Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-02-28
TAXATION OF RAILROADS.
Much Discussed Question Now Be.
fore Iowa Legislature in the
Shape of Specific Bills.
HOUSE NAY OPPOSE CHANGES IN Law.
biennial Elections, More Power to
Hoard OF Control, Election Ex-
penses. Factory Inspection, Pay
ment of War Claims md Other
Measures Before Legislature.
Especial Correspondence


Measures Before Legislature.
1 Especial Correspondence
Des Moines, Ia, Feb 24.-The much.
discussed railroad taxation question
is now before the legislature in the
shape of specific bills for changes in
the method of assessment for taxa
ton. A subcommittee of the senate
committee on ways and means, COM
| posed of four men, Senators Junkin,
Lewis, Healy and Porter, agreed upon
taxation measure which it has
been freely predicted would easily
pass through the senate, if not
through the house. The COM
mittee reported that it believed
that the prevalent belief among the
| people that the railroads do not bear
their just share of taxes is well found
ed. 1t recommended that the execu-
tive council be required to assess the
railroads with especial reference to
the value of their stocks and bonds
on the exchange markets of the cities.
1T has been predicted that practically
no opposition would be offered to this
measure in the senate, in which it will
come to consideration. A different be-
lief exists as to the house of repre-
| sentatives. The defeat in that body
by a narrow margin of the house bill
to prohibit officials from taking free
transportation on the railroads has
led many to believe that that house
will oppose any change in the railroad
assessment laws, differing with the
senate subcommittee in the belief that
railroads pay their share of the taxes
of the state under the present arrange
| ment
Many Railway Measures.
number of other important meas
ures have been introduced and consid-
cred by the assembly. Among these
is bill authorized by Gov. Cummins
requiring the railroads to report more
definitely and specifically the gross
and net earnings upon the business
done by them wholly within Iowa, in
carrying freight across the state, in
business originating in Iowa and
on business originating outside and
shipped in. This bill has passed the
house of representatives. A measure
has been reported by the subcommit-
tee OF the senate providing for the en-
ployment OF an expert to investigate
the value of railroads during the past
five years, and report the same to
the governor. A bill has been pro-
posed to change the time of assessing
railroads from March Is to August /,
and there is no opposition to this meas
ure. The Hughes anti-pass bill was
laid on the table In the house by a
vote OF 81 to As, but it is said that
similar bill may come to the surface
in the senate. Representative Car
ter has introduced bill providing for
reduction of passenger fares to two
cents mile. A bill to compel railroads
to pay the wages of their employees
semi-monthly instead of monthly is
pending.
biennial Elections.
Much to the surprise of the friends
OF biennial elections, when the amend
ment resolution came up before the
senate last week it met with some
decided opposition with respect to
its form, and was sent to the commit
tee on judiciary, which was instruct
ed to report a resolution to take the
place OF the one prepared by former
Senator Titus and introduced by SEN
ator Harper. Senator Harper said
that all but four or five members of
the senate were in favor of the bien-
NAL elections amendment, and he
fully expects it to carry when it is
brought ont from the committee on
judiciary. When the amendment
was submitted to the people a year
ago it carried, hut its passage by the
legislature was found to have been
defective. The members of this SEES
sion are more eager for it to be alb
solutely correct and properly submit
ted than they are for the measure
itself.
OF Wide Interest,
An important measure which is of
statewide interest is that to place
under the superintendency of the
board of control all of the charitable
homes, childrens' homes and chart
table institutions of that character.
This affects almost every community
in Iowa, because it gave the board
supervision of the many purely local
institutions of this character. 1t is
designed, however, for the purpose
of making it absolutely certain that
no abuses exist in these homes for
the unfortunate. The last legisla-
ture placed under the control of the
board all of the county institutions
for unfortunates, and this step is
merely following the logical sequence
of events. There seems to be little
doubt of its passage by the legisla-
ture because the utmost confidence
in the state board prevails. In the
case of the county institutions the
board OF control has the power to
prescribe rules for their manage
ment, and these are observed by the
county authorities.
Election Expenses.
Considerable favor has met the
measure introduced in the house to
compel candidates for office to file
statements of their expenses, both
in securing nOmino tionc md ~, a1,o /