Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-09

| lures of a majority of the free holders
on the petition in order that it can go
before the city council; after this trust
| ing to the election to carry the tax"
| Other prominent men present spoke
as follows:
Captain J. G. Hutchison.
"The committee which went to IN
dianapolis went to confer with the pro-
moters of the interurban line to see If
they would take hold at per cent
basis of tax aid. 1t did not find Mr..
Coffin in the city and it was compelled
to wait day. However, we passed
the time going over the city thorough
ly, comforting with merchants, manu-
facturers and citizens, finding out what
the interurbans had done for them in
Indianapolis.
When we met Mr.. Coffin we tried
to get him to consent to a per cent
aid but found that it was out of the
question. After out visit to Indian
apolis we went to Chicago and there
met ]. G. Fetzer, who had recently
been to Boston comforting with finan-
ciers who furnish money on enter
prises of this sort. Mr. Fetzer explain
ed very clearly the impractibility of
going ahead on per cent basis. He
showed how capitalists consider these
propositions. The city of Ottumwa
has no interurban railroad built yet,
no base for security. l am satisfied
that this city will not get an interur-
ban unless we are willing to vote a 8
per cent tax.
Indianapolis is very busy city,
built up by it's interurban lines. Peo-
pie go and come The city stands like
the hub of a large wheel with the
spokes made up of interurban lines.
II can see that this project is a
great thing for Ottumwa-a permanent
thing. What magnificent possibility
for city to have monopoly that no
other city can touch. 1t would make
Ottumwa the first city in southern
Iowa"
A. w. Lee.
GAS a member of the committee
was in indianapolis and Chicago and
visited Mr.. Coffin and Mr.. Fetzer. We
have probed this matter to the bottom
and find that it Is per cent tax or
none. The committee has worked
hard for per cent basis and we
have found that we can not get the in
terurban unless we vote the per cent
| tax.
"At present we are up to business
proposition. We have the chance to
get this road and l believe that we
ought to vote per cent tax to Sc
cure it,"
Mr.. Lee stated that the assessed val
ruation of city property as returned
this year to the county auditors office
is approximately s2,625,00O. A 8 per
cent tax on this valuation will produce
$7S,75O. This is what the proposed in
terurban railway built, equipped, and
In actual operation between this city
and Buxton will cost the citizens Of
Ottumwa. The present tax levy is IS
mills. A per cent railroad tax means
an additional levy Of 80 mills distribut-
ed over two years, being Is mills addi.
tional each year. On this basis the per-
son who pays SIS year tax now, will
have to pay $7.S2 additional to secure
this 1nterurban railway, but this $782
will be paid in two annual installments
OF 1891. The person who pays $100
tax now, will pay S15.64 additional for
two years. The person or firm that
pays $500 tax now, will pay $7S.25 ad-
ditional for two years. To the person
who owns a $1,000 home, which is as.
sessed at one-fourth it's value, or $3.50,
the railroad tax will be $3.50 payable
in two installments Of 1915 each To
the person that owns $4,000 home,
the tax will be $500, payable in two
installments of $3.50 each. Ottumwa
will get back this tax money many
times over in the money that will be
directly expended in the construction
of this railway in the city of Ottumwa
itself. To secure the construction of a
similar line. the neighboring city of
Oskaloosa has already voted five per
cent tax and in addition has raised
$125,000 in cash subscriptions to the
capital stock of the company.
Throughout the evening there was
considerable general discussion par
ticipated in by persons in the audience.
One gentleman asked where the work
ing man was going to get back his
share of the tax voted to the railway
company. This question was answered
by some of the speakers that if the
working man owned his property he
would get back by the increased value
of the same much more than he would
pay in tax; and as the city grows in
population, there is an inevitable ad.
vance in the wage scale and he would
receive the benefit from this. If he
did not own his home, he would not
have any tax to pay.
The question of whether or not the
petition is sufficiently specific in stat.
ing that the 8 per cent tax applies
only to one-fourth of the real valuation
was also discussed and the matter re.
ferred back to the committee to see
that it be fully safe guarded, which
will be done.
j. x. Dysart.
ut seems to me that there Is very
little left to say. Two or three years
ago l met several gentlemen in Chi
cago whose cities were reached by in
terurban lines. They talked Of the
great benefits through the interurban
reaching them. 1t seems to me that if
every man in Ottumwa could visit
these places where they have these
lines, every man would be a commit
tee of one to work to make it a sue.
cess