Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-27
MoLsHERRY AND LEWIS QUAR-
REL ABOUT PROPOSAL FOR
INVESTIGATION
QUARREL OVER TAXES
Cedar Rapids, Though Not Special
/ Charter City, Causes Delay in Re-
cordIng States Accounts Because OF
! Unusual Court Decision - Disagree.
ment Is Over Railway Taxation.

Des Moines, Jan. 26.-(Special)
The insurance investigation res
olution was referred to the COM
mittee on insurance by the senate
! today. A heated debate between
Senator Molsberry, the author Of
1T. and Senator Lewis, who OPP
posed 1t, took place. Lewis, tnti-
mated that the resolution was In
spired by outside concerns to de-
molish Iowa insurance companies.
but later withdrew his remarks
and good feeling was restored. No
roll call was ordered and Senator
Molsberry made no particular OBJ
lection but the debate as to the
need of an investigation brought
out charges as follows: That one
company pays its president and
u vice president, husband and wife,
N$12,000 and $4,000 respectively, in
.slaries; that one company has
IoIo 900 loaned on Idaho lands,
ct to be worth ten cents on
anu al.e use was not in session to-
Dewey Dewey Wit iAthis afternoon.
S''fSS - u
he e prod proauoey &c yoRREspoNDENcE.l
gush out ofceau Of the Courier.
.l.1 up near : s,,ha, sn Des Moines, Jan. 2e
.nat - n and Aas yet been offered
i ~ ". e sssss "a. soking to the ah9li
ton Of the special charter cities of the
state, but it is not unlikely that sucE
measure will be introduced.
The trouble Is not with Dubuque ano
Davenport and any of the other spe
ella. charter cities, but it is with Cedar
Rapids. This city always has delayed
the executive council with respect te
the equalization Of the assessment o1
property; that is, it would have delay
ed action had it been the disposition o1
the council to wait upon that city. o.
course the executive council deals
with the counties and not directly witt
the cities. but when it went after the
auditor Of Linn county for not making
proper reports he explained to the sat
isfaction of the council that he was
not at fault and that the city was tx
blame, in a dispute regarding whether
the city or the county should make
the changes on the books due to the
equalization of assessments by the
board Of supervisors.
A Conflicting Decision.
A queer decision now stand on thu
records Of the supreme court with re
spect to taxation in special charte
cities. The court evenly divided OF
the question, of whether the city un
der special charter could assess rail
road property 100 per cent when th'
general law provides for 25 per cen
assessment Two cases had been ar
pealed-one from Cedar Rapids ant
the other from Davenport, and by ev
emily dividing, under the law, the cour
affirmed both of the lower decisions
as they were Numerically opposed
the result is that in one city railroa,
property is assessed at 25 per cent an,
in the other at 100 per cent.
Senator Crawford has just offered
bill adjusting in some particulars tn
tax difficulties which special charte
cities have This measure provide
as follows:
Bill to Right Evils.
That section 1905 fixing the taxabl
value of all property subject to taxa
ton at 25 per cent of the actual valu
thereof, shall be applicable to cite
incorporated under special charters.
That all said cities SO incorporate
In which, prior to the taking effect G
this act, the levy for municipal pul
poses has been made on basis G
valuation greater then that establishe
by said section 1905 shall have powe
to increase the rate of taxation fo
municipal purposes above the limit
now fixed by their respective charter
and amendments thereto, to an eXten
proportionate to the reductions here
by created in the taxable value of tn
property upon which such taxes az
levied.
That nothing in this act shall b
construed to alter or affect any of tn
provisions relating to municipal tax;
lion of any charter or amendment
thereto of any city under specis
charter, except as herein special
provided.
A Much Needed Change.
Representative Stoltenberg also ha
introduced a bill which has an in
portant bearing on the tax levies i
special charter cities, 1t remedies