Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-16
TAX R[V|S|ON!SIS
1O MIKE CAMPAIGN
Active Work to Be Carried on
From Now Until Legisla-
ture Meets
BIG MEETING TO BE HELD SOON
Lines Along Which Work Will Be
Pushed to Be Determined Upon-De-
batsAle Questions Arc Mortgages
and k\,ies and credits-Stooks and
Bond. Exemption Widely Favored.
pecial to Times Republican.

| SDeCtal l1meS-1epuDl1Cu
Des Moines, July 16.-The Iowa Tax
Revision association may have some
difficulties competing for popular at
tention during the next ten weeks OF
the campaign, but 1t proposes to carry
its campaign for revision OF the tax
laws along till the time when the leg
islature meets. The association pro-
poses to hold big meeting In Des
Moines some time within a few weeks.
Thus far the association Is not pledged
to any particular line of tax reform.
At the meeting soon to be held. how
ever, there probably will be an agree.
ment as to just what will be asked of
the legislature. For the present 1t Is
favor OF revision. 1t is taken as
granted that all are ready to concede
that the present tax system is bad and
needs revision.
The lines along which the commits
sion Is working are not difficult or
comprehension. 1t is taken as for
gone conclusion that there will ever
be assessment and taxation of real es-
tate The question Of taxation OF
mortgages and monies and credits
and personal property and stocks and
bonds is debatable one first as to
whether they should be taxed at all or
not and second If taxed how
There is considerable sentt-
cfn kS and
bonds. It is claimed. that
tie stocks and bonds ever found by the
assessor and 1t Is not believed that 1t
ever will be all returned under any
kind Of law. 1t is furthermore argued
that the concern issuing the stocks and
bonds pays taxes once so that the fur
ther tax is double tax.
On the question of mortgages there
is much sentiment in favor OF adopting
the Minnesota proposition of fixing a
recording tax of SO cents on each 800.
| This is one-half of 1 per cent and
where the mortgage is recorded for
| five-year period 1t amounts to very
little The vital point in the taxation
! Of mortgages is the fact that for
| eign corporation owning mortgages on
Iowa property does not have to pay
any tax while the local Iowa man who
owns mortgage on his neighbors'
property does have to pay tax 1t is
believed that by fixing a mortgage tax.
that the discrimination would be re-
moved and money on mortgage secur-
tiles could be had at less rate or In
terest and furthermore the burden
would be on all mortgages for the rea-
son that they could not be recorded
unless they paid the tax.
Ex-Mayor Pierce of Marshalltown
who is one of the leaders of the tax
revision association believes that one
of the greatest needs in Iowa is the
clothing with power for some commits
sion or the executive council to really
have charge of the assessment for the
entire state In many states there are
permanent tax commissions. New
| York, Massachusetts,, Pennsylvania.
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri and
Kansas all have permanent commits
sions. In most states these commissions
/ have actual power beyond that OF
| euualfzing assessments. Where the To-
cal authorities have not done proper
| lob of assessing county the state
commission has authority to order 1t
done over again. This works so that
| there is an actual adjustment over tne
state.
| The question of railroad taxation
has not been gone into in the deeper
sense by the association to any great
extent tho one of the professors at thu
State Agricultural College Is now
working along that line It is prob
able that the association will urge
some changes in the taxation Of ter
minals for the benefit of the cities.
| Patience Is ceasing to he virtue
with the trustees of the State Agricul-
tural College at Ames in the matter OF
the electric railroad that passes thru
the grounds and when the trustees are
not entertaining hard thoughts against
the road for not filling its promises,
they are discussing the legislature ana
asking why the legislature should be
so determined to put clogs in the cog
wheels of progress.
The legislature allowed the electrical
road to go thru the grounds at Ames
and allowed the trustees to make the
contract but left it to the executive
[ council to enforce the contract With
this three cornered arrangement 1T
takes weeks to get anything done. The
depot has not been built yet and the
company has promised a 20 minute
service and is giving only a 30 minute
service. 1t keeps promising but the
trustees seem not satisfied with prom
ises.
LARGEST FUNERAL AT BOONE.