Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-02
IOWA TAX COMMISSION MAY PAT.
TERN NEW LAW AFTER SUN.
FLOWER STATE PLAN.
PEOPLE BACKING WORK
DONE BY COMMISSION
Railroads Complain That Kansas Law
Has Resulted in Increase in Taxable
Valuation Of lines-An Endorsement
for kstchum-Priees for Asphalt
Paving Lower Because Of competi.
ton.
,ecial to Times-Republican.

Lies MONIES, May Iowa may nave
a permanent tax commission patterned
after the one in operation in Kansas
The Iowa tax commission returned
from Topeka we'll pleased with what
was discovered there as to the work
ings of a tax commission.
There is this difference between the
Iowa way and the Kansas way" said
Representative Ripley, of the commits
sion, that in Iowa we commence at
the bottom with all authority and as
we go up decrease the authority, and
in Kansas the authority is placed at
the central point and goes out from
there to all parts Of the state. Our
system is simply inverted"
The commission found that in Kan
sas the people generally support the
work being done by the permanent tax
commission, that they not only approve
it but are backing it up in perhaps
going further than the strict letter Of
the law would indicate. For in
stance it is found that as in the case
Of all new laws there are defects, but
the commission goes ahead and does
what is right and the people are
standing back of the commission.
The railroads complain that one re-
suit has been too great an increase
in the taxes paid by them. The taxes
paid by the Santa Fe railroad per mile
because Of the tax commission are
much higher than the railroad taxes in
Iowa. 1t is assessed at $4,000 a mile
and the company claims it could be
duplicated for half that sum.
The Kansas commission has author
ity to equalize taxes and to direct
how assessments shall be made SO that
the property is assessed equally all
over the state. The Iowa commission
spent several days there not only in
vestigating the commission but find
ing out what the people think about
it,
At the last meeting Of the traffic
committee of the Davenport CONNER
cial Club the following resolution was
adopted:
In view of the fact that the eff
forts of Mr.. N. S. Ketchum, now
chairman of the Iowa board
Of railroad commissioners, have
always been for the upbuilding of this
state both in agriculture and the devel-
oping Of manufacturing and especially
the record that he has already made
while member OF this board, we, the
traffic committee of the Davenport
Commercial Club, do hereby heartily
endorse Mr.. N. S. Ketchum, of Mar
shall county. for denomination"
The Iowa switching case is to be ar
Sued to the railroad commission on
June 5 at which time the representa-
tives of the manufacturing interests
will urge that the commission declare
its authority to define switching
zone. The commission will also con-
slider condemnation case relating to
Kilbourne on the Rock Island on May
IA.
The state educational department is
arranging to designate a number Of
additional high schools for receiving
state aid next year. The appropria-
ton by the Thirty-fourth general as
sembly makes possible aid for nearly
100 schools and only half have been
designated. The success Of the work
the first year has been such as to in
sure permanency in the work of edu-
eating the teachers for rural school
work.
The late Thomas G. Dawson, whose
death occurred yesterday in Washing
ton was popular during his residence
in Des Moines, and tho he seldom WIS.,
tied here since he entered the diplo-
matte service he was well known to
a great many Iowa people. In his early
career he was associated with the late
| Edwin H. Conger, minister to Brazil.
Mr.. Dawson commenced the practice of
i law mere, but early in 1890 he took a
turn at newspaper work by becoming
city editor of theA old Des Moines
Leader later going to the Des Moines
Register as city editor. 1t was later
| that he went to Council Bluffs to en-
gage in the practice of law It was
while he was on the Des Moines Regis
ter, then owned by Richard Clarkson,
that he induced his brother, Allen, to
come to Iowa and engage in newspaper
work and to succeed him on that
paper.
pes Moines is to get cheaper asphalt
paving as the result Of sundry agita-
tions that have been going on and the
appearance of several firms making
bids. Offers for asphalt paving as low
at s1.64 yard have been received.
A party Of students from the State
College at Ames, many of them stu
dents in Journalistic classes and espe-
cially interested in agricultural jour-
nalism, are in the city today and will
be the guests at dinner Of James M.
III III n,,,,a n4snc