Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-11
TAX REFORM BILL IS
BEFORE LEGISLATURE
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prosecute for violations of the laws;
to require reports as to receipts from
taxes, licenses, etc; to summon Wit
nesses and examine; to investigate the
work of assessors and boards by WIS.,
Ting counties; to make changes IN
assessments upon complaint; to COM
pei county board to do its duty and
bring in court If necessary; to report
to the governor and legislature and
publish the revenue laws.
County assessors shall have terms
of four years and he shall cooperate
with the commission and local
assessors in securing the listing OF all
property at its true value, and ne may
assess against the proper persons
property he may find has been omitted
by the local assessors. He will make
rules for the guidance of the local
assessors, instruct them and assist the
commission in determining the cor
rectness of plats and other informa-
ton furnished by railway and other
companies.
A large part Of the bill Of ia
paragraphs is rewriting OF sections
of the code so as to conform 10 the
change contemplated in establish
ment of complete system of taxation
The law applies to all cities, towns
and townships. There is provision Tor
the removal of officers falling to 90
their duty and penalties for violation
of the law. Very extensive paragraphs
refer to the listing for assessment Oh
railway, express, telegraph, car line
and similar property. The duties Of
local assessors remain as at present
and they have terms OF office ana
compensation and are appointed or
elected as at present and upon their
attendance at the county tax meetings
they will receive compensation and
mileage. The bill removes all doubt as
to the meaning of many parts OF the
statute and is declared by its authors
to cover the whole ground very COM
pletely.
In a day or two the second OF the
bills for good roads will be presented
the legislature by the committee. This
will be the bill for millage tax. Much
work has been done to get this in ex-
cellent shape before it is brought out.
The members of the committee re-
gard this as by far the most Important
Of the bills. "The real problem In re-
gard to good roads," said one OF the
members, lis the problem OF how to
get the money to build them. We
have roads experts who are going to
be able to tell us about road mater
ials and road construction, when we
get the commission organized, but
over and beyond that is the one great
question of how to get the cash to pay
for the work to be done. 1t Is easy
enough to offer advice about just 60
ing to work with concrete and gravel
and brick and make the roads; but
somebody must pay for the roads. i
Now that the bill which might be
called the administration highway bill
has been before the full membership
for over week, and most of them
have had opportunity to consult with
the farmers and small property own
ers about it, an effort will be made
this week to find out if it can be pass
ed It is certain that the bill will be
amended on the floor, in fact that is
just what has been planned by those
in charge of the bill, since it was
known to be impossible to reconcile all
differences by committee agreements.
There will be offered on the floor
amendments affecting the pay of the
members Of the commission, some in
sisting that they should be we'll paid
and others that they should not be
paid at all. s.- .aa
It is known that members are ready
to make fight to take the commission
entirely away from all connection with
the college. The feature Of so organ
izing the commission that it will have
it's actual headquarters at Ames rather
than in Des Moines is very obnoxious
to certain large interests and much
political pressure will be exerted to
have this changed. ..r-
Already there is much talk by the
lobby to the effect that it is not advis-
able to have an engineer on the COM
mission, since the commission will be
authorized to employ an engineer. This
Is regarded as first step toward max
ing the commission purely political In
character.
There will be amendments offered to
affect the status of the engineers who
are expected to work for and in harm
ony with the county authorities and
an effort to have them selected by the
commission. Against this it will be
urged that there is great danger OF
friction If engineers are forced upon
counties who are not wanted.
The administration highway bill is
on the calendar in each house and
may be taken up at any time now.
Since it's distribution in printed form
to the taxpayers not petition has
been received advising it's defeat.
Probing Tax Reform Opponents.
The committee on retrenchment and
reform is showing great deal Of zeal
in probing into the origin and charac'
ter Of the fight that is being made up
on the tax reform measures and on
Friday and Saturday called before it a
number of witnesses who told what
they knew of the propaganda. The
committee was unable to find J. w
Johnson, the newspaper man, who has
fathered the whole scheme of lining UP
the farmers. It has not yet called
I. T. Jones, who is in charge of the
democratic end of the game. The
committee sent for E. H. Hunter and
he will appear. This will not be the
end Of the investigation, however, it is
said for q pOod MANY Interesting leads