The Oskaloosa herald., 1903-08-06
STATE LEVY REDUCED
Taxes Will be Lower Owing to In
creased Assessments.

CTSeJ5e OF over @0,UUUyUVO III tue TAIL
way assessment and an increass II
the taxable value Of all property in
the state of more than S65,000 600,
the executive council has completed
its work on assessments. The stase
levy was fixed at mills, or one-half
mill less than it was made year
ago. The council equalized the val
ues on farm lands as returned by the
counties, raising some of the coun-
ties and lowering others, and placing
the adjusted actual value of all farm
lands in Iowa at $1,457, 54S,730, or but
$2,024,7O3 higher than the actual
value of the same property as re-
ported by the auditors.
The following summary of the as
sessment results was given out by
Governor Cummins at the desire of
the executive council:
The aggregate actual value of all
the real property of the state as re-
ported by the assessors, less exeraa-
tions, is $1,S64,364,561.
The council made no attemp. to
equalize or change the reported value
Of town lots, but did equalize, rs be-
tween counties, fam lands. -
1t accepted substantially the report
of the assessors as being the best
evidence of the actual value Of the
real property in the state.
The equalized value is fixed by the
council at $1,S66, 3S9,264.
The actual value of the personal
property of the state, as reported by
the assessors, is $44S,S65,674. This
amount was not changed.
After all deductions are made by
way of exemptions, the assessed
value of both real and personal prop
erty, not assessed by the executive
council, is $57S,641,624.
The actual value of the railway
property of the state as fixed by the
council is $226,149,18S.
The assessed value, as fixed by the
council, is $56,537297.
The aggregate actual value Of the
telegraph, telephone, express, sleep
ing car equipment, and interurban
railway property, as fixed by the
council is $1t,226,122. The assessed
value, $2,806,53O.
The total assessed value Of the tax
able property in the state is $685.
985,969.
AS compared with last year, the
actual value of the railroad property
is increased $2O,917,3S8. The as
sessed value is increased ,229,347.
This includes the increased mileage.
The present assessment Of farm
lands and town lots is Is per cent
above the assessment Of 1901.
The present assessment Of farm
lands alone is 17.2 per cent above the
assessment Of 1901.
The present assessment of railroad
property is 20 per cent above the as
sessment of 1901, and 10.1 per cent
above the assessment of 1902.
In making the above comparisons
the improvements added to real prop
erty, and the extensions of railroads,
are included.
No comparison between the assess
ment of real property in 1902 and 1903
was made because real property was
not assessed in 1902, except to add
new buildings.
The principal increases in the rail-
road assessment fell on the Milwau-
kee and the Northwestern systems.
Together, these systems will have to
bear nearly a half of the increase.
The increase on the Milwaukee was
$1,2S3,S64. That on the Northwest
ern was $1,100,602.
The Rock Island shows an increase
from $12,290,917 in 1902 to $12,897,
759 this year, but this is explained
by the purchase of the B., G. R. C N
from the Burlington. AS a conse
quence the Burlington shows a reduc
ton in value.
The Iowa Central is increased from
$1,713,S55 to $1,900,092.
The total of the railroad assess
ment is now practically the same as
the gross earnings OF the roads. The
gross earnings of the lines for Iowa
in 1903 was In round numbers fifty
six and a half millions.
Farm Land Assessments.
AS the statement given out by the
council shows, the only equalization
which the board attempted was OF
farm lands. A genuine effort tt
equalize was made here, with the re
suit that while the aggregate assess
ment in the state on farm lands wal
increased but little more than two
millions the values were made mor'
equitable as between the. counties
The value per acre Of farm lands il
all but seven counties was changed