Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-05
ON HAND
Appearance of Railroad Bills
and Lobbyists Simultaneous
in Legislature.
Telephones and Teleeraphs Ap.
parently Pooling Their In.
terests With Roads.
Bill introduced Today Embody'
ing Cummins' Views on the
Taxation Question.
pecial to mes-Republican.

ogniZed faces in the hotel lobbies this
week that some bills are up affecting
railroad and kindred corporate inter-
ests. The remark was common few
days ago that the railroad lobby had
not shown itself. But there is lobby
on hand this week. 1t seems to be a
combination lobby, for 1T is Interested
not only in railroads, but in telegraphs
and telephones. The Blanchard bill to
permit communities to vote a tax In aid
of rural electric lines is meeting with
surprising opposition from the men who
are close to the railroads. There is a
good prospect that the bill will be de-
feated. The bill to make the highways
of the state narrower, which was intro
duced by Mr.. Larrabee, has been killed
in committee. and was SO reported dead
today. The telephone bill introduced by
Sweeley. of Sioux City, which places
telephones in the same category with
the gas and water companies and ena-
bies cities to fix the rates thereon. Is
up against the lobby and is being hard
fought. Delays are now sought and ex-
cuses of one kind or another to bring
about it's defeat. The state association
of telephone companies has commit
tee appointed to look after such matters
and this committee has an agent at
work here. Whether they can defeat
the bill is problem. The most inter-
testing and perhaps the most important
bill vet introduced in the legislature re-
lating4 to railroad assessments was one
by English of Polk county today, which
bill embodies the views of Governor
Cummins. as expressed in his address,
on the subject of requiring railroad
companies to report their earnings in a
way that will enable the executive
council to know how much is credited
to Iowa. and how much to other states.
The bill is substantially as follows:
for the purpose of making reports to
ngs of railway companies owning or
partly within this state and partly
within another state or other states or
territories or territory, upon their line
or lines within this state, shall be as
certained and reported by said railway
companies as IOIlOWS, tO-W1C.
business originating and terminat-
ing within this state shall be separately
reported with the full earnings there
on. Bushes originating in this state
and terminating elsewhere; business
originating elsewhere and terminating
in this state, and business neither orig
mating nor terminating in this state,
but carried or done over the line or
lines in this state, or over some part
thereof. shall be reported separating
the three classes last above mentioned.
with the full earnings thereon in this
state, the earnings in this state being
computed upon the basis of the length
of haul or carriage in this state as COM
pared with the length of haul or car
riage elsewhere; it being hereby de-
clared that for the purpose OF making
reports looking to the assessment of
railway property for taxation the gross
earnings or business done or carried
partly with:r the state and partly in
another state or other state. or territory
or territories. shall be that proportion
of the entire earnings of such business
that the haul or carriage in this state
bears 20 the entire haul or carriage.
The executive council shall have the
power to prescribe such rules and reg
ulations with respect to the keeping of
accounts by the railway companies do
ing business in this state as will insure
the accurate division of earnings as
aforesaid, ard uniformity in repor ting
part of the reports already required.
The executive council shall have the
power TO prescribe method for all
railway companies doing busines in this
state. together with rules and regula-
tions for the ascertainment of the net
earnings of the railway lines in this
state. to the end that all such railway
companies, in ascertaining and making
report of net earnings. shall proceed
upon the same basis and in a uniform
manner. The reports herein provided
for are not in lieu of but in addition to
the reports provided for by law and
they shall be made at the time and as a
part of the reports already required
The rules, regulations. method and
requirements herein provided to be
made by the executive council shall be
made and communicated in writing or
print to the said several railway com
panies within thirty days from and
dlteT tIle passage ana taking effect of
this act, and shall be and become bind
ing upon said railway companies from
the time they are so communicated:
provided. however, that the said eXecu-
tive council shall have the power to
prescribe supplemental or additional
rules, regulations and requirements at
any time, and communicate them to
the several railway companies in the
manner aforesaid, and with respect to
such additional or supplemental rules,
regulations and requirements, they
shall be and become binding upon the
said railway companies within thirty
days after they are 50 communicated" ;"
The house this morning passed a
resolution offered by Clarke approving
the Lacey bill in congress to provide
for settlement of the claims of states
on account of errors in settlement OF
swamp land matters. The resolution
was presented at the suggestion of
the Iowa members of congress, who are
unanimously in favor of the bill. but