Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-11
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. INTER-.
q gsTs NOW USING REvEwsEn
ARGUMENT.
FARM AssEssMGNrs USED
TO nEFEAr PRooaEsslvEs
New the RaiIreads Present Figure
70 Show That Taxable Values 81
Farms Have Been reduced and Rail-
read Assessments 0eestsd- Pierce
Arsuss For Moro Equal lsviss.
special to esaRepublican.

Des MOtneS, july 1L-An Interesting
comparison might be made between
the literature which the political repre-
sentatives Of the Iowa railroads put be-
fore the state officers this week and
the literature which persons represent
ing more or less the same interests put
before the voters in their last campaign
to destroy the progressive movement
and nullify that which 1t was doing.
1t Is recalled that thousands OF dol
lars were spent few years ago to
| prove to the voters that a wicked pro-
gressive state administration had err
roneously increased the taxes Of the
farmers by boosting farm land assess
ments beyond reason, therefore that the
| Aforesaid administration ought to be
scourged from the earth, which was.
done.
Now the same figures, or those who
are in substantially the same employ
ment, come forward with an array OF
| figures to prove that under different
kind OF an administration the assess
| ment Of farm property has been re-
duced as compared with railroad prop.
ertg.
A new alignment Of interests is also
| sought. Justice to the owners Of city
! and village real estate" said Mr. Pol
| lys, tax commissioner for the Omaha
road. "as well as justice to the rail-
| roads, requires that the assessed valua-
ton Of farm lands. be substantially In
creased Certainly not less than 10 per
| cent for the state as a whole) and
that the assessed value Of city and VII
Ilage real estate and Of railroad prop
| erty be not increased"
This was the argument wrought out
| Of an array Of interesting statistics
showing what are actual conditions as
l to assessment and real value of prop
i efty. This showing was substantially
l that farm property Is assessed at about
II per cent Of its value. and this ratio
applied to railroad property would
/ mean that the council finds its value
to be $62,573 per mile; also that city
and village property Is assessed at
about 81 per cent Of its sale value
hence that the right thing to do Is to
raise the assessment on farm property
and leave 1t alone on railroads and city
d property. Probably this will be done.
It is stated that none Of the state
officers have saved any Of the liter
allure that was made use Of In the
campaign of 1905 or that OF 1908 having
relation to. the way the farmers Of the
state had got the worst Of it in assess
| ment and taxation matters.
Frank Pierce. representing the Iowa
tIteagueof municipalit ties. appeared before
n the council and spoke 1t some length
late yesterday afternoon. substantially
appealing to the council to secure q
lbetter adjustment OF values as between
urban and rural acreage. He presented
some figures secured from various
cities In the state showing, quite con-
trary to the figures Of Mr.. Pollys, that
lreal estate-in the cities and towns Is
assessed at very near full value. From
q number of cities he had figures show
ing that on sales asgresatins ss9o'ooo
the assessment was 100000 or ~ per
cent. I'm fact,":eiie said. "the assess
ment on urban property is more nearly
80 per cent of actual value, while we
have figures showing that on farm
property it is less than so per cent"
Mr.. Pierce rather ruffled the feelings
/ Of the railroad men and of the coun-
Gil in his arguments. He insisted that
the proper thing to do in regard to
! railroads is to assess each part Of
system separately and to consider
branch lines each one by itself. "You
can't assess the value of terminals and
put it upon the branch lines" he said.
| But that is just what we do" said the
! governor, ana we can 90 as we please
| in that matter" Mr.. Pierce also urged
the greater attention to earnings as a
factor In fixing values. He desired
that the earnings be capitalized and
that be used largely as a basis. His
attention was at once called to the fact
that capitalizing the earnings at per
cent meant q valuation substantially
that actually given by the council.
II have the notion" he added, that
the executive council does not pay very
much attention to these railroad as
sessments.''
You want to get that notion out Of
your head right away" said the COVER
nor.
An interesting colloquy took place
between the governor and Mr.. Pierce
over a question as to what to do in
equalizing. Mr.. Pierce insisted that the
council should find out true values of
different classes OF property and then
equalize.
But having done that" said the gov
y :