Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-01
ALL MILEAGE TAXES MAY BE
JUMPED IN ONE GENERAL
LEVY.
DEFINITE AMOUNTS YEARLY
FOR STATE INSTITUTIONS
Suggested Law Would Limit Amount
Available For State Support-Read-
iustnent Aimed to Simplify Matters
Ono Law For All Colleges and Uni
versity-Reform Idea Finding Favor.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March AL millage
taxes to be Jumped into one general
tax levy or to be abandoned entirely
and included under one state tax levy,
lis a program toward which many of
the leading members of the Legislature
are working right now. And these are
not the radicals with an attitude OF
rabd hostility toward all millage
taxes but are the conservative bust
ness men who have come to believe
that one good place for starting reform
is right in the legislature at the point
of distributing the proceeds of general
taxation.
The state institutions are now the
beneficiaries of five separate millage
levies aggregating LIS mills The mill
goes to the three state educational in
situations; the y mill to the board OF
control institutions. On the basis of
the present valuation of Iowa property,
these levies as fixed by the legislature,
will yield s1,390,00O a year. On the
same basis the present state tax levy
will yield about s2,600,o00 a year. This
takes no account of the small levy for
use in completing the capitol extension
Improvement
May Limit Institutions.
The bills introduced propose to cut
down the special levies and limit the
amount which can be used as to some
Of the institutions. One bill has passed
the house which proposes material
limitation in the building levies at the
colleges There has been talk of limit
ing all the levies. But it is found that
when the levies are made smaller and
ma in ia ined as separate levies, there is
such a running into fractions s to be
quite embarrassing. The county audi
tors have hard enough time now to
keep straight with all the dinky levies.
One suggestion which has been made,
and is being considered. is that all the
institution levies be Jumped into one,
and then the amount available for each
institution be definitely fixed. A 1mill
levy would probably be quite large
enough and 1t would simplify matters
a great deal.
An alternative suggestion which Is
receiving great consideration in the ap-
preparations and ways ana means COM
ulirteeS, is that the legislature make
definite appropriations and then that
all the money raised by direct taxat ion
be included in the general state tax
levy 1t is figured that when this Is
done the tax levy for state and insti-
tuition purposes probably would not be
over AS mills and might even be as low
as mills.
Sena tors Savage and Lara bee, of the
senate appropriations committee, went
to Ames Saturday to go over the mat
ter of the needs of the state college
with the officials, and probably theirs
will be members of the appropriations
committees who will visit Iowa City
and Cedar Falls. The matter OF max
ing the change has already been taken
up with the board Of control and the
board of education in extended confer
ences.
Would Simplify Matters.
The readjustment of these millage
taxes for the institutions would solve
the problem as to other proposed mill
age taxes. For instance, millage
tax is proposed for the fund for the
tea cheers pensions. A miliage tax is
proposed for equipment IF the epilep-
tic colony. There is one Of the millage
taxes-the one for college extension
work by Ames-that was for only two
years and will either expire or be re-
newed
Another reform that is in contem-
pla ton is that for grouping all the
support and contingent funds for the
educational institutions into one law
a codihcation of all the laws on the
subject Investigation shows that the
auditor Of state draws warrants for
these educational institutions by and
under authority Of a total of forty
nine separate laws. He must keep an
account with each OF these allowance
sums placed to the credit Of the insti-
tutions. One of the bills for support
at the colleges simply re-enacts and
puts into one law all these forty mine
separate provisions for funds.
The boards and heads Of institutions
affected by the proposed changes are
said to be favorable. keering in mind
only that the main thing is to provide
sufficient support and not do any in
jury in the matter of3readjustment.
A bill is before the legislature to
abolish the separate treasurers for
each of the educational institutions
and to have warrants issued upon the
state treasury for each separate item
This is the plan for the hoard OF con-
| troll institutions. It is, however, only
a detail Of business and does not go to
the root Of the trouble as to the CON
fusion arising from SO many laws and
the various millage levies.
Members of the legislature who are
urging the change take the position
that the people Of Iowa are safe and
sensible, that they will accept the
changed situation when 1t ,s explained
to them, and that better results will
be secured by the policy Of direct and
specific appropriation Of all funds.
The puoiJist Abroad.