The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-12-05
side of the pale of the prohibitory amend

uicUt.
County Commissioner Johnny Allen ac-
companied him rs n body guari and hence
the good people of Wichita Can rest as
sured that their executive head will turn
uD all right on schedule time. Both will
keep a sharp lookout for bunco sreerrrs
and do not propose to bite at any mans
game.
been in receipt of a deluge OF lel ters during
TIM past week unfolding to him the mag
nificeut air castles of many enterprisiug
gentlemen who will attend the convention.
He was rather inclined TO the b.lief that
some action would be taken in the metro
politan police law and possibly prohibit
tiou. There will be strong sentiment, il
Is thought. IL the convention against the
meSrop Titan police law aud il i probable
that this sentiment Will be crystaliz-d into
a petition 10 the legislature 10 repeal the
law. Some Of the mayors seem TO think
that the passage or bill repeating the
metropolitan police law would not be a
good thing unless the prohibitory law was
repealed or IN ade imperative. They argue
that If the mayor had exclusive co1troi of
tile city where the sale OF liquor was roler-
ated he would have Impeachment proceed
ings brought against him every day thus
making his Office burden instead of an
honor to him. Not few mayors from
whom Mayor Cox has received letters, eX-
pressed their opposition TO the repeal OF
the metropolitan pvlice law on these
grounds.
There will be some action taken also
relative 10 the 4 ssessmeut of properly.
The mayors aud city officials particularly
will be conspicuous in this. 4 large ms-
jority of them want property taxed at its
Iull cash value Under the present system
of assessment properly Is listed at 30 per
cent of its valuation. This akes the per-
nf r. GNcaeHInOly hlUh
For Instance the present rate i'll this city
Is nearly ) per cent whereas if property
was assessed at ITS full value it woald be
only about u per cent. Many eastern
people who do not understand that the
assessed valuation Is only 30 per cent of he
actuaI valuation became preJudiced
against Kansas cities on account OF this
seeming high rate of taxation. II never
occurs TO them that the amount paid on
the actual value OF the property Is less in
Kansas than almost every other state In
the union.
Some action will probrbly be taken also
with reference TO tax sales. Under the
present system, if city property Is sold for
taxes three years are given to redeem lt
and the city is kept out of he money for
that length of time. To be sure. interest
aud penalties accumulate against the
property on account of tue delinquency.
but strange as IL may appear, this does not
eventually come To the city but to the
county. 80 that really the city has 10 wait
for three years without securing any in-
terest or penalty.
There is a comparatively strong move
msnt among the elements that will he
in the convention TO completely divorce
cities from the county III the matter OF
taxation. Quite number are agitating
the passage of Il law giving cities the
power TO levy and collect their own taxes
independent of the county. Mayor Cox
thinks a majority 10 the convention will
be against this scheme on the grounds
that 1t would add TO the expenses of the
city without being OF any great advantage.
Many other ideas with reference to mu-
uicip,l government will be introduced and
discussed.