The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-13

SPECIAL SESSION.
Governor Stanley Is Urged to
Call One.
New Tax Law the Basis For the
Demand.
GET 1T OUT OF WAY.
Would Dispose of Troublesome
Question at Once.
Bugaboo Which May Over
'ET 1T OUT OF WAY.
Bugaboo Which May Over.
shadow Next Campaign.

There is a movement on foot among
some of the members of the legislature
who are specially interested in the pas
sage of the proposed tax law as it has
been prepared by the state tax revision
commission to have Governor Stanley
call a special session of the legislature
for the express purpose of considering
the tax question.
While the Republicans criticised the
PopuliSts for holding a special ession
in 1858 for the purpose of passing rail-
road bill which did not pass muster ic
the courts, the advocates of a special
session at this time claim that there is a
great of amount of argument in favor
of it. The only argument against it.
they say, is the expense to the state.
and they claim that the increase in the
amount OF taxable property which will
be assessed at the coming assessment
on March will far more than reim-
burse the state for the cost of the extra
session.
On the other hand, if a special session
is not called, the present system will
remain in effect for the assessments of
both 1902 and 1903, because the next
regular session will not convene until
January, 1908. and it would be impossi-
BILE to pass the law after a new legisla-
ture has been elected which is not ac-
quainted with the problems of assess
ment and taxation, in time to have it take
effect on March 1. the date on which
property is assessed.
The main idea in the new bill is to
catch great amount of property which
is now escaping taxation. This, it is
claimed, would be sufficient to pay all
the expenses of special session many
times over. in a single year.
Another argument which is urged in
favor of special session is that the
members of the present legislature are
all familiar with the weak points of the
present law, and the problems which
present themselves for &ScEtment in
aSSRSSmeDf taxation
was thoroughly discussed in the session
last winter and a number of different
bills were presented. The result was
the appointment of commission to go
over the entire subject of assessment
and taxat ton, to study it carefully and
inquire into the merits of the different
bills presented and the systems in
vogue in other states, and to revise the
entire system. This the commission has
done and it has just completed it's re-
port.
In the discussions in the last legisla-
ture every member became thoroughly
fam iliar with the subject so that there
would probably be little trouble now
in passing the bill prepared by the com
mission. On the other hand if it is left
for a new legislature to pass upon there
will probably be large number of new
members who do not understand the
questions involved, all sorts of amend
ments will be proposed to the bill, and
it may have hard trouble in getting
through without being badly butchered
up.
There are also political reasons ad-
vanced why a special session should be
held. There is little doubt that the pro-
posed tax law will become a big issue
in the next state campaign if it is left
over. The Republican speakers will ex-
hibit it what they propose to do and
the opposition will line up against it.
1t will be torn to shreds bv the Popu-
list and Democratic orators, and the
result will be that sufficient strength
may be worked up to defeat it in the
next regular session. If it should fail,
it is urged by those who favor a special
session that the Republicans would be
held responsible by many people for not
passing it when they had a chance.
These are the arguments which will
be urged upon Governor Stanley to in
duce him to call a special session in the
near future to pass the proposed tax
law. Already it is said members have
commenced to write to him. The only
argument against it is the expense and
the fact that the Republicans strongly
condemned the Populists for doing the
same thing three years ago. But it is
urged that the expense feature is really
an argument for the special session,
and that more of an emergency exists
for the passage of the tax law at this
time than existed for the passage of
railroad law in 1S9S,and that the fusion
lists would not be able to make a cam
paign against the Republicans for hold
ing a special session. because they have
already done the same thing.