Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-08
Increase For Railroads Was
Mostly a Raise Made on
Old Mileage
TEN TIMES GREATER THAN EVER
Total Increase in Assessment on Old
Mileage During Biennial Period of
cummins' Administration Has Been
Ten Times Greater Than the Increase
In Preceding Period.

Special to Times Republlcan.
Des Moines, Aug. Sit may be said
Ito the credit of the railroad attorneys
and railroad managers that they have
not shown any disposition to find fault
with the work of the state executive
Icouncil by themselves and directly, the
there is evidence that those who be-
lieve it profitable to be always ready
TO speak for the corporations are dis
Irosed to make trouble ever the assess
ments. The executive council had this
year, for the first time in It's history, a
double duty to perform at one and the
same characterization and assess
lnent. In equalizing the council mere
Ily dad what it could TO establish an
/ equality between the assessments as
returned by the more than $500 asses
sofs OF the state on real estate. As
'hey had found that real estate values
| have advanced more than $500 600 900
| IN the past two years, the council was
not called upon to do more than effect
fair equalization. But in the matter
| of assessments the councils chief work
was on the railroad properties. Here
| the council has unlimited discretion.
The increase was made In accordance
with what appeared to be the facts re-
garding an advance in values Of rail-
road property. The members of the
council did not believe, as has since
been commended in certain critical or
gans, that the railroad property in
creased in value just as much as the
farms. They had nothing before them
to bear out any such contention. But
the railroad assessment was raised be-
cause There was evidence that the
property is steadily growing in value in
Iowa =
A few days ago thers was given in
this correspondence an analysis of the
railroad assessment, showing the way
that the railroad assessments have
gone. UP. OF the increase of S5,229,347
in the assessment the present year more
than So per cent was on the six big sys-
TENS of the state. The ss,466,039 In
crease in the biennial period was more
than in the previous fifteen years. 1t
was nearly four times as much as in
the last previous biennial period These
figures were given without regard to
the new mileage, which has been sub
stantialfy the same at different periods
But a study of the same figures with
special reference to the new mileage Is
also interesting. 1t is somewhat difficult
to figure out what proportion of the
assessment liz on new mileage each
year. Changes in surveys and in routes
and Strengthening roadbeds make diff
ferences in mileage as well as entirely
new roads.
Taking the first group OF six big sys-
TENS, which have 30 per cent of the
total assessments, we find that three of
them got no increase of assessment be-
cause of new mileage. The Burlington
reported no new mileage, assessment
increase, S714,749. The Rock Island got
an increase of s606,s42, without an adj
ditional mile of track. The Illinois had
decrease of less than a mile, due to
resurveys. and got an increase of 1884,
ia. The Northwestern got a total in
crease of s1.10o.e03. The Milwaukee
was assessed sS4,517. on its new Mus
catine lire of seventy-siS miles, but
its total assessment increase was ST.
2S3.S64. The Great Western got big
change of mileage. and 1t was assessed
as follows: Hampton branch Sal miles
added, at $1,000, mile, $13,525; Omaha
extension, ironed, 6s.l9 miles at $4,000,
or $22o,475; Omaha extension. unironed.
64.59 miles at $1,000 or s64.590; changes
on other lines shortening them one mile,
$4,000: net increase on account of new
mileage. s2s5,osO.
The roads of the group were as
sessed at s5o,199,756, an increase for
them alone of S4.S73.70S, of which $685.
607 was on account of new mileage.
leaving more than four million for the
increase on old lines.
In the second group Of five lesser
systems there was not mile added In
the year and they got an increase of
$422,771. The only other system that
suffered any great change on account
of new mileage was the Iowa Falls
road. Last year it had ten miles in
operation assessed at $4,000. 1t now
has 1908 assessed at s192,590. The ten
miles formerly assessed was doubled IN
valuation, SO that the net assessment on
account of new lines outside OF the
group of SIX big roads was about $l52,-
$780,
The aggregate increase of assessment
this year On account OF new mileage
was therefore s492,l97.
Making the same computation in the
same way for the previous year IT is
found that there was 1885 miles new
road assessed at $207,1Si This makes
the total increase of assessment for the
two wears on account Of new mileage
s699,SS2. This indicates that the actual
assessment on new mileage the first
year is a little less than $4,000 mile.
Accounting this as fair basis some
comparisons may be made running back
several years, as follows:
Biennial period 1901 to 1903-Assess-
ment increase, $s,466,o3s; new mileage,
$50; assessment on new mileage, $685.
3S2; assessment on old mileage, $685.
657
Biennial period 1899 to 19O1-Assess-
ment increase $2,521,129; mileage in
crease. SIS; assessment on new mileage
ST CSC, 600; assessment increase on old
mileage, 1855, 129
Ten-year- period, 1891 to 1901-As-
sessment increase, s2,5l2, 652; mileage|
increase. 999; assessment new mileage,
$1,98s, O0t; assessments increase old
s514,6b2.
Eoone Doctor Sued.
special to Times Republican.
pn,,e A,,p swim tho c1a.rlr IF |