Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-21
THE LOWEST TAXES IN THE WORLD


April Il, 80. PoNCo.
THE LOWEST TAKES IN THE WORLD
Why Monied Men are Buying Property
in Wichita.
While it is undoubtedly true that the
reason why eastern capitalists always
have and still continue to invest more
money in Wichita reality, in her manu-
features and enterprises, than in any
other of Kansas growing cities. rests in
the universal concession that no other
city west of the Missouri river is so sub
stantially growing, that no other new
jobbing center possesses SO many advan-
tages as to railways and location, that
in short, she stands without rival, new
ertheless, it is equally true, if not SO OBJ
viouS to the average citizen, that one of
the very strongest inducements and that
which first addresses itself to the sue
cessful investor and finally controls him,
other things being equal, is the ever
present question of taxes.
While the city of Wichita presents the
unique spectacle of being the greatest
city in Kansas, her clearing house re-
ports from week to week, showing that
she is and has been doing from double to
thrible the business of any other city in
the state; that she has grown faster, built
more miles of street railway, laid more
miles of water and gas mains, more
miles of sidewalk and guttering and is
building the greatest and most thorough
system Of sewerage. built more school
houses, than vt her ia xas now are not
nor ever have been over one-half the per
cent levied by the other cities of Kansas,
many Of which cities are not one-fourth
as populous. This phaze of this city's
municipal life may seen anomalous, but
it is strictly true; and investigation will,
as it always has, prove its consistency.
Under the statutes of the state there are
five cities besides Wichita which are
designated as first-class, two of which
approach Wichita in population and
wealth, but neither of which,
measured by the bank clearing
house standard-and there is no
other reliable-rule one-half of
the business of this city, and not one of
which that does not levy and collect
double the per cent of tax levied and
collected on Wichita property. There
are some twenty or thirty other cities in
Kansas, designated by the laws Of the
state as ''cities of the second Glass;" of
populations of from five to twelve thouS-
and each, every one of which levies and
collects from two TO two and half
times a greater per cent of taxes, upon
valuations substantially the same, as are
levied and collected upon the properties
of Wichita. As to valuations, it is a
fact susceptible of demonstration that
the standard is lower in this city than in
any other city of any class in the state,
the average returns being for all prop
ertiee of all cities from % to 80 per cent
of the true or real cash value.
The total per cent of tax levy, inclu
sive of state taxes, county taxes, school
taxes and city taxes proper in Wichita
last year aggregated $2.72 on each
hundred dollars of property re-
turned by and on the assessors
estimates in this city. The combined
taxes of no other city in the
state, Were less than SAGE and from that
up to 81 on each hundred dollars re-
turned by the assessor. This present
year the levy of per cent for Wichita for
all purposes is $3.50, as against from s.
to 1920 in the other cities mentioned.
This is tremendous margin in the esti-
nation of permanentinvestors, an advant-
age which cannot be ignored. 1t tells
the investor in the most convincing way
of not only the growth and prosperity of
Wichita, but of the ability and wisdom
with which its municipal affairs are con-
trolled and handled. The usual blow
'about superior advantages" the flip
pant and "wordy exaggerations" about
this or that city's growth and prosperity,
pale before such a silent but overwhelm-
ing showing of unmistakable superb
ority. For eight or ten years the per
cent of taxes levied for this city have
gone steadily down as the city has in
creased and expanded and developed
until it would seem that the lowest
notch of municipal taxes has been
reached.
And Wichita is a city, not only in
name but in fact, city in all things
necessary to such name with but one
single expensive improvement yet to be
taken care of viz: street paving. Her
street car service, gas and electric service,
water service, paving, guttering,
sewerage, etc, are practically all out Of
the way with the least debt and lowest
taxes of any city east or west of which
we have any record, and, when our nat
urally the finest streets in the world must
be paved, because of the great and ever
increasing traffic to which they are sub
jected, our wealth and resources will be
so overshawdowing that that work viii
prove as small burthen as were the
other improvements named, and the
property holder Of Wichita, whether a
citizen or nonresident will hold his val
ues here unvexed by dread of taxation, 4
which is proving such burthen TO the
tax payers of other less fortunate, less
prosperous and less aoly managed cities.
Already There, With Trimmings
Medicine Lodge cresses.
The EAGLE emits Iusty scream over
some big sales of real estate, which il
says are the largest ever made In the
fc oil 2x-r 1f--