People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-02-14
From Senator Eorlen.

EDITOR VOICE; l notice in your
paper some illusions to certain meas
ures or bills that | have introduced.
l will take the privilege, by your per-
mission, to explain one or two. For
instance, the county assessor bill. I
think the people Of Sumner county. as
well as the state Of Kansas. will agree
with me that our present mode Of as
SeSSment is at fault and should be
remedied. The principles we have
drifted into by making our aprraise-
ment at one fourth, or even more than
that of its true value, is certainly a
great wrong and an injustice out of
which there is no benefit whatever
Now, the object of my bill is two fold.
1t is true it creates another Office TO
be filled but the expense is no more
than a township trustee and only re-
celVeS emolument for the number of
days work done. l firmly believe a
live man as county assessor whose
duty 1t shall be, and made so BY the
provisions Of this bill, to visit or 90
with the township trustee and SUPER
wise and instruct them in their duties,
look after and control, being their
head and manager Of the work of the
trustees who are ex-officio township
assessors, that their work can be done
lot very near half what it is done now.
under proper management. Again.
under this law, with a penalty. the
property will be assessed at its true
value, while the old law is the same
and has no penalty, consequently il is
no avail. Again, the county assessor
Is empowered to change the assessor
from one township to another so that
they will be removed from the in.
Huence of individualiSm or from that
influence that seems to tempt men to
favor their constituency with the idea
that they might be elected again. |
think if you would get a copy of the
Dill and read it you would certainly
see the great advantages arising from
1t. l realize that it will increase Our
valuation by three fold or more and I
have provided for that increased val
uation by cutting down the statutory
LIMITATION for the purpose of voting
bonds making levies for school DUR
poses, municipalities, ETC., about the
same amount so that bonds cannot he
issued, any more so than now. ca
none OF you, if this should become q
law, need not be worried, for in place
OF Increasing the taxes for the assess
ment o. the county | believe every
county the size of Sumner can save a
thousand dollars under the mode of
management in this bill, besides get
ting the true valuation that we
should have. 1t provides for the
county assessor to look after hidden
treasures, which is utterly impossible
Tor the township trustee to do. Other
states have had an officer of this kind
who has ferreted out and placed upon
the tax rolls millions of dollars that
never was placed there under the old
system. ..4 -..g...
Again, l notice that some friend is
rather Directing to the Mrs. Lease
Dill and comparing it with the county
)lncerS OF our county which would en-
lIle them to a claim. Now, this is
very different. Mrs. Lease was a |
member of the State Board of Char
ties under a salary. The governor
attempted to remove her and did stop
Ter pay while the trial was going on.
During the delay of the supreme court
he was deprived of her salary and
ne court sustained her. Therefore
he was in the employ of the state and
is entitled to her SALARY be- be-
ause 1t was no fault of hers. This
Nil Ilntroducedby request. 1t comes
'etore the Ways and Means Committee
commended by governor Lewelling
or payment, and the idea is to do
nStlce to an official. The senate will
CT upon it and if it is thought by;the
Ways and Means Committee and the
enate that it is unjust it will be
nocked out | am not advocating
|, nor pushing it, or anything else.
My introduced it by request, and if
he is entitled to anything she ought
0 have it and if Investigations proves
nat she is not entitled toit l certain
: will not support it,
l will say to your readers that there
great deal of work being done in
he senate, and a great many bills be-
lg passed, but am not able to say how
ell we will get along when it comes
D the passing Of general measures.
The Sumner county fee and salary
Ill is now in the house, passed the
enate, and l hope it will soon become
law.
| was rather amused to-day to find