Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-18
RAILROADS NOT HAPPY
Hearing Before Executive Coun.
Gil Unsatisfactory to Rail.
way Representatives.
Executive Council Proves as Fa.
miliar With Railroad Accounts
as Themselves.
Director saee's Optimistic View
OF Iowa Crops...Too Many
Railroads.
cial to Times-Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
the state executive council on the rail-
road assessment question has not peen
all that the representatives of the rail-
roads could have desired.
Il am going home without making a
speech to the members of the council
said an attorney for one of the COM
ipanies with tracks crossing the state.
Il am going to write to the general So
lictor and tell him we have made a
mistake in sending here to Des Moines
u whole flock of attorneys and tax COM
missioners to talk to the council on the
question oftaXation. We have overdone
the thing. am an attorney and some
what familiar with the taxation ques-
ton as we have it here in Iowa, but the
problem of assessments and taxation is
not a legal question, but one for Spe
ci;,lists in that line. Good lawyers and
men whom admire have talked before
the council ON the taxation question
one thing to what the members of the
council already know. My idea is that
the railroads should have got some one
man who thoroughly understands this
thing, given him authority to get all
possible information on the subject of
taxation and assessments and permit
ted him to make his statement and his
argument-and the rest of us should
have been kept at home. This is a
plain way of looking at it and that is
What shall write to our head men,"
And this q view of it that obtains
among others who have followed it
closely. The members of the executive
council are pretty well Informed on
taxation matters and they have had
clerks and associates at work for many
months preparing statistics for COM
parison. They are about as familiar
with railroad accounts as the account
ants and tax commissioners, and q good
deal more so than the attorneys who
talk on the subject if one or two excep-
tiens are made. But the members of
the council nave courted to the fullest
the expression of views from the rep
resentatives of the companies. The dis
cussion has been Very interesting, in
good temper and of mutual benefit to
the members of the council and the
representatives of the railroads.
John r. Sage. the head of the crop
and weather bureau. has suffered some
criticism on account of his persistent
optimism in regard to Iowa crops. Des-
pite all the gloomy predictions of the
street corner weather prophets and the
bucket shop crop estimators Mr.. Sage
has insisted all long that a good crop of
most of the things which come from
Iowa farms is yet possible. For this he
has received some criticism. But it
will be recalled that last year when
conditions We're the opposite Mr.. Sage
was optimistic all the time. When
many persons We're saying that Iowa
was dried up and burned up and all
gone to smash Mr.. Sage was telling
people to wait and see. His view was
the better one and Iowa had good
crop despite the drouth and hot wealth
CT. IF had not been familiar With the
season of 1894" said Mr.. Sage in speak
ing of this, II would have got scared
last year But we have had drouths be-
for i'm Iowa and know what Iowa can
10 in the way of recuperating. Now as
for my estimates and reports on the
erop OF this year, l say frankly that
what l send out is not my view alone
out [ collect and tabulate the views of
some 500 other persons and my reports
Ire their reports. | take it that they |
KNOW more about the crop situation in
owa than do or than any one man. l
I'M willing to take their judgment. |
When say that we have not yet lost
he chance for Il pretty good crop in !
owa mean that these 500 crop re-
PORTS so report and they get their infor-
nation first hand