Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-16
Discussion of Railroad Proper
ty Valuation Dealt Mostly
With Specific Features
CONTINUED FROM LAST YEAR
The Subject Has Been Completely Pre-
sented in the Legislature, Before =
This Years Work is Believed to
Have Laid Foundation for Valuable
Precedent-orphans' Home Support.
Special to Times Republican.

Us -hoiiieS, July fo-Ine nearing OF
the state executive council on the valu-
alton of the railroad property in the
state has not been as interesting this
year as 1t was last year, and the dis
cussions. which practically closed to-
day, related much less to th., general
principles OF assessment than to spec
iflc features of the assessment to which
the companies desired that the atten-
ton Of the council should be drawn.
Last year, 1t will be recalled, the coun-
Gil sent out specific request that the
railroad companies send men prepared
10 discuss certain general questions,
and upon this they opened up the whole
question of the proper method of arriy
ing at railroad values, and making the
assessments. Some of the ablest men
IN the country appeared before the
council and discussed the questions.
For instance, the Northwestern sent it's
general counsel here to discuss the
question. and many other roads had
their ablest men before the council. The
discussion had followed a complete pre-
sentauon of the subject in the legisla-
ture and before committees of the leg
isiatare. When the council had fin
ished the session last year it was felt
that the whole ground had been COW
cred and that there was nothing more
to be said. In a way it was a great
educational event for the state officers
and for the railroad men themselves
10 raj
said today. it appeared that following
the discussion in the legislature and
the discussion before the executive
council last year, which was on the
request OF Governor Cummins, all dis
cussion OF the matter had ceased, and
this largely because everybody agreed
thee was nothing more to be said
Only one aaereion was lett open--that
relating to the relative assessment OF
farm land and railroad property. This
year that point has been fully covered
in the Investigations of the executive
council and the discussion by the rep
resentatives of the farmers. This last
discussion before the council, If it has
done nothing else, has been quite as
much OF matter of education as any
thing that has occurred in this connec-
tion for many years, and in the esti-
nation of state officers has LAID the
foundation for precedent in the mat
ter of real equalization work by the
state board that will prove of immense
value in the future.
A question about which there seems
to be some controversy, and which
was not fully settled, is whether or not
the land assessments have been put
too high, and whether the reports show
that assessments of real estate have
been in fact increased in proportion to
the normal increase in land values.
Last year when the railroad people
presented figures showing land sales
and assessments, they made the con-
tention that land sales were generally
of the poorer farm lands, or at least
not the best land, and that the owners
Of the best farms and those having
most valuable improvements were not
selling out. This year when the repre-
sentitives Of the farmers appeared and
We're confronted with a table showing
that the total of assessments was only
so per cent of the actual sale values
on all land sold last year. they made
the highest priced land was being sold.
But when the railroad men got their
inning they Immediately argued the
other way again. A. S. Dudley, tax
commissioner for the Milwaukee, for
instance, took the table of figures on
land assessments and argued that IN
stead of the assessments being so per
cent, they We're more nearly 10 per cent,
because, as he claimed, the best lands
were not changing hands, and 1t Is
notorious that cheap lands are assessed
more nearly at actual value than high
priced land. And, making the conten-
ton that Iowa farm land Is this year
valued at only rs per cent of its actual
selling price, and assessed for taxation
at one fourth of this, 1t is evident that
farm lands are this year being taxed
on basis of only about Is per cent of
their real value, which is just what they
were shown to be taxed last year.
Hence the argument was made that IN
proportion to their value Iowa farm
lands are no nearer to being taxed as
the law provides than they We're Inc
point is regarded as most important
one, in fact the most important before
the council, for If farm lands are not
assessed any nearer their actual value
than they We're last year there can be
no excuse for an increase In the assess
ment on railroad property. 1t remains
for the state officials to decide whose
arguments are most nearly conclusive
on this point.
A point not to be overlooked is
raised in the biennial report or Su-
perintendent M. T. Gass, OF the state
Orphans home at Davenport He calls
attention to the fact that for at least
three years the home has been run a
a loss and but for the fact that pre-
vious to that time there had been ac
cumulated a small surplus many biils
would have gone unpaid The per cap
ita support remains at $40 while the
cost of labor and materials has IN
creased 20 or 40 percent, and prices
are still going up. There is no surplus
now and 1t is imperative that the in
stitution receive more for support
There 10 very small income aside from