Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-07-22
70 FIX IOWA TAX LEVY.
Council Says Total Raised Yearly
Should Approximate the Sum
Fixed by Legislature.
REDUCTION OF TAXES FULLY ONE MILL.
Assessment of Telephones Shows an
Increase In Number-State Trens-
ury Receives Money on War Claims
Money for st. Louis Expositton-
other Notes Of interest.
[spec,al CORRESPONDENTS

Des Moines, Ia, July 14.-The state
executive council has decided In effect
that it has the power to fix state levy
which will produce q sufficient amount
to make the total raised in a given year
approximately the sum fixed by the
legislature in its acts. When the legis-
lature directed the council to raise
81, 100000 next year it was supposed
that the council would be compelledto
fix levy of four mills. But the legis-
lature took into consideration nothing
except the money to be used to satisfy
the appropriations made by itself.
Since the state has been enriched by
the addition of half million, 1t Ia
probable that the council will only FIX
a levy which will raise sufficient money
so that, when added to the half mill
lion war claim Just received, 1t will
approximate $2,3oo,OOO, and will not
raise the 81, 300, 900 by direct tax levy
while the $45o,4Oo from the govern
ment is lying idle in the state treasury.
This means that the levy will be re-
duced fully one mill from what It
would have been had it been necessary
to raise the entire $2,30o,o00 by direct
taxation.
More Telephones.
The executive council has fixed the
assessment of 700 telephone and tele-
graph companies properties for taxa
ton this year, whereas last year there
were but $50 of them to assess. This
shows the growth OF the independent
| telephone business in Iowa. Reports
from the office of the secretary OF
state are to the effect that the increase
continues to make itself manifest in
| the new articles of incorporation filed
fn that office and which authorize new
concerns to begin business. A ten
| dency to consolidation among the
larger telephone lines has begun to
| manifest itself An association has
| been formed which answers the pur-
pose of practical, business associa-
| ton. Under it the state is divided into
districts for toll line operation and
| there are no elements of cut-throat
| competition among the concerns. A
large number of small, local mutua
4 concerns are doing business on The
community plan.
/ No Coal Mine Lockout.
At meeting of the coal operators
| of Iowa and northern Missouri in Des
| Moines a resolution declaring that the
1 operators would be forced to declare
lockout against the miners of thii
state if they should go on strike il
aid of the Pennsylvania hard coal min
ers, and that the lockout would meal
that the miners union would never b.
recognized again in this field, pro
| voked considerable discussion, but wa
not adopted. 1t was offered for thu
reason that the miners of the distric
and the operators have a signed con
tract covering the year ending April
next, and its violation would result /,
lockout on the part of the operators
The miners of the state do not wan
to strike, but may be compelled te
I, it was argued in the conference, and
: was thought best not to antagoniz
their union by passing such a reso "