Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-10-13
INTERESTING TAX CONTROVERSY
HEADED FOR LEGISLATIVE
ACTION.
SMALLER COUNTIES OF STATE
BENEFIT BY PRESENT LAWS
Collect Moro Than Their Proportion.
ate Share Of Railroad Taxes Because
Of System Of Reaching Valuations
Legislature May Compel Division Of
Funds Collected During Past Years.
to Times-Republican

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Oct 13.-Asitation on
the part of counties that have been
getting more than their share of rail-
road taxes in the state is headed direct
for legislative action to compel re-
payment of some of the taxes COLI
lected contrary to law and reimburse
ment of the counties that have been
wrongfully deprived of taxes legally
due them.
most interesting in the whole story OF
complications following the effort to
put taxation on an equitable basis ana
to smooth out the wrinkles of age.
BY reason of the strict compliance
with the law, in the matter of dis
tributions of railroad values. this year
and last year, there are twenty-five
counties that show reduction in rail-
road valuation, or that they have in
the past received more taxes than
were due them. despite an increase of
over fifty-thr million dollars in valu-
alton, as follows:
Adair, Benton. Boone. Buchanan,
Carroll, Cedar. Chickasaw, Clarke. Des
Moines, Greene. Guthrie, Harrison.
Iowa. Jefferson. Louisa, Marshall
Monroe. Montgomery. Pottawata mmie,
Tama, Union, Wapello.
The laws of the state provide that
the executive council shall transmit TO
the county auditor of each county
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"
Previously Guessed.
This was. done last year and this
year. In other years there had been
first guess at the value of the whole
property, then also guess. at the
relative value of certain parts of the
main track. and an effort 10 decide
that certain miles of track should pay
more taxes than other portions. The
inevitable result of this double guess
ing was that some counties Of the state
got larger part of the railroad valu-
alton assigned to them than they de-
served and other counties got less. 1t
was an admirable scheme for grossly
;nequitable taxation.
state officials in the matter. The law
is absolutely plain and unequivocal
The change was not made because of
any thought that one system was fair
er than another. 1t was made because
the legislature decided that the way
Fthe distribution is made now is right
and the only way.
1t means, however, that counties like
Wapello, Des Moines. Jefferson. Mon
roe. Adams and Union. along the Bur-
'lington road, have been getting. taxes
that properly belonged to counties like
Taylor. Appanoose. Henry. keokuk,
Wayne and others. also on the Bur-
lington. 1t means that Boone. Greene,
Tama and others on the Northwestern
have in the past got taxes that be-
longed legally to Wright. Humboldt.
Kossuth, Sioux and others.
Loses in Majority.
If distribution was wrong (which
gave some taxes to these twenty-five
counties that belonged elsewhere, it
was just as wrong five years ago as
two years ago and now. It. follows
logically that there would be only JUS
tice in compelling readjustment OF
the tax collections made back at least
five years.
1nasmuch as there are but twenty
two counties that profted by the old
and illegal method of distribution there
are sixtysix that were losers: These
sixty-siH could outvote the twenty
two in the legislature. in both houses.
If disposed to stick for the strict APP
plication of the law they could force
restitution from the twenty twos coun-
ties that now for the first tirne find
themselves unable to. collect taxes on
values that are located outside their
county limits.
Members from the larger counties
are already looking into the case with
a view 10 legislative action