Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-13

We're it not for further augmentation
with the same basic fault"
But the Marshaltown Times Repub
lican says" continues he Republican.
I"'that as a matter of fact the eXecutY
Icouncil assessed the new mileage at
only Si92,197. Just think of that-2Sl
miles OF new road assessed at only
492,191--aad that by railroad eating
administration. an administration that
was going to sock it to the railroads I!
The roads that have the new mileage
| have some influence at court which the
| farmers of the state were not able o
command. We dare say that not one ni
| the roads which reported new mileage
would sell that new mileage for less
than about $4,000 or even $4,000
mile
| The Republican ought not to say that.
Such figures are too much "assum'-
ton" with no splitting" at all, and tie
Republican has Just shown a DISPOSE
ton to split little. The executive
councils report will show that such
roads as the &C." the Rock Island, the
Illinois Contra! and the Northwestern
reported no new mileage at all; that
half of all the new mileage assessed
was 49, miles Of the Great Westerns
inew line from Fort Dodge to Omaha, at
$4,000 per mile, most of which is as yet
unironed, and assessed at $1,000 per
mile, upon which the mule grad ers
are still at work. and. ,ione of wfich
will admit of trains being operate ted.
This report will also show that nearly
one fourth OF the Isl miles of new road,
which so greatly d!sturbs the Rerub-
| of the Iowa Falls road TO Des Moines,
row but partially graded. and that the
other fourth is the seventy-six miles of
the Milwaukees Muscatine cutoff, also
only half built. which was assessed at
about s1,lO0 per mile.
To make good its desired argument
Ethe Republican first assumed that
this partially constructed new mileage
was assessed at $4,000 per mile; then,
when caught at the trick. was willing
to compromise by splitting" the figures
to- $4,000 per mile, and yet the Repub-
| lican must have known that the main
+ line of the Milwaukee in operation for
years has been assessed at only $4,000;
| the main line of the Great Western at
only $500; the main line OF the Illinois
Central at $4,000, and On the main line
of the Northwestern only s14,500 for the
richest road IN the state.
What right did the executive coun-
| ell have to assess them at barely ST.
| 500 mle?" demands Inc Republican.
This is talking after the manner of the
| Pharisees of two years ago.
| 1t certainly is. The Pharsee. we be-
lieve, was the man who prayed IN the
street corners. thanking God that he
was not like other men. but was always
"cock-sure" of his own ideas regardless
| OF the evidence. The Republican talks
very much like him. Shame on tn,
Republican for attempting such decep-
! tons. The people know that Judge
Cook has petitioned the federal court
at st. Paul to enioin Governor Cum
Minis. Treasurer Ch,bertson, Secretary
Martin and all of the council from cer-
tifying TO the Milwaukee's s1.l00 per
mile assessment on the ground that 1t
is too high, because on much of the line
grading has not yet been even begun.
Judge Cooks excitement must have
been something thrilling when he read
| IN the Republican that 1t ought to be
assessed at 100000 per mile. This road
had been projected thru five counties
and the right-of-way purchased. but
four counties neither have bridges been
built nor iron laid. This is the charac-
ter of the main line" extensions which
the Republican assumes" were as
sessed at $2,S10,000, and finally consents
to split" the difference when shown
that the councils actual assessment
was less than half million.
Admitting that its first computation
was mere assumption and that the
T.-R.'s figures from the executive coun-
ell were right, the Republican further
says:
There remains S4.737.000. That rep
| resentS the increase in railroad assess
ments. Let it be taken that way and
| let 1t be reduced to percentages. An
Increase of S4,737,000 on $751; 900, the
assessment last year, represents an in
crease of little more than 9 per cent.
But according to the Times Republic
ans own admissions farms were in
creased II per cent this year. Where
in have the railroads been dealt such a
hard blow by this railroad eating adj
ministration?"
/ 1t would seem that the Republican
had here found an escape from its di.
lemma, born, Of course, OF experience,
hence it grows exultant. 1t continues
But when the sympathetic executive
council found that the local assessors
had increased the farms II per cent,
why didn't the council take II per cent
of $51, 100000. the railroad assessment
of last year, and add it to It? The II
! per cent would have amounted to S.
| 72l,000. Add TO this the paltry $4,000
for Isl miles of new road and we have
S9,2l3,0 600 increase. which added to the
$51 100000, would have made s60,513,-
O00 That Is what the railroads would
have been assessed at. inst FAD OF $50
100000. if the executive council had
added IT per cent to the IA ,iroads as 1t
l ha 20 lie