Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-11
Governor Cummins Contends
Assessment Should Be Made
on What Road Is Worth
LAWYERS MAKE ARGUMENTS
Most Of Them Finally Arrive at the
Conclusion That All Things Should
be Considered and Then Ask That
the Assessment be Reduced-Unions
and Exemption Law.
to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, July 11-Hearings of ths
executive council preparatory to fix
ing the assessments of the railroads is
developing the fact that the members
of the executive council are thorough
ly versed on the matter of fixing the
assessments and know exactly from
past experience and subsequent inves-
tigation the basis on which they pro-
pose to make the assessments and so
have the best of the argument. The
railroad attorneys on the other hand
are confident of but one thing ard that
is that they want the assessments re-
duced. but are not clear In their argu-
ments. At the hearings yesterday
Frank p. Crandon. Of the Northwestern
entered into discussion with the gov
ernor as to the fundamental basis on
which railroad should be assessed.
Mr.. Crandon Of the Northweste rn ar
gued with others that "all things
should be considered in fixing the as
sessmehts." This is the final argument
to which they all cone and then state
that the assessment Of their road
should be lowered.
Governor Cumnlins argues that what
person would be willing to pay for q
railroad II he were buying It IS the
basis for fixing its value and likewise
the basis for fixing the value of all
other kinds of property and IN his
questions OF the attorneys indicated
that he proposed to arrive at those fig-
ures partly by comparing the roads OF
Iowa with the roads Of the United
States as to earning capacity and cost
Of construction.
Union working men of Iewa ere fol-
lowing closely the agitation In the re-
tail grocers' association as to the
agreement with the state federation of
labor at Council Bluffs regarding the
exemption and child labor laws. The
retail grocers agreed with the fedora
ton that they would unite efforts to
get all exemption laws repealed and
a child labor law enacted. The nub Of
the difficulty is that the repeal Of the
exemption laws means not only the re-
ingmar,'s wages for ninety days but the
repeal Of the exemption Of forty acres
for the old soldier and the profe ssional
mans library and a number of other
things. This is considered Impossible,
tho the child labor law is quite a
possible thing with the next legisla-
ture. Therefore, 1t is considered that
the grocers, in supporting the child
labor bill, are giving something definite
while the union men in supporting the
repeal Of the exemption laws are, sup
porting something, that will never be
accomplished and so they lose nothing.
The union men are laughing at the dis
comfiture OF the grocers, but at the
same time are very watchful. They
are very anxious for the passage of the
child bill and want nothing to hinder
its passage.
It is not expected to call a meeting
of the child labor law committee till
October. The committee is already at
work on the drafting of the bill which
will be presented, but after 1t Is draft
ed by the subcommittee it will be sent
to each Of the members Of the commit
tee for approval. There will doubtless
be some criticisms and changes necess-
ftated. The Pennsylvania committee
had to rewrite its bill twenty-five
times before a bill was drawn that
would meet the wishes of majority
of the committee. The Iowa commit
tee is hoping that it will not encounter
any such difficulty. 1t is not proposed
to very materially change the bill from
the form in which 1t was presented at
the last session. At that time there
was some criticism of the forms OF the
blanks in which the school directors
and employers and children were re-
quired to make their reports. There
will be changes in these forms but the
belief of members of the committee is
that there will not be material changes
in the provisions Of the bill as a
whole.
John Briar private secretary of Gov.
A. B. Cumlnins, left last night for the
Atlantic coast, where with Mrs. Briar,
he will spend vacation Of a few
weeks in a. cottage a short distance
south of Coney Island. The location is
a very beautiful spot.
Company H of the Fifty-flfth Regi-
ment of the guard was ordered mus
tered out by Adjutant General Thrift,
and a new company will be musterea
in at Atlantic to take its place. Com
pany H has been located at Charlton,
but the captain resigned short time
ago and since then the company has
been unable to agree on his successor.
Furthermore, it is claimed that the
people of Charlton failed to come to
the support of the company and assist
it in any way. Gen. Thrift will accom-
pany COL Lincoln to Atlantic Friday to
investigate the petition from that place
for company.
Tomorrow will be governors day at
the encampment of the Fifty sixth
regiment. At 1870 of that day Gov
era,or Cumnins, accompanied by his