Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-05-16

CuinHllus 'S, VSo' - "a
1t is needless to say more than refer
to these figures. They tell their own
story. They convince where columns
of argument might fall. The reason
of the last four years may be found
under the one head of extravaganza (;
at least that term stands for very
large amount of this increase. Gov.
Cummins has been prone to indulge
in many junkets at the state ex-
pense. He has charged up excur-
sions to various points of quasi-ex.
ecutive character which have added
very much to the expense of his ad-
ministration. And now we may ask
how this has affected the farmer?
Taking the state taxes paid for the
years 1898 to 1901, representing the
administration of Gov. Shaw, and
comparing them with the state taxes
paid during the years 1909 to 1905,
inclusive, under Gov. Cummins, we
find most remarkable increase. Thi S
increase runs from per cent in Lee
county to 20 per cent in Emmett coun-
ty. In very many counties, the per-
centage is considerable over one-third
in Calhoun, for instance, it was 46
| IL Carroll, AZ; in Psio Alto, &c: IN
Wright, Al lin Humboldt, "a in Scott,
80; in Iowa, "a; in Black Hawk,
331s; in Monroe. Sc; in Dallas, 81 +;
in Story, 81 and so ON. Suffice it to
say that in every county in the state
there has been an increase in the state
; taxes paid by the people for the sup
port of the administration of Gov
Cummins as compared with that of
Gov. Shaw. But as has been said this
aggregate statement for county
does not fully reveal the facts as to
the farmer, because in every case the
increase in the amount paid by the
cities and towns is less than that paid
| in the rural districts. A few examples
taken from the tax books of a number
of the counties of the state will show
| this clearly.
The most wonderful example of
| increased taxation shown thus far
comes from Harrison county. In that
county three quarter sections on which
no new buildings have been erected
during the period referred to. were
taken as examples. The percentage OF
increase of the state tax upon these
three parcels of land for the past -four
years as compared with the four years
previous under Gov. Shaw was Sc, 7(
and "A per cent. The latter quarter
section paid $40. so in state taxes foI
the four years of Gov. Shaw while fol-
the past four years under Gov. Cum.
minis the state tax on the same quar-.
ter section without any additional
improvements aggregated $3.50, al
increase of $l1.50. In Cass county,
for example. the increase in state
taxes paid by the county as whole
under Gov. Cummins over the ad,
ADMINISTRATION of Gov. Shaw was "a
per cent. To ascertain just how the
farmers were affected the tax on a
quarter section in each of the IL
rural townships in the county was
compiled and it was found that l6
quarter sections paid in state taxes
under Shaw an aggregate of S2Sc 81.
while under Cummins the same par
cells of land paid in state taxes S405.
80, an increase of $l24.9S, or A pei
cent. so it appears that in Cass county
the increased state taxes of the farmers
has been 20 per cent more than that OF
the county as a whole.
In Polk county, where Gov. Cum
Minis home is located, the increased
state taxes under Cummins as compar
ed with Shaw amounted to S43, S97. 20,
or a percentage of increase for ths
whole county of 10. In this case,
too, representative quarter section il
the rural townships was taken as
fair basis of the tax paid in eacf
township. From this compilation i
appears that the increased taxation TO
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