The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-08-06


the principal systems:
Burlington s3,74I,536 s34l4,2s3
Great Western. ............" l,l06932 999,8l0
Milwaukee ................. 3,49l 300 2se7,6ao
northwestern ........ 5,O79,64O 4129,32O
Rock Island ........... 3,737,9lo 3578,850
The total of the railroad assessment is
now practically the same as the gross
earnings of the roads. The gross earn
ing of the lines for Iowa in 1903 was in
round numbers fifty-six and half
millions.
AS the statement given out by the
council shows, the only equalization
which the board attempted was on farm
lands. A genuine effort to equalize
was made here, with the result that
while the aggregate assessment in the
state on farm lands was increased but
little more than two millions the values
were made more equitable as between
the counties. The value per acre of
farm lands in all but seven counties
was changed. Palo Alto was showed
up IA per cent and Delaware 13, while
Winnebago was lowered II per cent.
These, however, are extreme eases.
In the assessment of the railroads,
members of the council said they had
not followed any fixed path. They
simply endeavored to take into consider
alton as many facts rs they could
muster. In the equalization of the
returns ON farm property from the vari-
Gus counties, the board at first made an
equalization by taking as the standard
some of the counties known to be assess
cd high. An equalization having been
obtained on this basis, the board pro-
cecded to adjust the values, taking
more moderate valuations as the basis.
Some consideration was given to the
transfer reports from the counties.
Probably the most interesting part of
the process Of equalizing the returns
on farms lands from the counties was
the division of the state into three
great belts and equalization by belts
in addition to the equalization as
between neighboring counties. IN a
general way, the councils data led it to
4 believe the northern three tiers OF
counties in the state were assessed 4
per cent lower than the southern three
than the central three tiers. Taking
this view, the council modified the
valuations in the northern and central
belts accordingly. This explains why
it is that scarcely any counties escaped
change.
The seven counties in which there
We're no changes made were Jefferson
Lee, Louisa, Lucas, Marion, Monroe
and Poweshiek. 1t will be noticed
nearly all of these are in the southern
belt.
The council lowered the reported
valuation of farm lands in Decatur
county per cent. No attempt wat
made to equalize personal property re
turns. The valuation of Ringgold
county farms is lowered 10 per cent
Wayne county is lowered 10 per cent
and Clarke county raised per cent
The total taxable value of personal
property in the state is S112,044,014, but
little increase over 1902.
| ASSESSMENTS ON OTHER PROPERTY.
Besides the assessment of the rail.
roads and the equalization, the council
had on hand the assessment Of the tele.
phones, telegraphs and express prop.
erty, sleeping cars, equipment companies
and interurbans. The following shows
the actual values placed on these prop.
critics by the council:
Telephones aud telegraphs .. ......"$ 1881, ,30l
Express :. ........ .................. 1883 8Be
Sleeping ars.............. ............ $4,000
Equipment s.................... j.. -. lss,l74
| lnterurbans .............. ..........m 1882
Total ............. $l1, ,226, ,l21
One fourth Of t':is, OF S2,SO6,530, is
the net taxable value fixed on these
different properties by the council
The increase in the net assessment on
telephone and telegraph properties is
S32S,971.
The council assessed the Western
Union Telegraph and the Postal Teie-
graph properties at $4,000 a mile, the
same as last year.
Iowa Has a Toy Pistol Law.