Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-21
FROM ALL OVER IOWA
The DOings of Your Friends in Iowa Towns
Your Old Home.

kota, SI2.1I per mile, NeDrasRa, Slso'o'
per mile; Missouri, S174.90 per mile. =
state almost bordering on Iowa is Kan.
sas, which collected S255.05 per mile
| These states are unfairly burdenint
railroad property or in Iowa 1t is es-
Gaping its just share of taxation.
The average railroad tax collection
per mile in the country is s254.1S, OF
practically 40 per cent more than lowe
collects. Yet the average mile of rail-
road in Iowa has a greater income
producing power than the average mile
of railroad in the country. Iowa is a
state which sells nearly everything
raised and which buys nearly every
thing consumed, making the traffic
large both ways. Transportation is all
| in the hands of the railroads. not being
divided with water routes, as in many
| other states. Hence 1t is that Iowa. in
proportion to population, on incoming
and outgoing business. pays the rail-
roads more for freight than any state
| in the union. In the recent hearing at
Chicago James j. Hill said that, as q
freight producer Iowa was equal to five
Ordinary states.
ASSESSORS AS TAX FERRETS.
[Sioux City Tribune.l
Turnout the discussion of the subject
|of tax ferrets the prominent feature is
the commission paid the ferrets on the
amount of taxes they cause to be COLI
'lected. 1t is rather strongly suggested
that the Observation-Disclosures the
financial rewards the whole thing, or
"a n NJ IN ha {N-if Of hot
kind of tax gathering. Ferrets won't
work without the commission. but give
them the percentage demanded and re-
suits are fairly satisfactory from the
standpoint of revenue. The personality
or character of the ferrets themselves
has not in Itself an influence because
they are no better than the average of
men. and do not necessarily bring to
their task more than persistent work,
backed by a fair amount of intelligence.
This is one of the commonest things to
be noted on all sides when there is A.
nancial reward in prospect and no man,
be he saint or several degrees a sim
ner, is debarred by any code of morals
from participating in the race for gain.
Hence, if individual character and
public confidence can be promoted in
this field of tax gathering by the adap-
tation of the ferret commission idea to
regular, Well known and duly elected
public officers it ought to make for
distinct gain. Why not give the various
assessors the commission and do away
with the tax ferrets? Suppose tax
dodger should offer more than the COM
mission to be allowed to continue dodg-
Ing his taxes, which would be the more
likely TO listen to him, the roaming tax
ferret or the assessor amenable to the
community which has honored him? Is
I not true that the assessor who is
bought outright is a rarity? The assess
n may, indeed. be cajoled and "jollied"
md deceived, and may occasionally be |
overcome by that kindly feeling of
tharity and good fellowship which fur
aishes cotton for the ears and mist for
ne eyes as the cheerful liar swears to |
lis tax list. But the Tribune does not |
mink there are dozen downright dis |
honest assessors in Iowa. Who can saw
rs much for the tax ferrets? How many
If them have sold out the neople for a
little more than the commission they
would get from the people for being
honest? Heaven only knows They are
strangers in strange community. They
ONE and go and feel no responsibility
% the community aside from what they /
AN make out of 1t. They can make a |
'reat deal one way or another, and as
ong as II is possible that the commits
ZION basis permits greater profit in a I
siven instance than from integrity. 1t |
would seem duty to insure the great
st honesty possible in the men con-
'erned. Could not this object be better |
'erVed by giving the commission TO the
assessors and allowing the tax ferrets
o depart in peace? The Tribune thinks |
10.