Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-20

smaller roads as shown below;
zIzs Il
!
Burlington, Cedar Rapids
Northern ......3..s...... So 72 80
Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy 30 g 9oi
Chicago Great Western. IS T2 9oi
Illinois Central 49,. ....l.. 10 73 go
Chicago. Mil. & ST. P..5.. so q 9Of
Chicago, Rock /. & P....10s 72 80
Abba s. CeEterville .....1 66 72 go
Marshalltown & Oak. .3l5 20 9f
Chicago. Iowa q Oak. 1888 - 80
Crooked Creek R'y.. aass3 % 30
Des Moines s. Kan. City.135 72 9Oj
Muscatine &; S.. ..S.i...s..2 l1 - 9ol
Omaha & ST. Louis. 722 90l
Wabash .S.........193 SOL
Winona G. Western -. 100 - SOL
THE primary principle in taxation is
equality. This should be paramount.
Each citizen should bear his share. mol
more and no less. The government can
not be generous to some and hard on
others and be just. To favor some and
not all is tyranny. But here we have
gross favoritisn.
THE average state rate of assess
ment on railroads is 80 per cent The
great G. & n. w. system was favored
with the lowest rate In every single
instance the great trunk line that runs
thru Cedar Rapids and Denison is fa-
iivored. Favored in defiance of the fact
THAT it is probably the richest railroad
property In Iowa. Favored by is points
below the average rate for the state:
\ by 2A3S points below the Marshalltowns&
Dakota railway! Favored over every
road mentioned. These favors mean
moncy--.for the past five years on the
saverage rate of railroad taxes they.
4 have melted the managers about $42, 900
'lsper annun.
A prominent citizen OF Council
Bluffs has written me asking why the
i Northwestern, which nearly doubled
Its trackage in Iowa" the past year,
Twas not assessed higher by the council.
j i can not answer. Perhaps Secretary
A of State Dobsons can enlighten him.
4. Referring To a table of figures, Herri-
4 Oft says
A .lfSthese figures indicate any general
iIplan. of railroad assessment it IL sys-
Slstematic favoritism for the Northwest
fern system by the executive council
II And here raiterate my charge that this
Z faNoriilsm was d berately conteniplat-
led and openly done by the governor,
4 auGitor ard secretary of state on March
%. 1900. Every year on every count the
C. &. n. M.gets the best of its compete
:, tors. 1t is for five years assessed at 81
s. per cent of its gross earnings. While the
!. Illinois Central is taxed on 113 per cent
! and other roads at the average rate Of
= III 90 per cent. Equality and justice
paramount indeed. The c. g. n. w.
eIpaying 2.0T per- cent of its gross earn
: ings and the Illinois Central 3.6 per cent
Z and other roads at an average OF s33 pei
-lcent. Such incongruities l suppose are
I iallowed under the general plan pursued
4 by my colleagues. Thee 81 n. w. pait
e3only ga per cent of its net earnings
4 whereas the C. g. w. paid 21.5 per cen
| fo. the five years. i showed in my state
Y iinent that this favoritism amounted L
/ ian annual average Of $4,000 to TIL,
L stockholders of the Northwestern.
|. this is Justice and equality then tn,
II quicker this species is abolished utterl.
e the better.
o II charged that they had followed NJ
2 plan for years that fthffe was no sens
: or system in railroad assessments.
o In another portion Of his article Her
y riott says:
Z 1T is Interesting to recall here the as
e sessments OF farm property In 1898 an
a 1899. The governor and secretary o
Il state no doubt will recall how the
ell sought to increase the value of liv
e stock alone slOOOO,o0O in 1898. Hon. {
e G. Mccarthy will recall. with variet
e of emotions. how the auditor and treas
d urer of state We're voted. at that tim,
1t The governor will recall his appeal I
is the treasurer to telegraph the audito
a TO come back from the north to recon
d sidcr' that Increase; and how he aban
ID donod 1t and his interviews In the pres
ii later anent the same.
The governor will no doubt reca
h vividly his strenuous effort in Jul.
" 1899. 10 increase the assessed value Z
,e real estate some $77, 100000
- ut will be interesting to the public I
IS know that II the governor and sscretar
lie of state had accomplished their purpos
l. in 1898 and 1899 the taxes an the NORTH