Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-09-22
NO DECISION RENDERED
Three Prominent Judges to Take As
sessment Matter Under Advise
ment-Of Interest to All.

The case of the various railroads
against the state and county officers
| upon the issue of the railroad as
sessment was submitted to the fed
| eral court in Des Moines Friday.
Judges Stone of Missouri, Munger
| of Nebraska, and Wade of Iowa Sit
! ting late Wednesday afternoon. Lat
er in the evening the two outside
judges left for their homes. Friday
Judge Wade reported that the three
judges felt that the case required
careful consideration and would
therefore be held under advisement,
the temporary restraining order,
which had been issued at the begin
ming of the case, being in the mean
time continued. At the same time
Judge Wade presented long list of
documents and exhibits that had
been offered as exhibits during the
trial 1t was the desire Of the court
that the interested attorney furnish
three copies each, in order that
there might be one copy for each
member of the court.
These exhibits comprehend about
all the information that anybody
could ask or hope for on the subject,
both of railroad assessment and of
farm assessment, and they included
government reports, state reports,
and the results of private investiga-
ton on both sides OF the case. In
calling for such an array of facts
and figures the members of the
court certainly justified their posi-
ton in taking the case under advise
ment; for 1t will require much time
to go through the subject as devel-
oped from such mass Of evidence.
In calling for such detail and in
proposing to examine the same and
to deduce conclusions from them,
the court afforded its only intima-
ton as to its view of the cause in
trial This intimation was wholly
inferrential; but nevertheless it was
reasoned that the members of the
court would not care to bother them
selves with all of this detail, II they
had already made up their minds to
throw the railroad case out of court
on account of any or all of the var
ious technical difficulties that were
raised on behalf of the state.
There was no basis whatever for
suggesting what measure of relief
the court may now think or may
later come to think the railroads
are entitled to.
1t is understood that the court
will reassemble in Des Moines at
time yet to be determined when all
three judges will render decision.
There is considerable speculation
among disinterested attorneys as to
the outcome of the case. 1t was no
ticeable upon adjournment that the
attorneys for the railroads appeared
more hopeful than those represent
ing the executive council.
Something of sensation was ere
ated when it became known that the
railway attorneys had affidavits
from former Governor Harding,
former Auditor of State Shaw and
former Treasurer of State Hoyt, all
members of a former executive coun-
Gil, in which statements were made
that no attempt had been made in
past years to ascertain the value Of
farm lands, the executive council be-
ing interested only in an equaliza-
tion of assessments among counties.
Former Governor Harding stated
that he did not believe assessments
Of farm lands were predicated upon
more than SO per cent Of their value.