White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1867-07-11
WHITE CLOUD, KANSAS:
Thursday, ::::: 4: Jlly II, 1861.
Had State Of County Affairs.

had State Of County AAhirs.
Perhaps the people would like to hear.
occasionally. bow the offsirs OF the Coun'
ty .rs being msnsged. We arc sorry to
be compelled to say that some OF them
srs being m.nsesd very badly. and the
effects will be felt for years to come. As
On example, We refer to the County As
sessor's recent work. IS developed at the
late meeting Of the County Board.
It seems that the portion Of Troy
known - East Troy is not assessed at
oil. This part Of the town contains
Leonard Smiths Hotel, and the residences
Of F. NJ. Tracy. E. ]. jenkins. E. S.
Davis. Dr.. Wheeler, the late Sheriff
Crsbb. and others. numbering twenty.
two houses 10 ell. the total value of which
il over 10000. In the main town ol
Troy, . lot containing new house. which
recently cost $500. and another house.
worth e400. is assessed at s25. Anoth-
or lot, with house worth 81. 900. is as
ssssed at Sl0-snd 50 on. The total as
ssssment Of this part Of the town is only
about $4,000. One farmer in Iowa
Township. who probably owns moro per-
sousl property than any other farmer in
the Township. is not assessed on person
al property at sll. Aud so. We have no
doubt. 1t is throughout tie County.
Bot this is not oil. The assessment
roll is not sworn to at all by the Assessor
% required by Section 26 Of the Taz
Law. ss found on page 264 Of the laws o.
1856. Some OF the rolls are certified t.
BY the Assessor. and the balance BY hi'
deputies. but none are sworn to. Th'
rolls certified to by the deputies. do no
contain any certificate Of the sppointmsn
Of such deputies. and none is 6led will
the County Clerk : and tho County Boart
did net appoint them. For the law OIL
this subject, the reader is referred to th
act relating to Counties and County off
ces. Section 122. page 432 Of Compiled
Laws. None of the provisions of that Law
have been complied with.
What Is such an assessment worth. i
taxpayers determine to resist tie pay
ment Of taxes under it, as some of then
probably will? To the County. it ii
worth absolutely nothing. And if nc
one resists it. how will IT bear upon tax.
payers? We believe the County levy.
last year. amounted to about Gil. 900.
The amount is exhausted, and there is
very nearly slI. 900 more of accounts
standing on the books as allowed, for
which warrants will issue as soon as the
new levy is made. The Couaty levy, for
the present year. will necessarily have to
be ct least twice, il not three times, as
large as last years. From present ap-
pearances. the County has not been more
than one.half or two-thirds assessed and
the consequence will be. if men pay tax
O. 1t all. those one-half or two-thirds ol
the property owners will be compelled to
pay two or three times as much tar q
the whole County did last year. Pleas.
ant prospect, isn't it?
Bot the chapter is not ended yet. Ths
last Legislature (see page l9A of Laws o
1867 passed an oct requiring the Asses
sor. when making the annual assessment,
70 make an exact list of all persons in tbt
County Of the age Of twenty .ons years o,
upwards. This list is to be 6led Will
the County Clerk; and in oil matter,
coming before the County Board. IL
which il is necessary 10 know the number
Of adult persons in the County. this lis
IL to be taken as conclusive upon ths
subject. 1.-THE Assessor fails to make
the list by the first day Of July. be incurs
. fins of 500 and costs for evey day
shsrssftsr that the neglect continues. The
Assessor Of this County neglected to
make the enumeration required by this
act aud, We understand. the County
Board decided it was unnecessary. But
% the County Board has not got the power
to decids upon the legality of laws. we
think the Assessor is ''in for it."
Now, Why has this most important
County business been so scsndalously
botehed and neglected ? That deputy
Assessor. to whom We referred last week.
told the whole story. The Assessor and
his deputies went through the County
ssssssing-snd elec,ioneering for W.ths-
ns. for County Seat. The assessing was
neglected. and the electioneering was
thoroughly attended to. The Assessor
himself was in this place for several days.
He found time to electioneer . good deal.
and to insinuate ISLANDERS sgainst some Of
the citizens; but we find . good many
persons whom he did not call upon with
bis assessment blanks. Whether he
guessed at the property Of those persons.
or had some one else to do it: whether
b made up the lists from those of last
wear or whether be missed them alto.