The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-05-08
R. R. COMMITTEE
AND TAX MATTERS
WILL IT PROVIDE MACHINERY
KILLED BY LEGISLATURE?
THE STATE FAIR PASSES AGAIN
Effort May be Made to Restrict Them
10 Ehibitors, Newspaper Scribes
and Noted Visitors From Out
side the State of Iowa.

Des Moines, May Twill members
of the Retrenchment and Reform COM
mittee who favored the creation of a
Permanent Tax Commission" at.
tempt TO provide through the legisla-
tive discretion given them the expen-
sive machinery so decisively voted
down in the general assembly?
This question was made pertinent
during the first session of the Re-
trenchment and Reform committee by
the spirit manifested that the commit.
tee had right to take action contrary
to the legislative votes. For instance,
the committee took up consideration
of the question whether free passes to
the state fair should be abolished.
This was argued thoroughly in the
senate and the matter was ultimately
left as it was before. Then the com.
mittee gave consideration to the pro.
ject of providing state detective,
another project that lost out before
the assembly.
When the Permanent Tax Commits
sion bill was called up in the senate
by Senator Joseph Allen it was dis
posed of by reference to the Retrench-
nent and Reform committee. This
committee was given extended powers
and an appropriation of $4,000 to hire
such additional help as it deemed ad-
visable. Ii Is rumored Senator Allen
is inclined to take the action of the
senate with reference to the Tax bill
seriously and to ask the Retrench.
ment and Reform committee to appro-
pirate from the $4,000 sufficient
money to employ, number of experts
and create virtually a tax bureau.
In the meantime the executive coun.
Gil is laying plans for carrying out the
directions of the general assembly to
ascertain the true value of taxable
property. The legislature gave the
council carte blanc to spend as much
money as necessary to ascertain true
values. This would mean the estab-,
lishment of an ad valorem valuation
of all corporation property as we'll as
real and personal property. This is a
big job. 1t means practically a revo-
lntion in the taxation system of the
state. Governor Clarke was plainly
understood to favor a tax commission
and would probably not be opposed
to the Retrenchment and Reform
committee taking the political respon-
Gill; however, through the attorney gen.
eral will resist the order of the Polk
county district court enjoining them
to make true valuation not because
the council objects to the purpose of
the court ruling, but to the principle.
The council may go ahead and do the
work. but it objects TO establishing a
precedent that district court can
nj ~ .nlk ,Lok A. Il t.,
contended by the attorney general
that were this the law two different
districts might direct a state official
to do directly opposite things and he
could not obey both. The order of the
Polk county court came as result of
a suit started by the Iowa League of
Municipalities Should on final hear
ing the district court decide to make
its order permanent the state coun-
ell viii undoubtedly appeal at once
to the supreme court.
1t will be argued before the district
court, besides the question of the
courts right, that ii would be a ply
-s steal impossibiliay for the Executive
Council to obey. The writ is made
returnable August |. The Executive
council could not possibly make a
valuation Of all property in Iowa pro.
badly in less than year, and then
only with the assistance of a large
corps of surveyors and engineers.
Relative to the free pass to the
state fair the committee on Retrench.
ment and Reform called the secretary
before it to know what the effect
would be If the pass was restricted to
exhibitors, newspaper reporters and
noted visitors from out of the state.
II is apparent from the disposition
shown by the members that passes
will in some way be limited and
strict accounting be required. .
Secretary of State Allen appeared
before the committee yesterday after.
noon and asked that an investigation
he made Of the work in his office with
a view OF giving him additional help.
With all the employees working their
best, he says, the states work is pill.
ing up and not being taken care of as
promptly as should be with a suffi-
cient force. The Secretary of States
office was one of the few whose force
was reduced by the Retrenchment and
Reform committee during the session.
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