Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-09-25

equalize the values between counties.
After the council had completed It's
work of equalization it found that
while the assessment Of a very large
per cent of the counties had been
changed, some increased and others
reduced as to the aggregate value Of
the lands of the entire state. there was
pna ctically no change - the increase
being only six cents per acre or less
than one seventh of one per cent in
value. We accepted the reported value
of the lands of the state as ~ whole,
but equalized as between counties. In
the matter of adjustment or equal1za-
ton, we were not guided wholly by our
own Judgment. Letters were addressed
to several hundred real estate men
from four to eight in each county, also
the county auditors and members OF
boards of supervisors, asking, their
judgment as to the relative value OF
the lands of their respective counties,
as compared with adjoining counties.
BY these means we secured the judg-
ment OF from twenty to forty men as
to the relative values of the lands or
the various counties. From the infor-
nation obtained and from our own
Judgment concerning values, the equal
ization of 1903 was made as above
shown. In 1905 the reported average
value of the land Of the state was SAL
rs or IA reduction of 81 per cent per
acre from the value of 1903. The
council believing that there had been
g. decrease In the value of land from
January, 1908, to January, 1905. made
81 further reduction of st.4s per acre,
leaving the assessed value per acre
s4O2s as against s42.1O for 1903 Add
ing the value OF new buildings erect
ed during the year 1905, makes the as
sessed value for 1905 $40.3S per acre
or an increase in five years OF 12.5 per
cent as against AN increase In the to-
al assessments of railway property for
the same period of more than 81 per
cent.
Mr.. Porter admits that the assessed
value Of railway property has been
largely increased in recent years and
states as follows:
1T might, also, be we'll to know In
passing that while the assessment OF
railroads has been increased In the last
four years. that for every one million
dollars Of increased value of the rails
ways for, taxation, the value of other
property Of this state has been in-
creased over eight million dollars. thus
increasing the burdens of the farmers
of Iowa eight times as much as the
burdens of the railroads" gl
Let us analyze this statement and
see If 1t is correct. The increase in the
assessed value of all property other
than railroads during the last four
years, that is from 1902 to 1906 is less
than f1fty-one millions of dollars. The
Increase in the assessed value of rail-
roads alone, for the same period, is
over eleven millions of dollars. In oth>
er words, the increase in other property
than railroads is less than $3.50 for
each 81 of increase in railroads. and
not>$S, or eight times, as stated by the
democratic candidate for governor.
It should be remembered that at the
beginning of the period. that is, in 1902,
the value of other property was more
than ten times that of the railroads. so
that if the increase on other property
had been at the same rate as the i1i-
crease in value of railway property, II
would have been more than ten dollars
on other property to one dollar on rail-
roads, when as matter of fact, in
stead of ten to one, it is less than five
to one To make it more clear, permit
me to say that the increase in value of
railway property during the last four
years is 21.5 per cent, while on other
property it is only 9.S per cent. The
statement is not true for the further
reason thattfe increase burden on 9TH
er property is not all borne by the
farmers, but is borne in part by city
telegraph, interurban and all
kinds of personal property
1t is incorrect for the further reason.
as has already been shown, that the
council did not increase, but reduced
the assessment on real estate from
what it was as returned by the county
board of review and accepted the per-
sonal property without change. The
council did not make the increase.