Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12

is utterly bad. 1t encourages the worst
sort of petifogging, which usually de
ludes persons unacquainted with the
intricacies of railroad accounts and
values and promotes dishonesty and
corruptness." And closing this arti
Gle, he further said: Our presen,
way of doing things is wholly bad. II
forces railroads into politics and IL
encourages corruptible politicians in.
to Matchmaking railroads" It may be
here suggested by the friends of Mr.,
lCummins that the railroad assess.
ments of Iowa have been largely in.
creased. Conceding for the sake of
argument that this be true, let us
look at few comparisons of the rail-
road assessments. The latest figures
at my command are the 33rd annual
report as made by the secretary OF
the executive council. In 1880 the
assessed valuation of railroads was
$4,997.O0 per mile; now, twenty-four
years afterwards, with the growth and
development of our state and conse-
quent increased business of the roads:
with the vast expenditure the COM
panies have made in that time in the
way of improvement to roadbeds and
rolling stock, the assessment per mile
Is less that one thousand dollars more
per mile, and in ten years the assess.
ment has only been increased about
i've hundred dollars per mile. In 1880
the per cent of assessment to gross
earnings was 103, in 1894, los. and
in 1904, 9S.4. In 1880 the per cent of
assessment to net earnings was .277,
IN 1894, $3.50, and In 1904, 1881. Int
during this same period the net earn.
ings had decreased per mile from ST.
$4,000 to $1,o52.00. In 1880 the per
cent of taxes on gross earnings was
.O26; in 1894, .032, and in 1904, .O33,
a very slight increase In twenty.four
years. In 1880, the per cent of taxes
on net earnings was .OS7; in 1894.
III, and in 1904, .109. Being less
under Governor Cummins than II was
ten years ago.
If time would permit it can he as
well established as it was in the DAYS
of Mr.. Herriott, that inequality would
still exist. Will any one for a mo-
ment contend that the Des MONIES
Union railway with an assessed val
uation of about $225,O0O last year, for
eighteen miles of track, and for which
the Governor if not now was formerly
director and general counsel, is NOT
worth at least double mat amount?
And as Senator Lewis, in a speech
delivered at College Springs, Aug. rs.
lS05, said, Don't be afraid that the
rallroads are being overtaxed now.
The report of the Interstate com.
merce commission for 1904 just pub.
lisned gives the following average rate
OF tax per mile paid by the railways
In the several states as follows: nj
inois, $411.00; Nebraska, s204.OO:
Wisconsin, $259,00; Missouri, $4,000:
Minnesota, s247.00; Iowa, s171 90"
Might l also inquire, is the third.
term candidate for Governor right In,
assuming all of the credit of the raise
In taxation of railroads, or are the
other three members of the council
entitled to portion of the credit
claimed by the Governor? It might
also be well to know in passing, that
while the assessment of the railroads
mas been increased in the last four
years. that for every one million dol.
lars OF increased valuation of the rail.
ways for taxation, the valuation of
the other property of this state has
been increased over eight million dol.
lars. thus increasing the burdens of |
The farmers of Iowa eight times as
much as he did the burdens of the
raiiroads. another suggestion in pass
ing: Judging by the oratorical bonn
oardment on the part of the Governor
VI the Burlington railway and its gen.
eral counsel and the public assertion
Of Mr.. Cummins that he had incurred
the enmity of that road; one of an
turn of mind might be
Inclined to think that the assessment
Oh the Burlington railway was an es.
pecially heavy one. That road, one
OF the best in Iowa, with its double
track and heavy steel rail; its solid,
SAFE and substantial roadbed; its
heavy, mammoth engines, and in
every way modern rolling stock: its
and commodlous depots: all |
This added within the last few years,
and yet from Burlington to Council |
Bluffs. the main line assessment is
the same as it was twenty
years ago.
During the five years OF Governor
Cummins' administration, nothing of
Importance has been added to the tax
laws OF Iowa as pertaining to this |
class OF property, though the ineoual.
ity and the lack of system are lust as
apparent now as they were in the
days of Mr.. Herriott During the 29tb
General Assembly, however. the ways
and means committee in the senate.
composed Of friends of Governor Cum.
INNS. gave much study to this sub
Ject, and subcommittee reported q
Dill TO the full committee with this
recommendation re-, accompanying it:
me committee is of the opinion
mat the general belief that the rail.
ways OF this state are not paying their
full share of the taxes necessary for
the support of the various depart.
ments OF the state government. is
well founded. - We have exam.
ined into the constitutional inhibi.
lions and limitations and the laws of
our own and other progressive states
In relation to the subject of railroad
taxation, and have reached the con.
cluslon LAT In some respects our
present laws are entirely Inadequate
to meet the new conditions in rail.
way management and financiering"
This report was signed by Senators
J. M. Junkin, Thomas D. Healy. l..
w. Lewis and your humble speaker.
me bill was reported by the commit.
tee to the senate. and known as Sen.
ate File, No. go, and passed the sen.
ate against the understood wishes of
our Governor. but was defeated in
the house, and no legislation, to this
day, curing the defects complained of
by men like Healy. Herriott, Junkin
and Lewis, has been enacted.
The democratic party OF Iowa saws
through its platform that the tax.
alton of the railroads being UNEQUAL
and unjust; confided to persons not