Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-25
ESPECIAL CoRREsPoNDENcE.l
Des Moines Bureau Of the Courier,

The Epperspn bill for the repeal OF
the tax ferret law has met with wide
approval in the legislature Mr.. Epper.g
son believes that the measure has
fair show for passage and there seems
to be a demand for 1t in every COM
munity. Like the bankruptcy law. lit
has served its passage and the tax fer
ret law should be repealed. say the
friends Of the bill
The chief victims OF the tax system
now are the widows and the poor peo-
rls>nf consid bis wbSS--iasfssss aer-
cumulatad a few thousand dollars on
the interest of which they are trying
to live independently and without ap.
pealing to the county for aid. Besides
that, innocent people are put to large
expense defending themselves against
the wholesale notices which tax fer.
rets send out as sort Of a drag net,
hoping to scare someone In the bunch
to delivering delinquent taxes along
With Tat commissions for the ferrets.
How the Law Works.
Take an aged couple who may have
accumulated $4,000 and let them settle
In city where the taxes are as high
as they are in Des Moines. They cans
not safely invest the money In bust.
L ~
cent on real estate or put 1t In the
bank at four per cent. The taxes In;
Des Moines are two per cent. net or
eighty mills on twenty-five her cent
assessment. The couples income can.I
not possibly be more than $3.50 or. their
little estate, and the taxes would
amount to $1o0 Of that. Now IL one Of
the people who were In this shape
failed to pay the taxes, down would
swoop the tax ferret, collect the $1OOi
due the public and make the couple
pay a big penalty besides enough to-
pay the county for the commission It'll
pays to the ferrets.
Drives Money From State.
Moreover, the law now drives money,
out of the state. Many men are fn-l
vesting their money In mortgages out
side of Iowa, and many are making
1 deposits In banks clear outside Of Iowa,
/ 1t Is the only protection they have
| against excessive taxation and penal.
ties. 1t is costly to men to have to de-
fend against actions of the ferrets.
even when the defendant is absolutely
innocent Of tax lodging.
Senator Jackson offered this bill in
the legislature two years ago, but It
failed at that time. There is q more
4 general sentiment for 1t this time, It
is believed, and the chances are that
Mr.. Epperson will be able to get 1t
through.
The Re-distrlctlng Bill.
The politicians of the fifth district
are perturbed about the Cummings bill
to add Iowa and Johnson counties td
!. it and take away Cedar and Jones.
They admit that the bill is righteous.
! but many of them hope that nothing
will be done to retire Bob Cousins.
). They are preparing to ask that Cedar
county be left in the fifth district even
If Jones is taken away and Iowa and
Il Johnson are added.
!, Examination Of the returns demon.
strate the fact that it would be impos.
sible to elect democrat in the fifth
!, district even if the even exchange pro-
: posed by the Cummings bill were to be
adopted For not less than ten years
: the normal plurality which Cousins
has had has been between 5000 and
j l11,000 votes. The 2,200 change which
the exchange Of counties would make
! would not affect the result appreciably
but III would guarantees the second dis
4 trict fair political treatment.
Leon Brown.