Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-10-18
TAX Commission Reports.

Tax Commission Reports.
A bill providing for the creating o
. permanent tax commission, which
would cost the state $4,000, includ
ing commissioners salaries and clerl
hire, but not including travelling ex
penses FOR extensive junkets, was sub
mitted to Governor B. f. Carroll b.
the special tax commission along will
the report of its findings, after an ex
tended Investigation into taxing meth
DDS in other states. The bill also pro
vides for county assessors to get sal
aries ranging from $1,000 to $4,000
year and travelling expenses. The
assessors are to be elected. but the
members of the commission are to b
appointed by the governor
The report charges that rural prop
erty valuations are not proportionate
ly as large as city property valua
tons. 1t is pointed out that this dis
elimination is made for political pur
poses
The report of the commission to b.
appointed by the governor, county as
SCISSORS to be elected, separation oil
state and local revenues. listing Of
property at actual value and assess
ing it at that value instead of 25 pei
cent Of the value, more equitable
method of farm assessments. banl
surplus taxed on fiat rate the same az
money and credits, more systematic
method OF obtaining valuations Of
public service corporations and Civ
ing the county boards Of review a,r
thority to equalize individual assess
ments.
Governor Carroll On Prisons.
Gov B. F. Carroll, who has just 70
turned from a trip to penal institu
tons in Colorado, Georgia, Arkansas
Mississippi. Louisiana. Alabama, Ok
lahoma and other southern states. de
clared that nowhere did he find
dietary as good as maintained in the
Iowa institutions. and nowhere. with
the exception of Colorado. was the ed
ucation and morals OF the prisoner
looked after as it is in Iowa.
The governor had great deal to
say of his trip. He studied the sys
tenn of putting prisoners on farms and
road work, but declared that such a
system would have its drawbacks iD
Iowa because OF the severity of the
winters which prevent out Of door
work for five months at least. This
state, he said. faced tho necessity Of
providing employment indoors during
that length Of time, for idleness is
the bane of prison life.
The governor is favorable to out
door employment for the men if it can
be practicable in the state. He faw
ored adding more land to Anamosa,
500 to 1000 acres. perhaps. He thought
it would be good thing to add land
to the Fort Madison penitentiary. He
favored the working OF per cent Of
the prisoners out of doors provided
something could be ound which
would dovetail into the outdoor work
for the five months OF winter the mon
would have to be housed.
State Should Have the Revenues.
The report of the tax commission
appointed by Governor Carroll should
lead to the submission of cOnstitu.
tional amendment il that is found
necessary to permit the state to draw
its revenues from taxes on corpora
tons.
There is every reason why the rail-
road tax. for instance, should go ia
the state. There is no. way to equit.
~, t~,, tnu
ships and counties. There is no way
to equalize as between cities where
there are expensive terminals ana
the country at large. where the bulk
Of mileage is found.
II the railroad tax. and the tele.
phone tax, and the express company
tax. and such other taxes were to bs
added to inheritance taxes, the state
would be freed wholly from the need
Of direct levies on the property OF
the counties. We should have no di.
rect state tax. Levies in the coun.
ties could then be made wholly with
reference to local needs, and each
county could be left to it's own de.
vices In the matter OF assessment.
The New Tax Scheme.
The state tax commission. q crea,
ture of the last legislature, has not
made happy beginning. In IT'S re.
port to the governor. this commits.
sion lays stress upon the statement
that Iowa farms have been getting
too low an assessment. as compared
with city property. and it seems to
be alleged that this is due to politics.
The farmers are not the only ones
who need to be singled out in such a
criticism. There are others and the
commission might have done better
to have omitted all invidious compari.
sons.
Sterilization 10 Ordered.
!. H. Sasseen, milk inspector. has
ordered that all milk bottles used by
dairy companies shall be sterilized
with hot water or steam before being
used. The inspector is examining all
diaries to ascertain whether any dis.
eased person is employed The diph.
liberia situation is improving in the
city. There was but one new case
reported and the health authorities
say that the backbone of the epidem-
ic is broken. They declare that the
seventeen day period of incubation
has passed and the situation is mend
ing.