Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-15
Progress;ves Not So sEskaDagdnt

slso.
Notwithstandina all this. the support
Of the wards Of thu state hAs increased
since 1909 only 80 per capita or but
little more than IL per cent. Not only
has the per capita cost Increased but
the number OF wards has also Increased.
Sixty-six per cent Of the general rev
enues Of the state are required for the
maintenance OF the institutions under
the board of control and the three edu-
cational institutions ct Iowa City,
Ames and Cedar Falls
When we consider all this ana that
the constantly increasing needs Of the
state require more land. more build
ings ana more labor, can we wonder
that the expenditures increase? It is
the easiest thing in the world to
criticfse, but, as 10 often demonstrated,
the critic. when placed in position and
given an opportunity SO to DO. fails
to prove wherein his criticism was
Just.
This critic speaks Of excessively high
rate Of state taxation under progressive
| rule. presume that in the, opinion OF
the Ledger the progressive. rule" be-
gan with Governor Cummins admin
istration in 1902. The tax rata for gen
eral revenue of the state for that year
| was So mills, for 1912 1t was "a mills.
The average tax rate for the eleven
year period was little over s.27 mills.
| During the first fve years OF that
period q majority Of the executive
council were progressive and the aver
age tax rate was S.14 mills. During
| 1907 and 1908 the council was evenly
divided ana the tax rate was 3.45 mills
During the last four years Of the period
a majority Of the council were stand
patters and the tax rate was S.35 mills.
There Is nothing in these figures to
sustain the Ledger's statement that
"the extravagances in this state began
with the entrance Of the reformer ana
progressives into our political affairs.
! At no time during the period beginning
with 1902 has either faction been in
complete control Of the Legislature
II the supremacy and responsibility OF
| either faction is to be determined by
the preponderance Of one or the other
lof the factions on the executive coun-
ell, and the tax rate is TO be the test
Inv which TO determine "the extrava-
sance' Of the faction in power. then
the progressives should be credited
with economy and not charged with ex-
! travagance.
have shown that for eleven years
there was hut little change in the tax
rate OF state revenue. Let US look at
county and local taxes for the same
period and see II we cannot md where
there might have been some saving .?
a careful oversight Of local matters
such as was given state taxes.
The average tax rate for al puf-
| poses, state, county and local, through
out the state in 1909 was s94 mills
With ths~exception Of 1908 when the
average tax rate was 3s.2 mills. the
average rate advanced every year our
ing the period and in 1912 the average
tax rate for all purposes was ST. mliis
an increase during the period OF over
ts mills or about 81 per cent.
II the tax rate is to be the test ana
those in authority In state ahaifs are 70
The censured for extrAvagance Wneh
there has been no increase IN the tas
rate for state purposes. what can ne
said for local taxing bodies or tnose
in authority in county. town ana town
ship matters where there has ocen
constant increase In rate aseTeslnne
j Fl per cent in eleven years. 80.