Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-10
REDISTRIBUTION OF RAILROAD
VALUES INCREASES AGGREGATE
TAXES,
SOME COUNTIES COMPLAIN
BECAUSE or LOSSES
Others Make Material Financial Gains
In Taxes Due to Increased vaiua-
tions Placed Upon Branch Lines
Which Formerly Were Assessed at
Low Fisurss-changs by Counties.
pecial to Times-Republican.

avs
not the redistribution Of railroad vai-
,ues for taxation purposes in Iowa viii
increase the aggregate taxes paid by
the railroads is open question. The
first thought OF those who had the
matter in charge was that the rail-
roads would have some slight advan.
.tage in having the values distributed
by systems rather than by divisions
and branches. This was because OF the
knowledge that main lines all hit the
large cities where taxes are hign. But
some investigation has been made
which shows that these cities have
still larger proportion OF branch lines
On which the valuation for taxation
purposes was immensely raised.
State officials call attention to tho
fact that the complaint which has been
voiced in Greene county, for instance.
Of alleged reduction In railroad values
for taxation purposes. is not COM
plain about reduced values as much as
it il u complaint as 30 the manner OF
distributing values. 1t so happens that
in certain counties which have more
main line mileage than branch line
mileage the aggregate for such coun-
ties is reduced. But other counties
have q much larger valuation credited
to them.
Old Plan Unlawful.
Formerly and from earliest times,
the state has distributed railroad val
ues on the mileage basis, but each
branch by itself. A reading OF the
statute convinced the present members
of the council that such distribution
does not conform to the letter OF the
law. Each system was treated as an
undivided whole. and each mile OF the
railroad was given value the same as
every other mile Of the system. This
reduced valuation per mile on the main
lines and raised 1t on the branch lines.
The significance of the change may
be seen by few comparisons. For
instance in 1912 the Northwestern was
assessed at 1882 a mile, on an aver
age. and this year it is 31o,s62 mile.
But last year the main line was given
$4,000 mile, and SOME branches az
low as $4.1O0 The Rock Island was
assessed this year at $3.50 mile: but
last year the main line got $4,000 and
some branches as law as $4,000.
/ In the readjustment Of values TWEEN
ty-ffve counties of the state lost some
taxable value. and the others all
gained. Greene county, where there
has been complaint, lost 4.S per cent,
but Calhoun, adjoining, gained So per
cent. Kossuth also gained SO per cent
in the Encouragement. Polk county,
which has the heaviest railroad mile
age Of the state, gained in the shuttle
IL per cent and Pottawattamie, which
comes next. lost about IL per cent.
The changes made represent. to "a
large extent, proper adjustment Of
values, and indicate the extent to
which some counties have in the past
suffered by distribution of values
that is now regarded as illegal. For
more taxes from railroads than they
were entitled to under the law and
others have not had their fair share.
Now. for the first time. there is to be
a distribution Of this taxing value in
strict accord with the law so that
every county will get just what 1t is
entitled to and no more.
Distribution BY Counties.
Below will be found statement
showing the new distribution Of rail-
road assessed values for taxation pur-
poses. in the various counties, in COM
parison with the last previous distri-
button by counties. There should be
added to the figures for 1912 the
sleeping car assessment of about $780,
600 to make the comparison accurate,
as sleeping car values are included this
year with railroad values and have not
been before. The table shows the value
given each county this year and be-
meath it the valuation Of 1912 in each
case