The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-08
NRRDED LEGLaLATLON.

NEEDED LEGLaLATTON.
Atchison Champion: Recent contro-
troversles upon the assessment and taxa
ton question, in Shis county, show
plainly that system Of asae6sment In
this state needs remods1feg. sEld the laws
in regard thereto thorcngh revision.
As the Law now stands & requires al
property, real and peFso6aI, % be aeses-
ed At its true value IN money, and CON-
pels the assessor, upon making his re-
turn to solemnlY swear that he has done
90. It also requires the assessors to
meet on the frSt Monday Of March Of
each year. and then agree upon an equal
basis OF valuation of such property a.
they may be called upon 70 assess. And
here is where the troable comes in. The
assessors meet, and taking advantage of
this latter feature Of the law, which pre-
sumbly gives them power TO make
basis Of value less than that Of actual
cash value, they Ignore the former fea-
ture, and generally agree upon some rate
per cent Of the true value. In this way,
some counties are assessed ct forty,
80 or 80 per cent of true value, while
Others are assessed at IS or 80 per cent,
and as q result. the county assessed at
the least rate will pay less proportion Of
state tax than counties assessed at high
er rates. It is simply offering prem
ium TO assessors TO bring IN false state
msnts OF value for the purpose Of bene-
l fitting their counties in the matter Of
state taxes. Why not repeal this fes-
ture Of the law requiring assessors %
make basis, or rate per cent Of valua-
ton, and enforce the law requiring prop
erty to be assessed at Its true value In
money! In such kcases all counties
would bear an equal portion Of state
taxes.
II such repeal be made. then q thor
Ough, rigid, limit OF tax levy law should
be enacted, that would hold the tar
levYing authorities within the
bounds of equity and justice 70
the taxpayer. It would moi
require great amount of brain or cal
culating power 10 determine where and
how the line should be drawn. A Law
of this character would tend largely 70
Q decrease Of taxes. The rate Of state
tax, now four and one-half mills, would
not be more than two mills, and the rate
Of our city tax, now thlrty-five mills
will not be over twenty mills. The rate
of taxation. for all purposes, state, county
and city, as IL now is In this city, S47.S0
on each $1,000 of assessed value. is
enough to kill the best city In the world
Let law be enacted that will hold AZ
assessor guilty Of perjury who knowing.
ly makes false return Of the value Of
property assessed, and an individual
equally guilty who makes . false return
Of his personal property, and we will
soon have different state Of affairs from
what We now have, and moro just and
equitable apportionment Of our taxes.
Our road laws need Q most thorough
revision. Our greet working out" sYs
tenn is q delusion and farce; one thai
has long since been discarded by many
ofthe older states a. unsound in princi-
pie, unjust in Its operation, wasteful IL
its practice, and unsatisfactory in ii
results. To make good roads requires
men with experience, skill and Ell
cheney for the work. Under our sys
tenn Of makiDg county roads, we takG
farmers from their work on the farm
which they do understand, and set then
to making roads few days in the year
work which they do not understand
and have no capacity for; and then, Il
cap the climax, place them under direc.
ton of road Overseer who, in Mint
cases out OF ten. knows no more abou
road work than the farmers do. AND
sometimes much less. L. it not time 70
energetic, busting, intelligent Kansa
to abolish this old played out system AMI
substitute something better? Woul'
It not be better to wipe Gu
our multitudinous road districts, wit
their mass of officers a. inefficient 70
work Of so great public benefit, and in
/, augurate q system that would produc
better and more lasting results.
In pamphlet now before US, entitle
the "Iowa Road Manual" we find tn
: following:
DR.. Smith says: "Years since, Will
q resident of one of the older STATE
: Connecticut, where an assessed labc
, tax system prevailed, similar to on
. own, the legislature of the state passe
!, a law by which any township was allow
ed to adopt different system.
"rhe following is substantially tn
. plan adopted in the township where
= resided:
al. The voters of the township electe
one road commissioner for the entiI
township.
"2 The commissioner classified q
roads as follows: First class-the mai
roads. Second class-roads of le
81 travel. Third-class - cross roads.
l. those of very little travel.
q "3. The Commissioners then sub-G
l. vided each class into sections or distrlC
IS of from One-tourth to two miles each
70 length. These were ali publicly d
d scribed and numbered.
u 81. The same officer then appointed
J. day when he would receive bids at az
10 ton, by districts or sections, to keep {
N same in proper repair for q number
Ae years-not less than three. Some star
Is ard as to what would be required up
Il the different class roads was publicly &
nounced. In case there were no bi
90 upon any section, rs they were deem
IL too high, the commissioner was autht
u lied to adjourn the letting Of such,
u to employ such means as he saw fit
ls keep the roads in suitable con
20 ton. Contracts with bonds were III
ne entered into by the parties.
IS "a road inspector residing out of I
H. township was appointed. His dut
ne were TO travel, IN company with the CO
'o' missioner, over the roads twice ye
TO If the roads were in suitable conditi
T. the inspector so certified and then /
~ contractor received the amount due hi
In "rhat is brief outline of the sYste
ne / anticipate the questions, nrst, how v
&c it received? and. second, how did
M