Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-07-04
TO CATCH DODGERS.
The New Bill for Assessment Of
Property in Kansas.
VHA1TaE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS
The New Law to Make No Change In the
Present Manner Of Assessing Rail-
wsys-The Form Of Oath for
Property Owners.

Topeka, Kan, June 2S.-The state
commission appointed to revise the
assessment and taxation system Of
Kansas has agreed on the bill which
will be presented to the next legisla.
tyre for enactment into law. Before
adjourning to meet in July the mem
bers of the commission drafted bill
which, with perhaps few changes
will be the bill which will be pre-.
sented to the legislature. The com.
missioners will meet in Topeka again
July 0. AT that time the members
will have amended their copies Of the
bill and from the amended copies the
new law will be constructed.
The new law will make no change
in the present manner Of assessing
railway property in the state. The
state board Of railway assessors will
continue to assess railway, telegraph
and telephone property.
Section 1 of the new law provides
for the election of county assessor,
whose term of Office shall be four
years.
Section 2 provides for the appoint
ment of deputy assessors by the as
SCISSOR, by and with the consent of the
boards Of county commissioners.
Section 8 fixes the bond of the
county assessor at sum equal to ~
per cent. of the total taxes collected
in the county during the last preced-
ing year.
Section 4 fixes the compensation of
assessors on a population basis, rang
Ing from 81 day in counties of e.
900 or less population, up to $1,000 a
year in counties of over 100000.
Sections 5 to 80, inclusive, provide
for the listing Of the several kinds Of
personal property, exemptions and
the collection of statistics. The de-
tails for the listing of property cover
20 typewriter pages, the intention
of the commission being to make q
law to catch even the shrewdest tax
dodger.
The form of oath provided for prop
erty owners is as follows:
I, John Jones, being duly sworn, say,
to the best Of my knowledge, information
and belief, the foregoing statement con-
tains true and complete list Of all prop
erty held or belonging to me on the first
day of February, including all personal
property, appertaining to merchandising,
whether held in actual possession or
only having been purchased with view
to possession or profit, and all personal
property appertainlng to manufacturing,
and all manufactured articles, whether
on hand or owned by me. In all cases
where have been unable to exhibit GER
tain classes of property to the assessor,
such property has been fully and fairly
described, and Tvs true condition and
Vdlue TepreSellttu. lHdt nave III no
case sought to mislead the assessor as
to either quantity or quality or value of
property, and that the deduction claimed
from the credits are bona flde debts for
a consideration received. and do not con-
sist In any part in bonds, notes or obllga-
tons Of any kind given to any insurance
company on account Of premiums or
policies, nor on account Of any ,,npaid
subscription to any literary, scientific or
charitable institution, nor on account Of
any subscription to or indebtedness on
capital stock Of any company; and fur
Their swear that since the first day Of
February have not directly or indirect
ly converted or exchanged any of my
property temporarily for the purpose Of
evading the assessment thereof for taxes.
I further swear that have to the best
of my knowledge and Judgment valued
said property at Its true cash value, by
which mean the usual selling price.