Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-05

ernor CLARKE had to do with thstr tax
bill. For instance In Shelby county
the total increase In taxes this year
IL sssoeo or 2sk per cent but Of this
total increase the township trustees IN
Shelby county levied an incrsAss OF
s14.7ss for township roads In spite OF
the fact that under the new road law
they had 10 per cent less roads to look
after ana no bridges. The new county
road levies fixed by tho legislature and
intended to take the place Of aome OF
the township road and bridge levies
caused an increase Of $4,000 more and
ths board of supervisors Of that county
deliberately boosted their county bridge
levy by s1a,s03 with which Governor
Clarke had nothing to do. The same
board reduced other county levies by
$4,000 so as to even up somewhat. but
it appears that the levy made by the
executive council for general state ex-
penses has increased only ss,s11 in
Shelby county and this was due to the
fact that the legislature spent that
much more money leaving the executive
council no alternative but to raise it
in the tax levy.
Capitol extension cost Shelby county
s47s4 or per cent of her increase in
total taxes but only IA per cent OF her
total tax bill. Another s4.Isa went to
AGRICULTURAL extension and buildings at
the Ames school as provided by special
enactment OF the legislature and a
like sum was levied for new buildings
at the other state institutions. all OF
which were increases over the year be-
fore
The thing for which Governor Clarke
is criticised is that as one of four on
the executive council he increased
valua tons for taxable purposes but this
sffected only the funds in which the
levies were fixed by law amounting 10
s1.277 for state purposes for Shelby
county 1t caused an increase Of per-
haps $4,000 in all the levies for county
purposes which are fixed by law such
as the county school and road funds,
but il should have made no difference
whatever in other levies had the local
boards seen fit to reduce their levies
accordingly.
The township boards levied $4,000
more for school purposes because they
needed the money and Governor Clarke
was not even consulted, in fact almost
half of the total increase in Shelby
county's tax bill was levied by the
township board and could have been
avoided hal these boards desired to
heed the warning sent out to every
county on August 1 cautioning all lax
ing boards to reduce their levies COM
mensurate with increased valuations
Likewise with the county board. II
had notice OF an Increase in valuations
and did cut down many of its levies for
county purposes accordingly until its
net increase was only s15.4i5 in county
taxes in spite Of the new road levies
fixed by Law but had this board not
needed the money for county bridges 1t
could have done without almost all or
exactly s12.so3 Of this net increase
which appears as the increase in lis
bridge levy which was not required by
law and was not made necessary by
Governor Clarke In fact out Of a
total increase OF $4,000 in Shelby
county's taxes this year all but about
$4,000 would have occurred anyway
had valuations not been eaualized.
This is about fifty cents on each farm
in Shelby county's tax bill which can
De charged to Governor Clarke or his
executive council.