Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-16
RAILROADS AFTER FARMERS
Bring Statistics Regarding Farm Property
Before the State Board.
SHOW ASSESSMENT At HALF REAL VALUE
object IN TO Demonstrate that Rail-
road Property should he Low
cred or at Least Remain
at Present Figures.
(From a star correspondent.l

arguments in regard to the railroad as
sessments this morning. Representatives
OF the various railroads were present, in
GLIDING Baldwin Of the Burlington, knight
and Tarbut of the Illinois Central, Gram
don and Stevens for the Northwestern,
Carr and Dudley for the Milwaukee, See
vers for the Iowa Central, Woodruff for
the Great Western, Carroll Wright for the
Rock Island and Stursis for the Burling-
ton. The hearings will take several days,
and 1t Is probable that all the railroad
companies will be heard FIRST. Several
others will also speak. A representative Of
the business interests Of the state, and
particularly the shipping interests, will be
heard, and also persons representing coun-
ties. The Board of Supervisors Of Clin-
ton county have sent Mr.. Miller, an attor-
ney, here and the county auditor Of Ham
ilton county has written for q date for him
self and members Of the board.
Judge Stevens Of Boone opened the dis
c~ussion, speaking for the Northwestern
He laid the basis for his argument by pre-
senting reports from many Of the counties
along the line Of the Northwestern, being
facts gathered by county auditors from the
records, which showed the average actual
selling price of the lands which have been
sold the past six months in these counties
" 10 abShS W III ~ HO ~
the enormous increase In value Of farm
lands. He believed the increase on lands
in Iowa had been from 81 to $40 an acre
since last September, and estimated the
actual selling price Of the land in these
counties TO be not less than $40 an acre.
Yet the value as fixed by assessors Is only
$44 an acre. Similar statistics were given
in regard to livestock and other property.
Al for actual value, not selling value, he
commended that It would be nearer 500 an
acre. In thirty years the actual selling
price of lands had risen 400 per cent. but
the assessed value had gone up but 80 per
cent. Hs
Judge Carr OF Des Molnes, speaking for
continue from day to day. The effort Of
the Milwaukee company, presented a series
Of afidavits along the same line.
The hearing was not concluded, but will
the attorneys for the railroad companies is
to prove that land assessments and the val
uation of all other property in the state
is very low as compared with actual value,
and therefore there can be no valid excuse
for increasing the railroad assessments.
Personal Property Assessment.
The returns from all the counties Of
Iowa on personal property assessments for
this year, except the county of. Linn. have
been received by Auditor Merriam and the
results are being tabulatedl The fact that
one county is missing makes the figures
unsatisfactory. but enough can be deter
mined to show that the increase will make
a big differ ence In the taxes OF the state.
For instance. the actual value Of new
buildings is sls,b4s,S40, and taking the tax
able value. or one-fourth, 1t makes the
assessable value of real estate. including
new buildings. s41o,171, o35.' The net gain
in actual value of moneys and credits over
last year was s14, SOC, 376 and the gain in
value of merchandise was 81, 2S3, 4ss. These,
with other items, makes the total gain In
all counties, excluding Linn, $50, 1852.
not including live stock. With the personal
property gain and the gain in buildings the
state has not less than $40, 900, 900 more on
which to raise taxes, or an addition OF $780,
900, 900 to the taxable value Of the state
property. The figures of live stock will
decrease this materially, for the assess
ment of live stock this year has been made
on a basis that will bring about q decrease
Of from Z 1000 900 to $40. 900, 900 actual
value.
Barred from the Mails.
The secretary Of the Iowa State Board
of Health has received from the Postofnce
department notice that the Iowa Health
Bulletin will be barred from sacond-class
matter pending a decision by the supreme
court of the United States covering sr-N
cases. The Bulletin is now entering upon
its sixteenth annual volume. 1t Is pub
lished for free distribution at the expense
OF the state and Is for the Of
health officers and others. No question has
before been raised as to its right to cir
culate as a newspaper. An EFFORT VIII be
made to have the prohibition raised, since
20 oonfinVa a. utauld ha IN shut n anttralv
from the mails. The extra postage would
cost about SOS an issue and the state has
made no appropriation to pay for the
same.
Appeal to the Democrats.
Frank Q. Stuart Of Charlton. who had
charge OF the literary work for the demo-
cratic national committee two years ago
and for the state committee last year, is
making an effort to secure the interest OF
democrats in Iowa for the formation Of a
company to put up 100000 with which to
start a democratic daily paper in pes
Moines. He estimates that II would be
necessary to have the sum named to make
a fair start at a daily paper. He offers to
become editor Of the same and take some
stock In the company. He has appealed to
the democrats OF the state to form a COM
pany and get the paper started before the
fall campaign is on.
Wholesale POISONING.
The story Of a case Of wholesale poison
ing comes from a farm near Jesup, where
twelve members Of the family Of Peter
Smith are lying at the point Of death. with
physicians in constant attendance. II IL
hard to get at the exact cause OF the fam
ily's condition and various reports are
anoat. The one most generally credited
Is that they were poisoned by drinking
from a we'll contaminated by surface water
during the recent floods. Another report
is that the poison was in a keg Of beer
from which the family partook. This Is
given color from the fact that one son who
was not at home when the beer was drank
has not been III. Smith Is one OF the
weaIthiest farmers in this section and IL
well known.