The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-06-18
BoAPn OF EQUALIZATION.


days to questioning the integrity o
Mr.. Folk for the reason that Mr.
Folk refuses to say plaiOly that IL tn.
state convention nominates Cook sht
Allen he (FOIk) will refuse to ALLOW
his lame to go On the ticket will
them. II Is hard to find out thu
motive OF the Post Dispatches suddeI
interest 10 this matter. No one cat
tell whether or not 1t is getting ready
to fight Mr.. Folk after nomination o.
whether it merely wants to get Mr.
Folk into trouble, or whether 1t really
objects to these gentlemen, or wheth,
er it is serving the interests that
object TO them. Following is a sample
editorial extract upon the subject;
"The leading candidates upon whose
nomination the machine has concen-
trated its strength are Secretary of
State and Auditor Allen. Both have
served the tax.dodging corporations
on the board Of equalization. Cook
is an admitted lobbyist and has col
lected campaign funds for the party
from the corporation lobby; he has
acknowledged his participation 10 a
Doodle 1eal."
Not one Of these statements is true,
as everybody knows, except that Cook
and Allen are the leading candidates
for the offices of secretary Of state and
auditor. Take the first: "Both have
served the t%ax.dodging corporations
on the board Of equalization" This
is what we hear from the Kansas City
Star-Times night and morning. Now
the state board of equalization fixes
the valuation on railroads, telegraph,
and telephone properties for taxation.
a comparison of the valuations OF
neighboring states will show that
these valuations are hi her in Mis-
souri, than elsewhere on railroad
property. They are one and one-half
times as high per mile as In Illinois;
one and three.fifths as high as in
Kansas; and two and one-thlrd time as
high as 10 Iowa. This, of course, is
into account all the railroads,
and as some Of them are poorly built
and badly equipped these figures
might be misleading. For instance
the greater part Of the Missouri
lines in Missouri is ballaSted:
in Kansas the same road is net ballas
ted. So that a comparison of the
valuations Of the two states on this
road might be misleading. But take
the Wabash 10 Missouri and in Illinois
or the Burlington in Missouri, Iowa,
and Illinois, or the Chicago and Alton
in Missouri and Illinois, where the
comparison is fair and where main
are compared with main lines,
and the results yielded are coavinc-
ing to anybody except the man who
does not want to be convinced. Take
the Chicago & Alton. 1t has prac-
no branch lines. 1t IS double
tracked, ballasted and splendidly
equipped In Illinois, better than in
Missouri. Besides its invaluable ter
ninal property in. Chicago enhances
is value in that state. Yet Missouri
the G. g. A, for taxation at
Bis, 704 per mile, and Illinois at
10, $40 per mile. In Missouri the
Wabash Is valued at s1S, 493 per mile;
Illinois at 81, 355. The Burlington
S valued for taxation as follows: In
~dissourl, SIS, 226 per mile; in Illinois,
9,OOl per mile; in Iowa, $l1.229 per
nile; in Kansas, $1,000 per mile. .
The truth is, as every well informed ,
nan knows, that every interest which a.,
) concerned about the state board Of 4,
q~ualization Of which the Governor, .
attorney General, Secretary Of State, ,
Iuditor and Treasurer are members .
x-ofhcio, is opposed to Cook and :
lllen, and Grow. The st. Louis Ter :
linal Company 10 particular does not i,
rant Grow. The Missouri Pacific :,
nd:Burlington railroads in particular :,
ont want Cook and Allen. AS for the :
IL they want or don't want y,
hese gentlemen in Office. for reason |,
r without reason, it is nobody S =
usiness. But the people will have ,
cry little respect for the advice OF ,
be st. Louis papers which are all !
,ilk and honey when the subject OF .
iscussion is the St. Louis Bridge aud !
criminal Company, and oil Of yitriol =
'hen the subject is faithful demo. !
oflcials. :