The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-03-13
Permanent TAX
COMMISSION BILL
- n a - - -
MEASURE is EXTENSIVE, COVER.
ING II TYPEWRITER PAGES.
MANY INNOVATIONS OFFERED
Commission to be Created to be Com.
posed Of Three Men at Salary
Of $500 Each Per Year-Seere-
tary to Get $4,000 Per Year.


Des Moines, March 10.-The Per.
nanent Tax Commission BilP' as
drafted by the subcommittee of the
Ways and Means committees was to-
day introduced in both branches of
the Iowa legislature. The chief pro
visions are:
Permanent State Commission
of three members.
County Assessors.
Local Assessors. #
Physical valuation of utility
corporations and ad valorem tax.
Actual valuation market valued
real estate and personal property.
Five mill tax ON moneys and
credits.
Terminal tax on railroads for
citiec. ''-'A
Foreign insurance companies
taxed per centage of gross Iowa
premiums.
County insurance companies
per cent gross premiums.
Limitation of county's tax levy
right.
Increased taxable valuations
anticipated.
The bill is extensive in detail, COW
ering seventy-seven typewriter legal
sized sheets of paper. The innova-
tions offered in the matter of revenue
reform in Iowa, however, are in sub
stance as follows:
d. ... Organization.
The permanent state tax commits
sion created Is to be composed Of
three men appointed by the governor
and approved by the Senate, the flrst's
term to expire in 1915, the seconds
in 1917 and the last in, 1919, and
thereafter one every two years. The
salary of each commissioner is to be
$4,000 per year. A secretary at ST.
40 per year is provided. together with
Office help, experts, etc. Printing,
binding. etc. Appropriation for the
expense OF the commission Is provid-
cd without limitation.
4: is provided there shall be APP
pointed in each county q county asses
sor for the term of four years. He is
to be- named by the county auditor,
treasurer. recorder, clerk and chair
man of the Board of Supervisors.
His salary will be in counties with a
population up to $1,000, annually ST.
200; in 10000 counties $500: in 30
900 counties $500; in $4,000 coun-
ties $4,000; in up to 100000 counties
$4,000; in. counties with 100000 popu-
lation or over $4,000. He is author
lied to employ deputy at 81 per
day when he needs one.
The county assessor has the right
to review and raise or lower the as
scssmcnts of local assessors. From
his action there is a right of appeal
to the supervisors as a board of re-
view and from there to the district
court. The state commission has the
right to raise and lower values in
counties, cities or townships and d.
rect the county assessor to so cor
rect taxation lists. From their de-
cision there is no appeal.
The Power. =,
Besides the power to raise or lower
valuation on any parcel OF property
the state commission is given the
right to compel all private banking
institutions to make complete re-
port of deposits, loans, etc, similar
to the report now required by the au-
ditor of state banks; to require all
telephone companies to report the
physical valuation of lines, including
number of poles, instruments, miles
of wire, offices, ETC.; to provide q
physical valuation of railroads, tele-
graph companies, express companies,
etc; classify personal property to be
assessed; require reports on capital
stock and business OF corporations
with amount of dividends etc.
The Methods. -
The commission is given authority
by the proposed law to gather from
officers of railroads all necessary data
to compile a physical valuation and
providing the property shall be taxed
on its actual valuation.
The Terminal Tax.
Relative to the redistribution OF
this valuation for taxation purposes
is provided as follows:
"0n or before the first Monday in
August in each year, the tax commits
sion shall transmit to the county au.
ditor of each county, through and into
which any railway may extend,
statement showing the length of the
main track within the county. and the
assessed value per mile of the same,
as fixed by ratable distribution per
mile of the assessed valuation of the
whole property, and at the same time
the commission shall apportiOn the
assessed valuation of the whole prop
erty to the representative cities and
towns, through and into which such
railway extends In the proportion
that the value of the immovable tan
gible property of the railway lying
within each city and town bears to
the whole value of such property
within the state which apportion-
ment shall be transmitted In such
statement. e'',mn
"All such railway property shall be
taxable upon said assessment at the
same rate by same officers and
for the same purposes as the property
of individuals within such counties,
cities. towns, townships and lesser
taxing districts"
A gross premium tax Is provided
for insurance companies incorporated
outside of the state. II is provided
they shall pay tax of two and one
half per cent on the gross premiums
received In the state. Local insur-
ance companies are 10 be taxed the
same as other corporations-th real
aud personal property where located
and the shares OF stock at the resi-
dence OF the owner. County insur-
ance companies, organized for pecun-