Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-28
Tax Asked to Aid Interurban
Will Not Prove Hardship to
Any Property Owner
AReER ONES FAVOR
Smaller Taxpayers, Who Are in the
Majority, Feel That if Those Who
Have Large Property Holdings are
Going TO Vote, They Can Stand
Their Share-Faets About Tax.

---o
while the T.-R. has been doing all
Ia its power to make the voters famil-
lar with the interurban situation as re-
CARDS the voting of the tax, at the spec
1al election next Monday, there are
some, 1t seems, who do not quite under
stand Just what is required, and just
how the tax payments are to be made.
dele in Its columns, in an effort to fa-
miaiarize all of its readers with the diff
ferent phases of the situation. and to-
/ day it repeats many of the facts con-
nected with the tax. how it applies, and
when It is payable.
The burden. 1t will be seen. will not
and one gratifying fact is that the
heavier property holders who will have
to pay the largest amounts In taxes.
favor the interurban. This makes the
smaller property owner realize that IL
his neiga1bor Is anxious to pay several
hundred dollars in taxes. in order to Sc
cura the interurban, and its headquar-
tiers In this city, he ought to be willing
to stand a few dollars expense in do
ing his share. The taxes are payable in
such a way that the money will not be-
missed by the tax payers. Bene-
ats to every piece Of property in the
city cannot help but result, to great
er extent than the little cost the tax
payer is put to in voting for the IN
terurban. Furthermore. the face value
in stock. is given and If not wanted can
be sold to someone who will be anxious
20 secure it. and thereby reimburse the
taxpayer for portion Of what he pays
out In extra taxes.
Fsacts about the tax that is asked in
xhe petition OF resident free-holders are
as follows:
The tax win be per cent for one
year. upon the assessed or taxable value
OF the property of the citizens of Mar
Fhria4evs~
The tax 10 levied but one year.
The tax is levied upon one-fourth of
me actual value Of the property.
The tax Is not payable unless the
road is completed, and in operation,
On or before Dec. 81, 1905.
II the road is completed and In oper-
alton, within that time, the tax then
becomes payable, one-half in 1906:
the other half In 1907.
An easy way for people to ascertain
what amount they will have to pay
under this tax, is to figure three
seyenths az their present tax payment.
E0r instance, IL a mans present tax IS
81. the tax for the interurban would
IS three -scvenths OF $21, or So, and this
So would BE payable. one-half, or $4.50
il 1905. and the other half $3.50. in 1907.
For this tax the company must issue
10 the taxpayers stock An the railway
company.
This stock is issued In shares OF 800
each, and in order to receive a share of
- go
stock. the taxpayers must combine the
receipts which they receive for their
taxes in amounts OF 500. The usual
way In which this is done is for some
one Of the taxpayers to buy from his
neighbors the tax certificates until he
has an amount OF 500, $500 and so on.
It would appear that this ought to
ba plain enough. but let us repeat:
The tax Is 3 per cent upon the tax
able value OF the property.
The tax il. levied for one year only.
The amount Of the tax is payable,
-one-half in 1906. and one-half in
dso7.
No part Of the tax is payable unless
the road IL put into operation on or
before December 81. 1905.
In view Of the fact that the interur-
ban people are asking assistance in
this city to vote tax in aid of the
construction OF the interurban railway
between this city and Grundy Center, it
becomes interesting to- estimate the /
taxes which the railway company with
pay into the treasury OF Marshalltown,
when their line has been constructed.
There is no better way to arrive at the
amount OF this tax than by making a
comparison with the other lines of rail-
way operating thru Marshall county.
From the Iowa Official Register for
1902. page 1877, under the head Of Rail
road Assessment Statement" the fol-
lowing figures for Marshall county may
be found:
The Chicago & Northwestern Rail-
way
Miles of road ............... $3.50
Assessed value, per mile. ...$ 11,750.0O
Total assessed value. ....... 305.3S2.00
Total tax paid, at the rate Of
& per cent ................ 21,376.74
The Chicago Great Western Rail-
way
Miles of road ........ 317S
Assessed value per mile. 1893 100000
Total assessed value. ....... 152,54400