The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-16
FIX UP TAXES.
State Board Holds Its Initial
Meeting Today.
Representative John Francis is
Elected as Chairman.
MAP OUT THE WORK.
Session Will Not Continue Over
so Days.
Working Force Classified Into
Four Primary Committees.

Assessment problems are before the
board Of tax revision that was created
by the legislature, and which made a be-
ginning on it's work today. The board
started right in to systematic the task
that confronts it and from the mode of
procedure the committee work Will &C.
cupy most of the preliminary time.
The board held its first meeting in
room on the fourth floor of the state
house this morning All the members of
the commission were there--AuditoI'
Cole, Treasurer Grimes. Attorney Gen
erai GODDARD, Senators Cyrus Hurrei and
Fred DumOnt Smith, Representativ G.
F. Biddle, Emil Grosser and John Fran
In organizing for business John
Francis received five votes for perma-
nent chairman and Senator Smith three.
Following the installation Of John Fran
els as chairman, the board made Sena-
tor Hurrel recording secretary.
The commission is to sit not more than
fifty days all otld and its sittings are not
liable to be consecutive. They halted at
this point and went on to provide a sys-
tenn for their work before deciding the
momentous question as to whether the
commission shall employ a permanent
clerk. The appropriation is limited 20
$500 for clerk hire and stenographerS'
hire. The matter was left open till Ia
ter session while the arrangement of a
course of procedure was taken up.
AS an initial step it was decided to di-
vide the work of collecting data on as
SCISSORS and assessments. -Four commit
tees were mapped out which are to con-
SiSt OF two members each. The state
officers who are on the board have al
ready set the machinery of the state IL
brary and state historical society TO
work getting out the matter bearing on
the subject directly in Kansas. It was
decided to solicit information from
county clerks all over the state and in
other states where revisionS of the tx
will also call upon the large taxpayers
to make suggestions and from the mass
of information that is expected to col
lect under this system the commission
wiz sIft out ond draft a law for the next
legislature to enact for this state
To look into assessments the four
primary committees will be arranged as
follows: On real estate; on personal
property; on railroad, telegraph, tele-
phone and express company property,
and the fourth committee will look af
ter all other corporations.
The commission has now determined
to first take up the mode of assess
ments which will include a readjustment
of the scope of the work of all assessors
and may make some new offices and
abolish others. After that the second
division of the work will be valuations
and their basis.
The car trusts run hundreds of cars
in the state that pay no taxes because
the present law does not touch them, in
meat, fruit, beer and other commodities
where big concerns own their own cars.
An innovation that Mr.. GODDARD sug-
gests to secure equalization of assess
ment, which is expected to be one of the
hardest problems that the commission
will have to solve, is to do away with
township assessors and have a county
assessor, with deputies for whom he is
responsible. Every township said
he, s'elects the man who will assess them
the cheapest so as to get the best of the
other townships. Where there is city
in the county the city complains that
the country is assessed too low and there
is an eteraal quarrel over it between the
city and the balance of the county. This
would end it."
The sub committees appointed by
Chairman Francis are made up as fol-
lows:
on Real Estate-Treasurer Grimes and
c. F. Biddle.
On Personal Property-Senator Fred
Smith and Representative Emil Grosser.
On Railroads, etc.-Attorney General
GODDARD and Senator Hurrel.
On Other porations-Auditor Cole
and John Francis