Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-21
SYSTEM OF RAISING FUNDS BY
STATE TO BECOME LIVE.
ISSUE.
WILL De CARRIED BEFORE
NEXT IOWA LEGISLATURE
Predietion Made That Lawmakers Will
Abolish System and Resort to Less
safs Methods-cIarke Favors Present
system While Both Lee and Rowley
b Oppose.
Special to rimes-Republican.

~ Les MONIES, April ZA.--Ine report Oh
the efficiency engineers to the, re-
.strenchment and; reform committee OF
the Legislature. a strictly non-partisan
body. included. among other things, so
it is said by those who havo seen the
report, that the millage taxes which
were commenced as a policy Of the
state about fifteen years ago, should
be abolished.
This recommendation would have had
very little force, it is now anticipated.
but for the activity Of candidates Lee
and White in the same direction. The
attack Of Lee especially on the mill
age tax system of providing funds has
brought the matter to head and
much discussion has already started.
a prominent state senator from east
ern Iowa, who attended the conference
of bosters for a greater Iowa yester-
day, stated that -in-his opinion the next
legislature will abolish the millage taxes
and return to the old system Of COM
pelling all appropriations sfor every
purpose to pass before, the legislature
at each session. -
Governor Clarke while member of
the legislature for the past twelve
years supported the millage tax plan
of furnishing funds for the state and
its various activities. It is recalled that
according to his Council Bluffs speech
he favors the millage taxes with modi-
fication SO that the levies will be made
variable to fit the assessment, just as
the state tax levy is left open to be
fixed after assessment. This would
then make it impossible to raise more
than what the legislature intended.
The last legislature enlarged the
scope OF the millage taxes and did so
on the theory that the taxpayers OF
the state are entitled to know exactly
what they are contributing 20 the vari-
GUS purposes of the state. large part
of the general fund Of the state goes
TO purposes which the taxpayers know
little about; II was proposed that in
stead Of increasing the general fund
levy the special millage taxes should
be given. But the real argument for
the millage taxes has been all along
that they enable the boards to anttci-
pate and to plan ahead and to know
far Il advance just how much they will
be able to use for any given purpose,
and thus to better plan and carry out
the work In hand. Under these millage
taxes several million dollars have al
ready been expended in betterments
for tho state. A direct appropriation
for thus purpose could not have been
It is greatly feared the next leeisla-
ture win haveta big fghtfon its hands
with references to this system Of, raising
funds for the use of the state.
It is stated here that John Cownie,
former member Of the board of control,
has been given larger territory as spe-
cial agent Of the agricultural depart
ment at Washington. and will report
for the government not alone on Iowa
but on several other states. His SAL
airy has also been increased. Mr.. Cow
ME has been for many years represen-
tative of the agricultural department
in crop investigation and reporting in
Iowa and during the time he was on
the board he combined the two offices.
Members OF the board Of control ex-
pect to do some investigating Of avail
able farms for state custodial farm
before the close Of the month. They are
DESTROYS Of getting this matter settled
and are hoping it will not leave so
many sores pots as did the location of
an epileptic village. The plan of the
legislature was to establish first dis
trict custodia1 farm, where could be
sent certain class of convicts who
might be given outdoor labor and be
taught farming; and later that other
farms be located in different parts Of
the state. The first one will be located
at some point in the northern part of
the state. This will be one more step
toward a very thorough revision Of the
penal system Of the state. an end to
which many Of the leading mon of:the
state have been. working for a. long
time. - ~ .f,-s
A. L. Masqueray. the architect and
artist, who has made the general plans