Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-09


in Iowa IN 1910 WAS approximately
$6S1.000,000. Under the Kansas system
this would be increased to approxi-
spends closely with the federal census
report.
Taxation 81 Railroads.
According to Mr.. Brindley the total
assessed value Of property In Marshall
county 10 100000; Of the city Of
Marshalltown. 31.s29.626; total as
sessed value Of railroads In the coun-
ty, $1.250.000; and of railroads in the
city. $s4.325. The total assessed value
in the rural districts is about one fifth
Of the total assessed value of all prop
erty In the county. The total assessed
value in the city. as compared with the
entire county. 10 about ne-fifteenth.
The railroad values are SO distributed
that a small portion apparently is in
the city.
The railroads in Washington, Lee
Grand. State Center. Timber Creek
Liscomb, and Greencastle townships
each has larger or as large assessed
valuation as the city. Washington has
approximately $4,000 more assessed
valuation Of railroads than Marshall
! town.
The law for the assessment and tax
alton of railroads was placed on the
| statute book, said Mr.. Brindley, by the
late Judge Hubbard. of Cedar Rapids
then attorney for the Northwestern
| railroad. The roads entered the state
in 1856 and were taxed on their cap
ital stock until 1892. Then as wal
| measure the system was changed and
they were taxed on the gross receipts
this system maintaining until 1872
Under that plan half of the revenues
thus derived from the roads went tt
the state and half to the various
counties, The plan now advocated fol
reapportionment Of railroad tax by the
| Iowa League Of Municipalities, dates
back to 1866.
In 1872 the cities blundered IN de.
! manding not only taxes Of roads II
| their midst, but also the right of rail.
| road assessment. The roads did not OBJ.
ject so much to local taxation. but wer,
| bitterly opposed to local taxati
Judge Hubbard then did the most logi:
! cal thing he could do for his clients. H,
| went to the rural communities and saiG
to the farmers: You are helping t
! make the roads valuable by shipping
your stock over the lines, and now the
cities want to reap the benefits of the
taxation" AS result he won to hi!
side the farmer legislators and the Law
of 1872 was passed. which is still in full
effect.
Rap at Executive Council.
! In closing Mr.. Brindley took raj
| at the executive council as an insti
tuition, declaring the taxation Of specla
| service corporations by that body :
farm. 1t is impossible, he said, To-
four men, burdened with other duties
to review properly the great amount o
material to be reviewed in the shor
| time OF two weeks. What these mel
are called on to do in two weeks, h,
said, would take the same number o
equally intelligent men a year to &C
complish.
Special service corporations, he said
should be assessed as unit, and tn
taxes should go to the state treasury
and the taxes for roundhouses, term1
nails, and switch tracks to munfcipa
treasures. The great evil of the pres
ent system Of railroad assessment lie
right here. said the speaker. In Wash
ington township, where the roads hav
hxed ahigh valuation. they are pawn,
on their property at a rate of % mills
while in Marshalltown, where thesval
uatinp. is $4,000, less. they are. payin.
Fdn an assessment Of approximately 9
1 mills. There is where the system i
1 wrong and where it works to the adj
vantage of the roads.