Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-01-17

4 me atAte and with tho fequlremonts Of tnO "a
| Btlgution should the leglslaturo require thu
assessment Of property 40 Nv actual value, Of
rather compel H. for II 10 already required Of
course the proposed university rate would be
| too high.
Property ahould DO assessed at It's actual
value, " 10 said that were any county u
comply with tho law, the remaining counties
would throw upon those the burden OF state
make tho compliance safe for counties dia
posed TO DO honest This must bo done by
| giving the owners OF property strong selfish
motive for returning " AZ its actual value
| Suppose II should be provided that In any
kind OF legal controversy over any kind oil
: property, as for tho collection OF Insurance, OF
other obligations, tho valuation put upon Il
on tho assessment roll Tor the year to which
the controversy related should as against the
| owner or custodian at that time and pur.
chAsorB since, BIO conclusive as 70 Its actual
| value every property owner would DO eager
TO have " properly assessed. Very soon, prop
erty Improperly assessed, would prove TO bo
unsaleable az fair price, and cupidlty would
learn lesson for the future. Suppose that II
should BIO provided that no action OF any
kind not even criminal prosecution, should
be maintained without production OF Certi-
fed copy Of the assessment list showing that
the property had been listed for taxation as
OF the preceding March, or proof that on the
LIST OF March the property was no whore within
the STATE anu ma nUl Dttu IenoNbu bnbIb-
from TO 0yade taxation; every owner OF prop
erty would BIO eager TO have all his property
listed. And such provision would be Just.
No man should be given the protection Of
courts and OF the police who dishonesty
eVades payment OF his reasonable share OF tho
expense OF maintaining them.
TO avoid publicity as to private affairs
which would arise from the filing by banks
with the county clerk OF list OF obligations
held, every bank might be required TO send to
la. H. -. IlaI.I Na~.t L..
tho bank commissioner liSt OF al Obligations
hold by II on the ist day OF March, with an 0s.
innate Of the actual cash value OF each obll-
CATION and require II to return only the ag.
gregate OF these estimated values TO the assoc
sor Without given details " might also BIO
provided, that no action should be- had upon
any obligation, or removal OF any, held by q
bank or banker on tho preceding lst day Of
March without tho production OF tho certif-
cate OF the bank commissioner that such obil.
CATION was duly listed at the value stated, and
that no judgment should DO rendered for
more than the estimated value, II such eBtl.
mate was not bona fde,
These are but hints Of o general plan which
might DO worked out and which would 70.
verse existing conditions and make property
owners eager TO BIO taxed, instead OF eager TO
ESCAPE taxation. Those laws are always best
executed which give a strong motive for
obedience In the first instance Instead OF rely.
Ing upon the Tear OF only possible punish
ment
FEES AND SALARIES.
The fee-grabbing OF local officers, and espo.
cially OF the Justices OF the peace and the
olilcorB OF the courts, has reached such pro.
portions that those who practice II maintain
a lobby to prevent legislation reducing fees OF
substituting salaries for them. Something
must be done to stop the growing evil II can
not much longer be endured. A rapldly-de.
veloping public sentiment demands that all
officers shall be paid fixed salaries reasonable
In amount, ana not be permitted to grow rich
In torn or two by leecing the people.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The successful caro- and management Of
these Institutions should be matters OF great
concern to every Intelligent citizen OF the
state. Their existence marks an era Of pro-
gress In the development OF Christian civili-
cation, and desire 10 approximate perfection
in their administration should BIO the COM
mendeblo zeal OF true statesmanship And
for this very reason II is OF the utmost linz
portance that the law governing these institu-
tlons should be revised. There are many rea'
sons for such revision which canot be enum-
Grated here, but one OF the most imperative Is
the crying need that the control Of all charity
organizations OF the state should be entirely
non.partlsan Should your honorable body at
the present time do nothing more than rescue
these institutions from the influence Of parti-
san politics, you will have at least done that
which should commend you to future genera
lions
THE STATE EXPLORATORY.
me legislature OF 1885 made an enactment
proyialng ior state retormatory Tor male
C Ciliin peGWeeh Ine ages OF ~ and 10.
structure at Hutchinson exists In an uniln-
lsnea Gondluon, although $2JO,OOO has been ex'
pemluea IN lts erection
Ihere Gan DO no question as 10 the wisdom
o. 9 estsDiIlshlng such Institutions when the
financial resources OF state are sufficient to
justify the cost of erection and maintenance.
an an APPROXIMATION should be made sufficient
dot Sn1 rNin pletAon ana occupancy OF the pres
'N' O''iuine'' -
INSURANCE..
The report and tables Of the insurance COM
missioner disclose some interesting II not
startling facts. They show that the people of
Kansas paid, during 1893, premiums to foreign
Insurance companies doing business in the
state as folloWsi