The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-20
BARKER OPPOSES H
Wants Commission to Handle
Question of Assessment.
TIME is NOW TOO SHORT
To Give the Subject the Con-
Sideration 1t Deserves.
TIME is NOW TOO SHORT

Topeka. Jan. 19.-speaker Gorge J. Bar
ker Of the house, is opposed to any lesis-
laton on the question of assessment and
taxation at this session. de says it Is
folly for the members 70 tnink Of at
tempting to revise The assessment and
taxation laws during this session He
believes a commission should be appoint
ed to make a revision and report to the
legislature two years hence.
1T will be absolutely impossible 10 give
this question the consideration j. deserves
at this session" said he today The
only thing that could be accomplished
would be to patch up sho old laws some
what and there is danger that the patch
es viii weaken insteadof uop.5vins them.
There is no subject so important before
the people Of the state, and a comple,e
revision Of the laws go dEg assess
ment and taxation should be made but
it is useless to try to MAKE that revision
in 6fty days and look after other legis.a a
ton besides.
MY IDEA would be- the spea.;eT went
on, TO have the present legislature pass
a Law creating a commisst3l to make the
revision The committee should be COM
posed Of about five me4abets, Of different
vocauons. There should he coupe Of
good lawyers, one business man, a lar
mer and a cattleman. The lawyers could
pass upon the legal aspects of the ques-
tons and the business man, farmer and
Cattleman could inject some good horse
sense into the measure. ii takes far
mer to tell how the farmers II general
would take TO certain prov sious. For
instance, no one, but a farmer could tell
how other farmers would c0asI1tr JrOvis-
ions concerning road tax and other things
in which they are perso ally Interested
The same with the catIleman and ousi-
ness man on taxes in Their 'ines.
THE greatest publicity should be given
the result of the committees Iabors at
the earliest possible moment. 1 believe
that the people should be given a voice
in the matter.
1.-THE commission should be authorized
to go To work at once and revise the
present laws and add everything they
consider necessary to make model tax
law. They should make their report in
the form of perfected bill. Then this
bill should be printed in the official state
paper several times years or so before
the next legislature meets. This would
give the people an opportunity TO study
its provisions and make suggestions. At
ter the suggestions have all been made
the commission could get toget Their and
consider them, and, if any were regarded
as important, they could be added to the
original perfected bill. This might make
the question of taxation an issue in the
next state campaign. It probably would
But the Republicans could afford it. If
their commission would put up a good
strong, equitable tax bill it would help
them; if they fixed up d poor one the
people wouldn't stand it, 1t would,
therefore, behoove the commission TO pre-
pare an ideal law There would be
great responsibility on their shoulders.
Il have no axe to grind in this mat
ter" said the speaker II have no
friends to locate on the commission;
neither would 1 take position as mem
Der of it. But from what I know Of our
present tax laws 1 believe it is absolutely
out of the question for the legislature 10
revise them this session so thar the PEG
pie viii be given any relief"