The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-01-25


in expenditures TO small degree in some di
rections. rather than continue the payment Of
interest for twenty years, rs the funding
Of The debt would contemplate. What
10 sound financial policy for the pru.
dent business man II also good
finsnciering for the State OF Kansas. As my
predecessor aptly and wisely remarked In his
message to this Legislature: PAY as you go. "
This motto IL applicable to the State a. well -
TO every municipality.
LOCAL TAXATION.
The amount raised by taxation for State,
county, township and school purposes, on as
sessment OF 1885,. was eli, 400, 7OT.58, namely
State. N,274e5301; county. Sa5'1. 7s2.04; city,
d, 500 SS2 49, township 81, $40, 13S 07 and school,
sa.s1se4 An average rate per cent Of $50
| upon each 800 Of assessed value.
| The taxes levied for purely local purposes are
| indeed burdensomc, and are the only ones COM
planned of. though entirely self-imposed The
State levy IL small compared with the amounts
collected in defraying the expenses Of various
about one-ninth part of the whole amount col
lected. the balance being for purely local pur-
poses. For the support of county government
alone the tax levy is nearly three times as much
as the State requires; while townships, cities
and school di stricts levy tribute with heavy
hand and in still greater measure to defray ex-
penses incidental to local government, greater
|
! ing bonded Indebtedness, contracted with
reckless extravaganza in many cases little
| dreamed of by De Tocquevlle, when he wrote
| so eloquently and admiringly OF the beauties OF
those minor municipalities as the miniature
| Republics in the new system Of popular govern
ment in America.
MUNICIPAL INDEBTEDNESS.
The subject Of municipal Indebtedness has
been fruitful theme of executive messages
m Drp6pCp9SOrS warned.
protested and expostulated in vain, for in spite
| Of 1t all the volume OF debt has doubled and
| trebled, swelling with each recurrence OF the
frenzy OF railroad construction until. as 1t up
| pears by the Auditors report, that on July !,
| 1887, the grand aggregate OF county, township,
city, board Of education and school-district In
debtedness amounted to S3l,107, "a .03, bearing
an average interest of at least six per cent. per
| annum. This interest means an annual tax OF
| sl.S66,45S 81, or levy equal to five and one
fourth mills on the dollar on the present as
| sessed value Of all taxable property in the
State. This interest charge alone exceeds the
State levy for the year 1888 by si1s, 1909.
During the past two years s13, ,O61 OF bonds
have been registered in the Auditors office,
showing that this indebtedness exceeds the az
gregate herein mentioned by several millions OF
dollars, the report on total indebtedness being
to July l, 1885,, and on registration TO June 81,
1888. or the amount so registered, f8,544,55O
was to aid in construction of railroads. This
indebtedness is q severe and constant strain
upon the productive resources Of the taxpay-
ing people. Payday must come eventually.
1T is recommended that indiscriminate issu-
ing OF funding bonds be prohibited. The
Governor recommends that provision be
made for the payment OF all raid claims certif-
cates
ASSESSMENT.
The question Of amendi the present system
- &c, eA1 No and
is that all property shall be assessed at its true
value. The law requires the assessor. from
actual view and from best sources of informa-
tion within his reach. to determine as nearly as
practicable the true value.
Referring to personal property, the law re-
Quires the several township and city assessors
to meet and agree on an equal basis OF valua
ton Of such property as they may be called to
assess. Again. the oath required from the
assessor to be attached to his personal property
return, is that the value thereof is estimated
by the rules prescribed by law. This the
assessor CONSTITUTES to mean the equal basis
agreed upon at the meeting OF the several
township and city assessors. These township
assessors are elected by the people of their re-
spective townships and have their political
friends and followers. 1t has occurred to me
that in amending this law, after providing for
the assessment Of all property at its true value
and imposing q penalty on assessors failing to
perform their duties in accordance with the
statute, it would be well to make the office
nearly non-political as possible. And II instead
OF township assessors now provided for, the
office Of county assessor be created. that IL be
made the duty OF the judge OF the district court
OF the several judicial districts to select and
appoint u county assessor for each OF the coun-
ties in their respective districts who shall hold
office for the period OF two years; that said
judge shall have power to remove for cause
and 10 fill vacancies; such county assessor to
have authority to appoint deputies with the ad-
vice and consent Of such judge. An amendment
OF this kind might remedy the evil complained
OF and secure the assessment Of property at its
true value.
CORPORATION LAWS
The attention Of the Legislature Is called to
the act conc ,rnng private corporations. The
liberality of the State permits the creation of
corporations for nearly every conceivable pur
pose, comforting great powers and valuable
franchises upon them without any direct charge
or expense whatever The ease with which
corporations are formed ard The nominal ex
pense incurred IN their creation, induces the
formation Of q vast number that exist only in
name, the incorporators holding to q faint hope
that something may grow out Of filing OF the
articles OF Incorporation. Advantage is also
taken OF this law by citizens OF foreign States,
who come into Kansas long enough to secure
the cooperation OF a sufficient number Of actual
residents, execute and file articles OF tncorpor-
alton, secure certified copy OF the same and
hasten away to their foreign homes to COM
mence business, holding themselves out as a
fuil-hedged corporation, duly authorized under
the laws Of Kansas.
THE Governor calls attention to the ineQua-
tiles of the law in regard to fees and salaries
In many cases registers Of deeds receive greater
fees than district judges and county treasurers
more than tine State Treasurer. He recon-
mends that all Offices be placed on a salary
basis
INSURANCE.
The last report OF the Superintendent of In
surance shows that one hundred and seventeen
insurance companies are authorized to do bust
ness in this State. Eighty three of these were
fire companies. twenty-eight life, and six COM
panies are classed as miscellaneous. About
twenty Kansas companies have died of expos
ure. and the number Of WORTHLESS, home compa
MES has become very small.
The receipts OF the Insurance Department
last year, paid by the companies doing bust
ness here, were s51, i0S.57. The receipts Of
the department since it was established in
1871, have been SS3.6f3 IS. Most Of this money
has gone into the school fund and the general
revenue fund. 1t is turned over to the State
Treasurer every month.
The amount Of fire insurance written In the
State last year was slS7 a.3, $50 cost, in premi-
ums, 8, ososs losses paid, 81, 1874 7a6 average
rate OF premiums. S.59.
The life insurance written during the year
was 81. sol sss: losses paid, sai', 1885, premiums
received. s743 1884,
tAttention is called to the fact that the State
has no law regulating the important subject Of
banks and banking, and that hundreds Of banks
have been organized not rs savin IS banks in
fact, hut to carry on general business and
needed legislation recommended. The Cover
nor also recommends that the Supreme Court
Commission. which expires by limitation next
March, be continued until permanent relief to
the crowded docket can be Afforded.
RAILR0An REGIrI ATION