New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-26
raILU1Y COMPLICATIONS IN KANSAS.

The railways of Kansas propose to test the
ouestan whether they are owned by their own
crs or by the inhabitants OF the counties
through which they run. The POpulist state
Government in Kansas has created state
BOARD of Assessors, which increased the as
sessed valuation of railways so largely that the
companies maintain the payment would sim
DIV bankrupt them. They have concluded ac-
cording to dispatches from Topeka, to refuse
nayment and let the law take its course. IL
is stated that the assessment this year III
creased the valuation about S1O,O0OOOO hot-
withstanding the fact that the assessment ol
all other property has been decreased. mus
the taxes to be paid by railroads were increased
nearly 100000, although their business has
greatly diminished, and the taxes paid by other
property have been reduced.
IL is stated that in at least sixty of the co''n-
ties in Kansas the railway companies have Tor
some years been paying the greater part OF
the taxes and that in at Feast thirty OF the
same counties they have been paying from
tvo-thrds to three quarters OF the taxes. in
many of the school districts the companies have
really built the schoolhouses and maintained
the schools Now it is proposed to add largely
TO their burdens, while reducing the taxes to
be paid by farms and other property. And
this increase comes at time when partial
failure of crops in the States, and the bank
rlptcy of many merchants, has reduced great
" the business to be transacted and the traffic
and earnings of the companies. According 70
dispatches. the companies have determined 10
refuse payment altogether, and by concert OF
action force the question to a decision whether
the increased taxation can be sustained IN the
courts The immediate effect Will be, II THIS
course is adopted by the companies. that Ill
about sixty counties there will not be revenue
enough for rfnning expenses, and all OF them
will be compelled to default on the interest on
bonds outstanding The authorities can in
deed declare the companies delinquent In pay
ment Of taxes. and put up the property lying
within tho counties for sale. But as no one
would bid ANYTHING for the fraction of rail
road lying within given county, 1t Is cal
culated that this resource will bring prac-
tically nothing to the State or to the county,
and the sale will be followed by tedious legal
proceedings to test the validity of the tax and
the sale Meanwhile the counties will be left
without necessary revenue. Neither the coun-
ties nor the State possess any funds which can
for sale and if in any locality fraction of a
road could thus be purchased, it would be
worthless without the ownership OF the rest, so
that the purchaser would be forced to terms.
IL is stated that the assessors individually
admit the great injustice of the recent advance
in taxable valuation. But they maintain that
local sentiment has irrcsstiby demanded the
increase, and that they dare not oppose it.
Obviously. there is a remedy at law. which the
courts will not hesitate to apply. If no court
in Kansas can be found to defend the COM
panics against taxation which is virtually con-
fscation of their property, they will have an
appeal to the courts of the United States The
suits thus Instituted will run for years before
the decision can be reached, and meanwhile
it is an interesting question what the counties
of Kansas will do without the revenue which
tho railway companies have been accustomed
to pay for the support of their local govern