Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-12
WILL Be A 4.N|LL LEVY
If General Assessment Reaches
$575, ,OO0,O a 4.Mill Levy
Will Be Necessary.
Legislature Ordered $2,30O.OO0
to Be Raised-.Land Values
Will Help.
State Ought to Garry a Sinking
Fund to Offset Lack Of
Insurance.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, May 12.-The statement
has been made a number of times in
the state papers that If Iowa secures a
refund of war claims from the general
government it will operate to reduce
the state tax levy and will thus be
cutie relief to the taxpayers. This is
rot true. The tax levy is made with
out any regard to the amount of money
in the treasry or likely to be there. Just
before the legislature adjourned and
after it had been figured out about how
much money would be needed for the
use of the state the current biennial Pc
riod the tax levy bill was passed which
provides:
"The executive council shall in the
year 1902 fix the rate per centum to be
levied upon the valution Of the taxable
property of the state necessary to yield
for general state purposes approXl-
mately the sum of s2,300,000. and in the
year 1908 shall fix the rate necessary to
yield approximately the sum of $2.O00,-
0OO."
This is the sole and only guide the
state executive council will have In flx-
ing the state tax levy for this year and
next. The exact amount of the levy
can not be ascertained until the reports
are in from the various counties and
the state auditor knows exactly the
sum total of the state assessment on all
kinds of property. When this Is ascer-
tanned the council has nothing before
IL but simple mathematical problem.
Last year the assessors reports, togeth-
sr with the councils assessment on
railroads, telegraphs, ETC., showed an
aggregate of S55S,462,61S on which to
make a rate to secure the s1.sOO,000
called for exclusive of fees and licenses.
The council figured it on a basis OF
$3.50, 100000, and got the neces sary
amount of money and a few dollars
more. 1t is estimated now that the as
sessment this year will total about
S575, 100000 The real estate assessment
remains as last year, but the personal
property assessment will show a mate
rial gain # the railroad assessment Is
boosted very much, as may be expected,
the figures may go still higher. II the
assessment is s575.Oo0,OO0 4-mill levy
will bring exactly what the legislature
has demanded shall be raised by direct
taxation for the general funds of the
state. Next year, when the assessment
is likely to go to $60O,000,000 by reason
Of having taken into account for the
first time the enormous rise In land val-
Les, the tax rate to raise the sum re-
CURED may fall below 3.5 mills on the
dollar.
While the war claims refund can not
be used to make up the sums mentioned
in the legislative enactment in regard
to the tax rate, the sum, If any is real
lied. will go into the general fund Of
the state and will be used to prevent
any possible deficiency at the end Of
the legislative period 1t is generally
believed that there will be deficiency,
not very large, but if any part Of the
war claims are secured this will be OBJ
waited and the next legislature will find
the finances of the state in good shape
for action If the state should secure
nearly a half million from congress on
the war claims and secure it at the
present session of congress there would
undoubtedly be strong pressure brought
or Governor Cummins to induce him to
call special session of the legislature
TO appropriate a large part of the
money for the immediate use of the
state. 1t could be used to rebuild the
deaf and dumb school at Council Bluffs
and to commence work on the long
delayed state armory or to provide for
additional work on the state historical
building The expense of an extra ses-
sion of the legislature for this purpose
would not be great. However the
money has not yet been secured from
congress.
The state has never been ready for
just such emergencies as the one
which has come by reason of the burn
ing of the deaf school main building.
The suggestion of John Cownie, of
the board of control, is that the state
should have sinking fund into which
would be paid annually what insurance
would cost on the boudings of the
state and from this fund rebuilding
in case of fire could be commenced.
1t would be a species Of state insur-
ance of it's own property. The idea
is neither new nor novel, but has some
thing Of merit in it. There are large
property owners in Des Moines who
pursue that very policy with regard to
their own property rather than to keep
paying out to insurance companies
large sums, and they report 1t to be
entirely satisfactory. The best that
can be done for the deaf school at
Council Bluffs is to provide temporary
quarters for the children and perhaps
curtail the attendance the next two
years. However, the school has never
been made use of to it's fullest ca
pacity In view of the fact that all
the best buildings remain uninJured
at Council Bluffs there will be no talk
anywhere of removing the school to
another point. The pupils who can
not afford to pay their fare to and
from the school can always secure
transportation from the officers of the
institution, hence there is very little
objection to the school being located at
one side of the state.
A question has arisen as to member
ship in any special session of the legis-
lature that might be called on account
of the deaf school fire or war claims.
Senator Trewin represents the ALA
makee- -Fayette district in the senate.
But Governor Cummins has appointed
.