The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-29
TO CATCH TAX DODGERS.
First Draft of New Tax Law Bill Is
Prepared.

Prepared.
Topeka, Kans., June 2s.-The state COM
mission appointed to revise the assess
ment and taxation laws of Kansas nave
! greed on the bin which 'Tin be drafted
and presented to the next legislature for
/ enactment into law
Before adjourning to meet July 3, the
members Of the commission drafted bin
which, with a few changes, VIII be the
one presented to the legislature. When
the commissioners meet in Topeka next
month they viii have amended their
copies of the measure and from the
amended copies the new law viii be con
structed
The new law viii make 10 change in
the present manner Of assessing railway
property in the state. The state board
Of railway assessors viii continue to ass
ess railway, telegraph and telephone
property
Section / Of the new law provides for
the election Of a county assessor, whose
term OF Office shan be four years.
Section provides for the appointment
Of a deputy assessor by the assessor, by
and with the consent Of the boards OF
county commissioners.
Section hxes the bond OF the county
assessors at a sum equal to . II per cent
Of the total tax collected in the county
during the last preceding year.
Section Z fixes the compensation of the
assessorsc on a population basis, ranging
from 81 a day in counties Of 900 or less
population up to 81 100 a year in counties
OF over 1000.
Sections TO 80 inclusive provide for
the listing Of several kinds of personal
property exemptions and the collection
Of statistics. The details for the listing
Of property cover twenty typewriter
pages, the intention of the commission
being to make q law 10 catch even the
shrewdest tax dodger. The form Of oath
provided for property owners. is as fol-
lows:
Il. John Jones, being duly sworn, say.
to the best of my knowledge. Information
and belief. the foregoing statement con
tains a 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 a view to
or profit, and alI personal
property apDertainlng 10 manufacturing.
and all manufactured articles. whether
on hand or owned by ne in al cases
where I have been unable to exhibit GER
tain classes Of property to the assessor, (
such property has been fully and fairly
described. and its true condition and
value presented That I have in no case 4
sought TO mlslead the assessor as to /
either quantity or quality or value of
property and that the deduction claimed /
from thee redits are bona hde debts for
a consideration received, and do not con-1 /
sist in any part in bonds, notes or obliga- I
tions Of any kind given TO any insurance |
company on account Of p-emiuns or pol I
iclss nor on account of any unpaid sub /
scriptions TO or indebtedness payable on I
capital stock Of any company. and I /
further swear that since the first day Of /
February I have not directly or i1di- I
recuy converted or changed any Of my /
property temporarily fer the purpose Of (
svading the assessment thereof for taxes. (
further swear that have to the best i
1f my knowledge and judgment valued /
said property at its true cash value, b. 4
which mean the usual selling price"