Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-19
AS TO DRAINAGE TAXES.
fJararSny Rec I

JSU Dell
II becomes more and more apparent
that the drainage law should be
amended TO provide a more satisfac-
tory and just time of settlement by the
payers Of the special tax. AT present
as soon az the board Of supervisors
accepts the report of the appraisers.
and finally fixes the amount of the tax
against each Individual or piece OF
property. the entire amount of the
levy is spread upon the books OF the
county treasurer, and unless paid i'm
mediately it begins to draw interest at
the rate of 6 per cent; and in case 1t
goes past the following March i peripd,
a special penalty is added thereto. II
is no, strange that before any exper-
ieys.e was had in the work, this should
have appeared to be a simple and prop
or method of adjusting the matter;
but the years of practical drainage
construction have demonstrated lts
ineauity, and its unnecessary hardshlp
upon those who are already IN many
GA ses bearing a heavy burden. There
comes TO our mind one case in greene
county wherein ditch was estimated
70 cost SIC, 900. and of this amount
81. 900 was paid in cash by properly
owners in the district a year ago; put
for one reason and another practically
no work has yet been done on TINS
ditch. and some Of the taxpayers VIII
he ont OF the use OF their money at
least two years before they get a pen
ny's worth of benefit. This may De an
exceptional case, but it is one OF many
more or less aggravated Uhe law
should be altered so that a small pro-
nortion-say one third-of the special
tax should be due and payable as soon
as the contract is let; another thiro
should he payable when the engineer
certifies to the board OF Supervisors
that the work is half done; the last
third when the work is completed ana
accented. In a good many cases the
-payer, in order to pay the, special
tax in cash. goes to the bank and Dor
rows the money. paying per cent Tor
its use. and then to see 1t lie In the
county treasury a year or tWo' ooihs
nobody any good, is not only very ag-
grayating, but is positively wrong.
In behalf OF very large NUMBER OF
persons who in the fat portions OF the
state are carrying heavy burdens OF
taxation for the purpose or carrying ON
these public improvements, the law
should be altered, along the lines sug-
gested, by the coming general assem-
bly,.
GETTING BACK TO THE SOIL.
[Real Estate Journal
| The population Of this country is
restless all the time. and In this
restlessness people are moving hither
and yon, changing occupation, seeking
other employment, other environments,
and in their moving about they go from
country to town and from town to
country. Farmers are retiring and
moving off the farm and townspeople
are dissatisfied and are moving back
| to the land. This has been going on
for years. sometimes in favor OF the
country and sometimes favoring the
town. We hear Of those who better
themselves by moving from country to
| town. but this is the exception rather
| than the rule. Then, occasionally we
hear of a person who betters his con-
dition greatly by moving from city to
country. OF this latter class we wish
/ to sneak about at this time.
| We have in mind q man who en-
lsxsed in the lumber business and be-
cause Of some intricacies In the bust
ness OF which he had not become aware,
ha yvas closed out. Being builder he
besan the business OF building and was
fairly successful when he lost his
health and in . few months he had lived
up his substance and was Obliged tc
Ket out. An opportunity a9corded fol
moving into an abandoned farm house
and the owner ok the land thru the big
mess OF hiS heart told him that he could
have the lots and waste land about the