The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-08
A BIG VICTORY.

a big victory, so far as it goes, was
won for the common people at Kansas
City, Mo, yesterday when the board
of equalization raised the assessed val
ue of the Metropolitan street railway
company from 1892, 900 to $4,000, 900.
The people and corporations are sup
posed to pay taxes in Kansas City on
something like 40 per cent of the true
value of their property. The board
yesterday declared that the true value
of the Metropolitan property is about
fifteen millions. Forty per cent of this
is $6.000,00O
One interesting point in connection
with this extraordinary change lies in
the fact that E. c. Little, of Kansas
two weeks ago delivered a lecture in
Kansas City on this very subject. Mr..
Little had compiled large number of
figures which it is apparent the people
of Kansas City have used in connection
with forcing the Metropolitan street
railway and other corporations to pay
their just proportion of the taxes.
The fact above recited is certainly
one which must give a great deal of
satisfaction to Mr.. Little and should al
so to the people of Kansas.
One of our citizens goes down to Mis-
souri, and opens up a war on one of the
great corporations of Kansas City and
exposes methods of a corporation which
the people of Kansas City were either
slow or afraid to expose themselves.
The evasion of taxes on the part of
many wealthy people and corporations
cries out loudly for reform.
If the rich pay their taxes, the poor will
have very little to pay and the wel1-to-do
will not pay more than they should pay.
In Topeka taxes are evaded just as they
are in Kansas City and a reform along
this line is of the iOnnOrtanPa
When cities own not only their own
water works, lighting plants but some
other things, the public will be more
justly treated, and profits which go to
pay the cost of city government and re-
duce, or largely wipe out, burdensome
taxes.
The corporations and the wealthy people
of the cities often evade the just pay
ment of their taxes.
1t is SO in Kansas City, Mo.
1t is so in Topeka. '-i
1t is so in other cities.
The Kansas City World, which, by the
way, published Mr.. Little's figures on the
Metropolitan, in reporting yesterdays
meeting says:
peal from the decision of the board, they
must present it in writing and with signed
appeal and figures to back it. The board
of equaliza ton sits in appeal when they
capacity.
The thing was brought to a head
today soon after the board met J. D.
Forbis of the firm of Yeager & Forbis
appeared before the board in behalf of
citizens in McGee's addition. In a ring
ing speech he said he and others were
paying too heavy taxes on the valuation
of their property, and that the corpora
tions, which are better able to pay their
looked.
He cited that the actual valuation of
the Metropolitan's property, bonds, etc,
according to the market, is $23, OS9, Cps.
Taking off one-third for the Kansas hold
Forty per cent of this valuation, which
should be the true assessed valuation of
Thev now nav taxes on S3S5 6O0 With NJ
F'orbis said was entirely too low.
Mr.. FOrbiS' talk crea ted CONSERVATION
in the court room, which was filed with
fat, sleek looking representatives of the
fatter corporations. They tried to smile,
but it was a poor EFFORT