Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-26
MUST ASSESS LEGALLY
State Executive Council to Send
Out a Second Circular to
Local Authorities
EVASION BY COUNTY AUDITORS
Some Have Assumed to Override the
Will of the Legislature and Levy
Assessments on Basis Below the
Actual Cash Value of the Real Es-
tate in Question.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Feb. 26.-A second circu-
lar to the local assessing authorities
and bonds of review will be sent out
soon from the state executive council in
relation to assessments of real estate
in Iowa this year. The council gave
warning long ago that it would expect
an assessment in exact accord with the
laws OF the state this year. It is found
that the tendency everywhere is to
property as basis for the one-fourth
valuation for taxation purposes. 1t is
known to certainty also that some OF
the county auditors in the state have
assumed to override the will of the le-
ment or understanding by which the
assessments in their several counties
are to be made not in accordance with
the statute but they shall be much
lower Attention will be called to the
boards of review to the drastic terms of
the statute, which provides special
heavy penalties for any deviation from
he legal method of assessment. Atten-
ton will also be called to the fact that
as to the taxes the method OF levying
taxes now is different from formerly.
Now the state executive council is di-
rected each legislative session to raise
certain sum of money and to fix the
state levy so that it Will come, and this
is done after the assessments are all in.
The failure to assess legally does not
change the amount of money that will
be raised by taxation, save as one per-
son gets an advantage over another or
one county over another. In all mat
ters the local taxing authorities have
In their hands the power to determine
the taxes paid, or the levy, except
where the people vote taxes upon them
selves direct This whole matter of the
ass ssslent Is coming to be regarded by.
state officials and by many others as the
most important thing before the public
at this time.
The matter of the payment OF the
taxes voted in aid of the new railroad
from Iowa Falls to Des Moines has
been disposed of so far as the city of
Nevada is concerned. The town council
levied the taxes, and If there is any op-
position to the collection of the same or
fight on the same 1t must come from
individual taxpayers. At the time the
Iowa Falls road was completed into Des
Moines the last days of 1902 a commit
tee was sent down from Nevada to see
if the road was actually completed as
promised by the last day of the year. A
train was in fact run over the line at
that time, but no business was possible.
For some time it was regarded as
doubtful if the company had earned its
taxes. But the Nevada city officials are
satisfied.
The town of Cambridge on the Iowa
Falls road is regarded as lucky. A
Story county man who has been speak
ing of this said: Cambridge has had
prosperity thrust upon 1t. The town
was the third one laid out in the county,
and that was many years ago. The
town is not any bigger than it was forty
years or more ago. 1t was content for
many years to be country village. far
removed from any railroad. Then the
Milwaukee road came along and built
thru the town. but it did not grow.
Maxwell started up to the east and
hourished, but Cambridge slept on. Las.
year, without any effort on its part,
Cambridge got the Iowa Falls road, and
now it bids fair to get two more roads
the Newton & Northwestern and the
road It's a case OF luck,
for sure"