Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-03

CCtAa Vi oAaAAAsANACAs ohA1A ~ A1Wg
is powerless to remedy that condition,
as it has no authority to ~equalize the
values of different pieces of real
estate located in the same county, but
only to equalize the valuation in one
county, as a unit, with that of the
other counties in the state, the city of
st. Louis being taken as a county.
The local condition in the county or
city can only be reached and RENE
died by the local assessor and the
local board.
The State Board of Equalization,
under the law, assesses the public
ser,ice corporations in the state, and
during the last four years we have
increased the assessment on such
property $22,015 SAB over the assess.
ment as fixed by the Republicans in
the last year they controlled the
board, to-wit, 1908, Notwithstanding
they assessed for the first time during
the years they controlled the board
S39 miles of new road, whereas we
have had but 229 miles of new road.
The assessment of the properties in
this state on June l, 1911, for the
taxes of 1912, was as follows; Real
estate, $1,1S2, 9OO,552; personal prop
erty, 1858, 972,522; railroad, telegraph,
telephone, ETC., $185, 498,514 making
the grand total of all properties ST.
736,371,588.
The total receipts into the state
treasury to the credit of the various
funds during the year 1911, and with
which to meet the demands on the
various funds and the expenses and
liabilities of the state government,
were 1888, 067. so. Of this amount
nearly $4,000, 900 went to the state
revenue fund. The are am
pie and sufficient to meet all the de-
mands of the state and raise its
e~leemosynary, penal and educational
institutions to the very highest
standard and furnish the best evil
dence why the taxes of the people Of
this state should not be doubled and
trebled merely to satisfy an appetite
for a spectacular and extravagant ad-
ministration.
In 1909 the Governor offered a SUBJ
stitute resolution, the purport Of
which was to treble the taxes on all
real estate, ETC., by assuming that the
property was assessed at one-third its
value, and by requiring the property
to be equalized at it's full cash value.
The duties of the State Board in
equaliZing properties are fixed by the
Constitution, and that provision is
self-enforcing.
This substitute resolution was de-
feated by the votes of Gordon, Roach
and myself, thus preventing the taxes
from being trebled. In other words,
if the state tax on a certain piece of
real estate was $50, had the resolu-
ton been adopted it would have been
$3.50, a net yearly increase of 500.
The adoption of the resolution would
not have brought to the books for as
sessment or taxation a single added
dollar or reached a single t~ax-dodger.
1t will not do to say the rate was to
be changed, as the board has nothing
to do with and cannot change the tax
rate. The state rate is fixed by stat
ute and can be changed only by an
act of the legislature. Il needs no
argument to convince anyone that the
trebling of the assessed value would
treble the tax. No amount of sophis-
try a escape this conclusion.
Board of Prison Inspection.
The Board of Prison Inspectors,
composed of Auditor Gordon, Treas
urer Cowgirl and myself, prescribe the
uniform and clothing, food, rules and
regulations for the Missouri peniten-
tiary. We have brought about some
needed reforms in that institution,
such reforms as we believed would be
conducive to the welfare of the peni-
Tertiary, the conyicts and the state.
In carrying out that purpose we pro-
vided better food and more comfort
able clothing for the convicts, there
by placing them in better physical
condition to perform their labors. I'm
der the advocacy of Judge Cowgirl, we
abolished the stripes and provided the
convicts with solid uniforms. Having
improved the mental and physical con-
dition of the inmates, and having
brought about a better feeling, the
contractors were required to pay an
increased wage, with no allowance for
apprenticeship. These contracts were
mazda nv the warden and 9pnrnved nv
the board. In this way these reforms
have been accomplished without add
ed expense to the state. The Board
of Inspectors has in every way posi-
BILE and within its power done all it
could to bring about a betterment of
conditions, humanitarian and other
wise, in this, the largest penal insti-
tuition in the United States.
Secretary of State.
Honorable Cornelius Roach, the
present Secretary of State, is ever
active in discharging the business Of
his office and in the matter of making
money for the people has become
a real mint. He has set a new stand
ard and scale of excellence unequaled
in the history of the department. We
must commend his energy and eff
cheney.
Notwithstanding the destructive
fire which within two hours de.
stroyed the capitol the night of Feb
ruary 5, 1911. he saved all the state