Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-31
couRr DECISIONS CONFUSING
RELAJbxE TO ASSESSMENT OF
BANK STOCKS.
NEW LAW 70 BE PASSED
WON'T RELIEVE PRESENT MIX
Present Muddis Strengthens Arsuren;
Fer Tax cemnnissien-Whcle Matter
to Be Referred to Attorney Genera!
cossen Merchants Want Law
CHANGED Relative to Pain, laeeIs.

bill TO place the assessment, a--G .AN4-
ton of stock Of national. state and saw
ings banks and loa. ara trust co,npa-
MES all on one basis, THAI OF haviI.S
the shares assessed 10 ths iElciv.dua.
shareholder g. other moneys and cred
its: bu, this will not straisnten out
the tangle into which this whole mat
ter has been thrown by reason Of GER
tain court decisions. as affecting this
years assessments. The demand Tor
copies of the recent decision IN the
Baskerville bank case has beer. SO
great that the supreme court clerk was
tempted to have it printed il pamphlet
form for Distribution. The whole mat
ter will soon go to Attorney Genera.
Cosson in the hope that he may ex-
plain the whole matter for the benefit
OF county officials all over the state.
The United states supreme court
held, in substance, that the Iowa meth
cd Of taxing g state bank was illegal;
then the Iowa supreme court he'd that
the method Of taxing shares Of s IA
tional bank was illegal. But the last
decision was based upon the former.
and involved solely question OF dis
elimination. The court at WashiDsson
held that the Iowa law which provided
for assessing shares in state bank 20
the bank itself was void because The
state had no right to pass any SUCH
law which might involve actual taxa
ton OF hon taxable government bonds
Then the Iowa court said that !, the
Iowa law as to assessment OF shares OF
a state bank g void, it would be wrong
TO assess shares Of national banks the
same way.
a new angle has been given the mat
ted by discovery tha- the low OF Iowa
which the federal court declared null
did not pretend TO repeal any prior
law, which raises the question TO
whether or not the old law is not still
In force. And If 1t IS still in force then
shares Of state and savings banks may
be assessed to the individual, owners
now: but otherwise there is 10 way a.,
all for taxing them until the legislat-
>ure has fixed it UP.
But if 1t - found that the old law Of
Iowa is still il forc-and neither
court has decided that poinl-,hez the
latest decision by the Iowa court was
erroneous, because there was 10 dis
elimination as between the two kinds
of bank stock in matter q assessment.
This, then, is the rangle which the
toffice Of attorney general has set out
ITO make straight and until il is done
sthe assessors and county officials will
mot know just what to do about the
spresent assessments. The legislature
can Ak it for the future. The whole
tmatter has suggested to the legislature
a new argument IN favor Of a tax COM
mission to make q complete inquiry.
into the Iowa assessment ard taxation
system.
The bill by Senator McCol, to change
the law as to paint labels IS fathered by
retail merchants who complain OF the
present situation. The Law now re-
quires that for mixed paints the fo-nu-
la be printed on the label. The change
would be 20 have the label law cover
only ouch paints as are sold for pure
lead, and as to others have a strtngec:
provision against misrepresentation.
Under the present system some o. the
Iowa manufacturers OF paints are con-
PEELED to sell their products ali outside
the state. In Dies Moines is one large
factory which does not sell any paint 81
iowa, because IL can not afford 20 dis
close trade secrets az TO the compost
'tion Of the mixture But the most seri-
Gus com plant is that the Requirement
TO have the composition OF a mixed
paint made public opens the way TO
gross frauds by those who put up q
mixture OF the same kind but fail TO
make it into paint.
A memorial from Marion county n
the house indicates about wha. the
country people are thinking on the road
law. Il came from g convention o:
arustees and especially opposed a state
highway commission but favored a
county engineer or authority for -he
board to employ the surveyor or an en-
gineer In laying out roads. Mem ers
say that the sentiment IS strong in the
rural district for retaining local control
over the road work
Representative Ripley fathers oil.
which would require that foreign cor
porations doing business in Iowa list
with the secretary OF state for assess
.snent purposes their properly used in
the business in Iowa and all seourf ties
necessary to that use. The bill would
also require such reports on earnings
and business as would furnish q basis
for taxation.
The senate had on its calendar ready
for action this morning. the following
bills: BY Smith, Of Mitchell. for Ore
gon plan" OF elect,ng senator's; by
eammis, relating to the statute Of
frauds; also one relating to the COM
mencement Of actions: Smith. Of Shell
by. relating to crossing OF traction en-
81nss over culverts: also one pertaining
20 exemption from taxation: Gilli,land
relating to the collection Of taxes on
1nheritances: White, in reference to the
federal census: Chapman. relating to
Inheritance under will: Allen, Of JET
kerson, relating to the burial OF INDECENT
soldiers; Allen, Of Pocahontas, legal
fling act: and one by the committee on
penitenttaries and pardons relative to
pafdons Of life termers.
1Gtssial 10 strengthen their opposi-
k1on to the Adjustment OF the Offices
Of state printer and binder was found
BY those who favor the present system
when the bill va presented for the
Dsin<tnG ard binding Of he report o,
0GsoeUor CaxToll's river, navigation
~ eonservat3on commission. Thi.
eoGAmlssjon has Just had printed n
elAbefote report. It cost the STATE
41.e4l.S0. II it had been done by thu
otAto pe1ntsr and binder ~ are Other