| permitted to make deductions of debts
from property subject to taxation,
and debts are defined to be all obliga-
lions owing to policy holders. This
of course will leave nothing for local
Tha
shape of an occupation CT license of
one per cent. on the income of all in
surance concerns of every kind what
ever. This, it will be observed, APP
plies not only to Iowa business, but
to all business done by such corpora
tons. This will bring in an amount
largely in excess of what has ever
been realized before from the taxes
on insurance companies in Iowa. The
taxes heretofore levied upon nonresi-
dent mutual companies doing bust
ness in Iowa are to be entirely remit
ted, which under the reciprocity and
retaliatory insurance laws of other
states will relieve Iowa companies of
similar taxes in other states. Non
resident mutuals paid only $3.50 taxes
in Iowa in 1899. while Iowa companies
We're compelled to pay many times
that amount in other states. The net
result, it is believed. will be in favor
of the Iowa companies They will not
have to pay as great an amount in the
aggregate for taxes as they do now,
but the state Will receive great deal
more. Another provision is that all
companies that pay this tax before
the 1st of May are to be assessed lo-
cally under this law. This provision
will exempt these companies from the
local taxes which have been imposed
upon them under the present law.
Length of Session.
The chances are that the legislature
will be in session two weeks longer
and possibly a few days more, al
though the defeat of the Cheshire
bills makes it easier to secure an ear
lier adjournment, since they will not
have to be discussed in the house. The
building and loan discussion is now
on. None of the appropriation bills
committee is not ready to report.
There are many important bills on
the calendars of both houses that
must be acted upon. Some of them
will provoke discussion in one house
OF in both.
F. w. BICKNELL.
&A y n