The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-10

large portion OF our state. mas Cormln
at two points on our border. both out
side the limits of Kansas. Another
line disregards the orders and defies
the authority of our board of railway
The rights, the inter
ests. the welfare of Kansas towns and
cities are ignored by many. if not most.
of our railways, or if justice is done
them it is grudgingly conceded. not as
a right, but as favor. 1t is time that
the law-making power of the state gave
these matters its serious attention.
Kansas communities are justly entitled
to all the benefits and advantages that
Kansas railways can give them. Mil
lions of acres of state lands, and mill
lions of dollars in bonds, have been
given by our people to aid in building
prodigal generosity should recognize
their obligations to the people of the
state, and so operate their lines as to
confer the largest possible benefits and
advantages upon Kansas communities.
The legislature, by wise and firm
enactments, should demand that the
trade and commerce of the state shall
not be utilized for the sole benefit of
alien cities and towns. The board of
railroad commissioners should have
ample authority to prevent injustice
being done to any Kansas community,
either in the running of trains, in the
adjustment of freights and fares, or by
any other form of discrimination hurt
full to Kansas interests or Kansas
people. Appeals to the justice and
fairness of many railway managers
have been tried. again and again, for
many years, and have failed to ac-
complish any important results. 1t Is
time to try what stringent law, backed
by determined public sentiment, will
do to secure justice for Kansas at the
hands of Kansas corporations.
ILLEGAL METHODS.
call your attention, also, to meth
DDS adopted by several counties and
municipalities, for evading the exist
ing limitations put upon their tax-levy-
ing and debt-creating authority. The
legislature of 1879 enacted q law Ito
enable counties. municipal corpora
tions, the board of education of any
city, and school districts, to refund
their Indebtedness" 1t was the plain
intent and purpose of the legislature,
in enacting this law, to confer upon
these municipalities, boards and dis
tricts authority to refund bonded in
debtedness only; that is, to take up
outstanding bonds, and issue others in
their stead. But the letter of the
statute confers upon any one of these
municipal subdivisions of the state
power to compromise and refund its
matured and maturing Indebtedness OF
every kind and description whatsoever
upon such terms as can be agreed upon
and to issue new bonds
in payment for any sums SO com
promised"
In several, if not in many counties
cities, townships and school districts
of the state, / am informed that the
authorities have issued warrants OF
orders on the treasury for any purpose
whatsoever. and whenever these war
rants or orders aggregated a consider
able sum, have treated them as
''matured indebtedness, and pro
ceeded to compromise and refund,
them by issuing in their stead interest
bearing bonds. In some of the newly or
gained western counties such warrants
have been issued to pay expenses in
CURED in conducting county-seat con,
tests, as well as for others unauthorized
or extravagant expenditures.
This law should be so amended, at
once, as to embody its original purpose
in plain language, that cannot be per-
Yerted. The authority intended to be
conferred, under its directions, was
perhaps necessary. But the authority
exercised was never intended to be con
ferred, and has been used, in many in
stances, to further wanton eXtrava
gance if not fragrant pubic robbery anC
official malfeasdnce.
ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION.
In two previous biennial messages
have called the attention of the legis
lature to the fact that our laws for tn
assessment and equalization of pro
perty values needed thorough revision
| Their defects. universally recognized
are organic. The system they create
invites differentiation and encourage
partiality and injustice. 1t is impos
sible to secure uniform and Just as
sessment of property until there is rad
cal change in the methods OF assessing
and equaliZing values. So long a
| township trustees are employed as tn
assessors. Just so long Will unequa
and unjest assessments be tn
| rule. 1t is Assured to expec
that these officers, holding their pOEi
tiOns by the votes of those whose pro
perry they assess, will not each en-
deavor to secure for his neighbors an
constituents all possible exemption
from the burdens OF taxation.
Our laws, too, are contradictory /
| their directions to assessors. Section
| 10, chapter l07, laws of 1879, require
that all classes of property shall be as
| SeSsed lat the true value thereof II
money!" Section So, of the same chap
ter, however, directs assessors to as
semble at the county seat, on the tirs
Monday of March of each year, ian
then agree upon an equal basis of va
uatiOn of such property as they may D
called upon to assess" The assessor
| invariably interpret the last quote
provision as authorizing them to fix an
''basis of valuation they may deer
proper, and. as a rule, agree on
"basis'' of one-third or one-fourth c
the real cash value. But in actuS
work, even this basis is frequently dis
regarded by assessors, and numerou
instances can be cited, in nearly ever
county, where property is assessed a
not to exceed ten per cent of its res
value.
The county clerks, at a conventio
recently held, adopted a resolutio
looking to the election Of a county a;
SCISSOR for each county. The officer
making this suggestion have a know
edge and experience touching the prat
tical working of our assessment law
that entities their opinion to consider
ate attention. The questions involved
however, are complex, and it will
difficult to establish system that wi
not be open to some objections. But
is certain that more unfair, inadequate
and Objectionable system than thu
now provided by our laws cannot be d.
vised. ANY change, therefore. woul
be an improvement.
This subject is of such general an
grave Importance that it should reciV
your prompt, careful, and intelligeI
} consideration. 1 call your. attention
the suggestions made in the fifth biei
: NAL report of the late state treasure
l desire to add that, in my judgmeI
it is essential that the powers of II
J state board of equalization shall /
largely increased. This body is SUI
posed to ''equalize" assessments, bI
; in fact it has no authority that will el
: able it to correct notorious inequalitie
The limitations put upon its duties, I
law, are of such a character that it ca
} at best, only partially adjust the il
CAPABILITIES of the assessment rol
: in so far as they relate
state taxation, while the grav
J and more odious wrongs and injuStit