Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-09-14

Quent taxes, there were always buyers
who were willing to pay the amount
of taxes due and receive therefore a
certificate of purchase. 1t was
profitable and safe investment. I'm
der the new law, however, there are
no bidders and our county is rapidly
becoming land syndicate, being COM
PEELED to bid in almost the entire list
of lands sold for takes. The result is
that the taxes necessary for the sup
port of state, county and public
schools are short, necessitating a
tax levy the following year. In other
words, those who pay their taxes when
due, must bear the additional burden
imposed on account of those who are
delinquent. This is entirely wrong
in theory and great injustice to
those who pay taxes, many of whom
are compelled to make sacrifices in
order to pay their legitimate share of
the expenses of government. Like
the laws of the Modes and Persians,
the statute providing for the payment
of takes are memorable, but when an
individual contributes his exact pro-
portion he should not then be COM
PEELED to pay more on account of the
carelessness or delinquency of some
other person. And the burden is
specially grieyouS at this present
time, owing to crop failures and gen
eral depression of business. To fully
realize how the present law operates
in this county, we would suggest that
our readers interview the county
treasurer and look at his record of tax
sales The law is a failure and, in
stead of being benefit to our tax
payers, isapoSitive injury, compelling
them to pay each year more than
their just proportion. The Republi-
can party is not responsible for the
enactment of this law, but we are not
now writing from partisan stand
point. 1t has been tried and found
wanting and should, in our opinion,
be repealed by our next legislature.
If not soon repealed it will work an
almost irreparable injury to our cOun-
ty, and the same conditions will apply
to most of the counties of the state.
THE Union Pacific railway has been
sued by shipper at Hays City, Kan
sas, to recover the difference he has
paid for freight between the cOmpa-
L. g
fixed by the Populist board of railroad
commissioners in 1894 The amount
involved is less than 800, but the suit
raises the question of the validity of
the boards schedule, and unless it be
defeated it will open the way for
numerous actions of similar charac-
ter all over the state, not only against
the Union Pacific, but against all Of
the other railroad companies. The
boards schedule was practically the
maximum freight rate bill which the
Populist state senate passed in 1898,
and it was adopted by the board, as
was well understood at the time as a
party measure, in the expectation of
bringing out prominently in the cam
paign, then pending, the railroad
issue. 1t was hoped that the new
schedule, being a sweeping reduction
of freight rates, would draw to the
Populist ticket the shippers of the
state. The scheme was adopted early
in the campaign for some reason or
other, and in the closing days of the
campaign little attention was paid to
it. The Populist leaders explained
that the board could not enforce it's
order and it was for the shippers to
take individual cases into the courts
and thus force to an issue the queS-
tiOn of the boards right to make the
order. No suits were brought, how
ever, and the matter was forgotten
until now the Hays City suit revives
recellectiOnS of it. Preliminary to
the trial of the case a requisltion has
been made upon the board, now con-
trolled by Republicans, for a certified
copy of the order of 1894, but not a
scratch of a pen showing that such an
order was ever made can be found in
the book where such records are kept.
The order will appear in the printed
report of the board, now in press, but
it will bear no official atteStations by
the board and its secretary. There
also are many copies in existence of
the 10000 printed by order of the
board in 1894, but there is some doubt
that mere copies will stand in court.
and the loss or destruction of the
original copy may put an end to
the Hays City suit before it comes to
| trial.-Star.
A Tektap