Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-14

railroad corporations. With what re-
suit? AnSexamination of the valua-
tons Of farm lands completed by
the executive council will show that
these lands We're boosted from an
average Of 1852 to $4l.l2, an
average increase per acre through
out the state of $3.50 Or about IL
per cent above the value of last year.
Now how much were the railroad
properties Of the state increased?
First, they were valued at abouc
$4,000 per mile, Or less than one
third Of their capitalization, upon
which they were securing from 5 to
10 per cent. They were assessed for
taxation on onefourth Of the valua-
ton, $4,000 per mile. Last year they
were increased from $4,000 per
mile to $4,000, and are now taxed
on one-fourth Of this sum, or $5,324
per mile. Valued originally at one
third Of their actual worth they were
taxed on one-fourth of one third
of thire capitalization The ex-
ecutive council of which Gov
ernor Cum1nins is = the chair
man, raised the Valuation $4,000
per mile, which makes them
taxable upon about SO per cent of a
one-third valuation, actually about
IL per cent of the actual value, com
pared with 25 per cent good and
strong, on the farms Of the state.
To understand the favoritism
shown the railroads of Iowa in the
matter of taxation it is only nee
essary to scan the following com
parative tables, taken, each from
the reports of the railroad commits
sioners of the state named. The
table shows the annual amount Of
taxes paid in the aggregate by the
railroads Of Iowa, Nebraska, Min
nesota and Illinois, in each:
Taxes Tax pal
State. Mileage. paid. mile,
Iowa. ...,.., 9769 8 1908, 75l, 90 Sl64.6,
Nebraska. .5586 l,1l16OS.O0 1890
Minnesota. .7iA5 l659,O7lSO 1856 6s
Illinois. -. lO925 4,725,S52S7 4ss.5;
1t will be observed that Minnesota
with 2,6l4 miles of line less thar
Iowa, pays $4,000 more taxes than
the roads Of this state, while Neb
raska, one of the worst corporation
ridden states Of the West, with 4, 49,
miles less than Iowa, pays within
100000 as much as do the roads
in the latter. In Illinois the commits.
sion taxes all single and double track
Of main lines, all switch tracks ant
tracks built 10 warehouse, factories
etc. Excluding these latter, Illinois
has only lO,925 miles Of line. Ii
Iowa, all sidings, double track
switch yards tracks and tracks t
factoriesare exempted, the estimated:
mileage being predicted wholly up
on main lines. But il, the mileage Q
Iowa is doubled, making 1853
miles, and it We're assessed on tn
existing basis, the railroads of tn
state would still pay $l,5O5, S4S.5:
less on 1880 miles of road thar
does Illinois on II ,35l miles Of road
AS stated above the roads in thi
state escape taxes on everything ex
|cept main lines, and apparently III
account was taken of the new mile
age constructed in l902-3, amount
ling to 452 miles, nor Of the doubl
tracks put in by the Burlington ant
North Western. The latter has bull
aIsecond track from Boone to Coun
Gil Bluffs, while the former has bull
from Murray to Red Oak, seventy
eight miles.
AS stated before, the assessment &
the railroads of Iowa is left who'll
to the judgment or discretion Q
the executive council, Of which Gov
ernor Cummins has been the chair
man for two years. He and the audit
or, treasurer and secretary of stat
are the final arbiters Of the amour
Of taxes the railroads of the stat
shall contribute to the maintenance
Of government. It was gleefully pre-
claimed in the early part Of his ad
ministration that railroad valuation
would receive a boost that woul'
wipe out all existing inequalities
but it has proven to be mountain
laboring and bring forth a mouse
However, when it came to assessing
farm values, the governor took quicj
advantage of a passing pretext offer
ed by a momentary initiation of Ian,
values, which now. that. the Graz,
has subsidized, have. fallen off 10 to L
per cent, to increase the valuation
Of farms. If anything were wantin,
to prove the ownership of the lead
ers Of the republican party in low
by the corporation, the recent rail
road assessment offers ample evi
dence. Their recreancy to the agricul
tural interests is equally betrayed
by the same act.
| Whipped Governor into Line.