Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-10-29

p. c. Dunraven of Lyons started
this interesting ball. He wrote the
commissioners a petition asking that
molasses feed for cattle, now shipped
fourth class in less than carloads and
at corn tariff rates in carloads, be
put 20 per cent higher than carload
rates on wheat.
| In this form the commission issued
! its notice of the hearing Then came |
/ the roar.
! 1t is now supposed that Mr. Dun
raven intended to ask the commission |
to reduce the rate on molasses feed |
for cattle from fourth class in less
than carload lots, only, to 20 per cent
above wheat rates. If he alluded to
the carload rate for feed, his petition
really stands for an increase of about
80 per cent in the rates, and it is not
understood that he actually wants that
sort of disposition of the case.
Copies of his request have been
furnished to the complaining and ex-
cited food concerns, Wells-Hord Grain |
company of Cedar Rapids, NJ. G.
Peters Mill company of Omaha and
others. The matter will be capable
of adjustment at the hearing the oath.
Tax Penalty Law is Mild.
Attempt to penalize property
owner to the extent of 100 per cent
of the value of his assessable wealth,
because of alleged erroneous state,
ment of his interests to the assessor,
was baked by the supreme court
Frank Stein of Guthrie county gave
in his monies and credits and claimed
an Offset of large part of it IN tho
shape of a note for $4,000 to his
brother in Omaha. The tax ferrets
got busy and when the courts finally
got through with Mr.. Stein he found
that he was assessed $4,000, where
as the utmost value of his property
was $4,000, allowing him no offset
for debts at all.
Judge Gamble was the presiding
judge. The supreme court assumed
that he had taken it for granted that
the rule of the written contract being
the best evidence applied to the case
} under consideration. But it did not.
} The debt was a fact in itself and
could be shown without the exhibit
of the note.
, Moreover, the authorities had adj
ded 100 per cent penalty to the as
sessment after having refused to de-
. duct the debt that Mr. Stein owed.
} This was a misapplication of the
statute, says the supreme court. It's
position was put this way:
"Only where there is refusal to fur.
nish to the assessor verified state
ment or to list property subject to
taxation that penalty is authorized
to be imposed.
IF the property, owner makes
statement to the assessor of his pos
sessions, he cannot be penaliZed in
this way when a correction Is made.
If he makes false statement he can
be prosecuted for perjury"
Take Up Road Tar Idea.
Members of the board of supervis-
! ors are reading with considerable in.
? terest of experiments in the east
whereby liberal coat of tar has had
a wonderful effect upon highways. 1t
is not improbable that fund will be
set aside for use in experimenting on
some of the roads leading into the
: city. The tar is said to lay dust and
prevent mud, and is of particular value
upon hilly highways. Clay roads are
, said to be especially benefited.
The question of improvement Of
highways is each year growing in
Importance and the supervisors are
. spending more than the ordinary
: amount of nerve fibre in conjuring up
:. methods by which farmers may find
: it easier to get into Des Moines.
: If the tar coating as an experiment
: on country roads is successful some
= = of the city's unpaved streets will be
!. Supervisors Have Power.
1t was decided by the supreme court
: that boards of supervisors have
e power or authority under the law to
r provide for the outlet of drainage
q bitches outside of their own counties,
n and persons who suffer damage from
r. the overflow or outlet of such bitches
9 must stand for it without recourse.
). That was the gist of the opinion filed
e in the case of Sadie Kinnan Clary
|, against the supervisors of Woodbury.
county, affecting the damage done
her farm in Monona county onto
\. on it's way to Whisky creek. The
e overflow from the ditch makes the
S creek overflow on her land, but she
|. has no recourse.
q Charged with attempting to black
n mail j. l.. Carey. well known local
capitalist, Charles Mitchell, colored
. and his wife, who is white, were
- bound over to the federal grand jury
:. by United States Commissioner NC
. Arthur. Recently Mr.. Carey turned
= over to the federal authorities foul
letters which he had received since
!. last July, all demanding money. The
!. writer gave her name as Gertie
II Owens and her address as i245 Norti
n Fourteenth street. She charged
= Carey with being the father of one
g OF her children and threatened to ex
o pose him to his family unless he pait
her $4,000. the arrest followed.
Important Notice.
IS take pleasure in informing the PEG
Il III, th Of: haua