The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-13
WHO RAISED THE TAXES?

The republican newspapers OF tne
state owe it to their readers as a
matter of news and to the public OF
t,cials whose service they Will pc
called upon to commend in the next
camDaign, to ascertain the exact re-
ration the tax leyies in their respec-
tive counties, under the new assess
ment. bear to the tax levies under
the old assessment and to publish
the comparison in type so bold that
NOT y single voter will be lett IN
doubt about where the responsibility
rests for next years high taxation.
The Register and Leader has yet
to hear of a single county Where the
tax levy has been reduced in any
where near the proportion that the
assessment has been Increased, "nlle
il has learned of so many counties
where the leyies have actually been
raised that it cannot but look for
ward to a tremendous outburst OF
INDIGNATION when next springs tax
having time brings home to the in
diyidual taxpayer just what has nap
pened.
The important fact to have in
mind and to keep in mind is that
the responsibility for taxes rests
wholly with tax levying bodies. the
tax levying bodies are not the execu-
tive council not the local assessors.
They are the legislature, the county
boards, the city councils, the school
boards, and the township trustees.
Taxation does not turn on the rate
at which property is assessed. IL
turn on the number of mills on the
dollar levied after the assessment is
known.
Whether Judge Brennan could en-
force this order upon the executive
council to bring assessments up 10
the level ordered by the statutes, mas
rot been tried out. The court IS
one branch of the government, the
executive council another. But With
out an order from the court there
was every reason why the executive
council should obey the law and
insist upon having the law obeyed.
Taxes need be no higher with prop
erty assessed at it's actual market
value than at one-fourth OF IFS actual
market value. Why then should not
the executive council read what the
statutes say and act accordingly.
In Polk county and in the city OF
Des Moines the commercial BODIES
busted themselves the moment the
new assessment was published to Sc
cure a proper reduction in tax levles.
They succeeded fairly we'll with b0th
county board and city council. But
lin other counties and towns nothing
was done. and the boards taking
pubifc Indifference for consent have
made leyies that will add fifty per
cent to the burden OF taxation, IN
hundreds of instances with no det1-
mite notion of what they will 40 with
the money.
The republican newspapers which
will have the action of the executive
council to explain and defend IN the
campaign should not be losing time
in getting the things before their
readers in the most effective way
possible, for the people OF the state
are going to be wrought up when
they come to realize just what has
been done to them and they Will
be very likely to vent their lndlgna-
tion on the first head which shows
itself. without very patient lnves-
tigation into the cause OF their
troubles.
The county boards and township
trustees and city councils that have
levied taxes for the next year without
reference to the amount of money
the leyies would yield, should be
willing to bear the responsibility TOR
their owns acts. and whether will
ing or not should be made to bear 1t
by the newspapers of the state
Register and Leader.