Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-04-28
ADDRESS OF HON. JAS. G. BERRYHILL,
DIES MONIES,
In Opposition the Reformation Governor Cummns for
Third Term----Delvered Winterset Iowa,
April IA, 1906.

track west of Boone and built mag
innocent bridge aggregating in value
something like one million dollars,
across the Des Moines river In addi-
ton to that great work of improve.
ment its double tracking begun before
the time referred to, was extended to
Council Bluffs. That work involved
the expenditure of hundreds and hun
dreds OF thousands of dollars and add
ed enormously to the value of the prop
erty. In addition, gentlemen, the i'm
mense Increase in business during this
period incident to the prosperity of the
country as whole rendered it neces-
|sary for the company to increase its
equipment of cars and locomotives.
These additional betterments were le-
gally subject to assessment for taxa.
tion. In addition you must recollect
i that new stations have been erected
by that road. The station house built
at Ames has served a model for many
others erected at important stations.
So much for that corporation.
take the G.. B. & @. south of us.
During the period in question the
company has expended millions of
dollars in betterment of it's property
Those OF you who have traversed that
line will have noticed from Ottumwa
east the tremendous work of straight
ening the road, eliminating curves, cut
ting down grades, laying heavier rails,
building new depots, ETC., undertaken
i and completed within the past four
years. In addition their double track
was extended to Pacific Junction near
/ the Missouri river These improve.
ments and betterments involved the
expenditure of large sums of money
and greatly increased the value of the
property. Consider also the extensions
and Improvement of the Illinois
Central, and the building of the
line to the Missouri river; the
extension of the Chicago Great West
Bluffs; the building of the M. & st. L.
line to Storm Lake, and the extension
and Improvement of other lines, and
to the fact that every road in the state
has practically equipped itself with
new rolling stock during the period in
question. What conclusion is to be
drawn from these facts? Simply that
the governor and the executive coun-
Gil have done no more than their duty,
and that this duty is my no means ex.
traordinary, and had they failed to
|,perform it they would have been prop
er subjects of criticism, No further
principley no other element enters into
the question.
| Property Assessments.
"How about private property assess
ments during this period? I want to
show how much the aggregate assess
4 ments were as shown by the AUDITOR
record. First in the year 1900 the as.
|sessed valuation of property under
Governor Shaw aggregated $492,107,.
073. In 1901 under Governor Cummins
$5O9,574,SS8. In 1902, $519,35S.461. In
1903, $56S,641,624. In 1904, $5S1,660,.
521, making an increase in the aggre-
gate assessed valuation Of property
other than railroad property -
an aggregate sum of $89,533, 44S
In other words, gentlemen, for every
dollar added to railroad property as.
sessments there were eight dollars
added to the assessment of private prop
erty.
II read gentlemen, from this report
ed speech that the governor in order
to justify himself inshis candidacy, has
made the claim that he did not assess
private property and such assess
ments came within the review of the
! local assessors. ] do not invoke these
Figures to discredit the assessors, or tc
give credit to the governor or to dis
credit him. but l present them as evi
dence of the fact that during this pc
riod all property throughout the length
and breadth of this commonwealth
and may say all property throughout
the land appreciated in value enor
mously, and where should this In
crease in rate be reflected If not ii
the assessed valuation? Otherwise
these public officials would have failed
4 to do their duty. Gentlemen, this
house of cards which the governor has
builded and upon which he claims he
/ will stand or fall, as the only yalian
friend of the common people in look
ing after their interests against cor
; porate power, falls to the ground
Gentlemen, do make my question
clear? But let me, go further ant
: present the logical results of Govern
or Cummins' administration, as l an
= going to bring the question to ever!
one of you gentlemen here. l have
here the record of. the money paid init
the state treasury by the citizens O
/ Madison county, during the period o
: which / have referred to. And thel
!, am going to show you how tina
money has been disbursed and will
leave you to Judge whether we hav'
had an administration during the fou
years and a quarter which justif1es it
, continuance.
!, Madison County object Lesson.
During Governor Shaw's admins
tration in the year 1893, the citizen
OF Madison county paid into the stat
Il treasury as the proceeds OF the stat
3 levy S13, 4763S. = Gentlemen, try an
carry the figures because they speal
j! in eloquent terms upon this so-calle
+ perfect administration In 1899, ur
! der Governor Shaw's administration
: the amount paid by you into the stat
Z treasury aggregated s11,546.s9. Dul
ing the year 1900, $10,613.02. Durin
$ 1861, $11,076.63, or an aggregate dul
ing these four years Of $46,713.02.