The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-04
ICE ESCAPES TAX
Topeka Trust May Have to Show
Books.
Movement to Have County Raise
Its Assessment.
RAW MATERIAL CLAUSE
Helps Company as Water Is Not
Taxable
Which Explains Light Assess
ment of Corporation.

BY the terms of a resolution unan-
imously adopted by the board of county
assessors the books of the Peoples Ice
company may have to be brought into
evidence as to why the concern should
not be forced to nay taxes into the
county treasury upon an assessed valu-
alton Of more than $500.
c. p. Bolmar. of No. 204 Greenwood
avenue. Potwin, who was one of the
members of the board of county asses
sOrs, has been active IN a movement to
compel the ice company to bear just
proportion of the taxes of the county.
They should be treated by the county
assessors said Mr.. Bolmar, Just the
same as any merchant or business man.
They should show their books to the
assessor and taxes should be paid on
an assessed valuation computed from
the amount of business transacted dur
ing the u months previous to the first
of March
when the assessor visited Mr.. Dickey
of the ice company" said Mr. BOlmars
"he informed the assessor in a manner
characteristic to himself that they
would not pay taxes under any such
arrangement as that That one of the
provisions of the laws of the state OF
Kansas is that on the first of March
when the assessor visits manufactur-
ing concern that only the materials
which go to compose their manufac-
tured article. on hand at that time,
are to be taxed The only article which
goes into the manufacture of a negOtia-
BILE piece of ice is pure distilled water.
If 1T contains anything else, 1t is not
negotiable piece of merchandise so
that the argument of the ice company
is not good. The ice company which IS
here in q position to demand eXact1ng
prices for it's product should be forced
to pay its fair and just proportion OF
the taxes of the county II 1t and others
were forced to do it thousands OF dol
lars would be saved. And the ice COM
pany is not the only concern which
should be gone after by the county
commissioners. The nurseries which are
doing business here do not pay taxes
on the volume of business done during
the year. and thus escape a just taxa
ton. And Topeka is one of the largest
centers in the United States for nursery
goods.
AS I say, the ice company should
be made to produce its books, show the
amount of ice handled during the year,
and compute the taxation by multiply
ing the number of tons sold by the
wholesale rate per ton, 81, or What
ever it is, and reduce that by 10 per
cent. That is the only just way OF
arriving at the basis of taxation for
them. They should be treated just the
same as any merchant
Il have appeared before the county
commissioners at least half q dozen
times to urge them to do their duty
in this regard. went to County At
torney Nichols and pointed out to him
that he should take up the fight He
excused himself by crying great
amount of overWork brought up by the
prosecution of the insurance cases, but
now that the county commissioners
have relieved him of that work by the
contract made with Keller & Hite, 1T
seems to me that excuse should not be
good, and that an effort should be made
to get the ice company placed on the
assessment books at a fair figure
The county clerk he continued,
has the authority to make any
changes in the assessm ent rolls when
he has evidence to lead him to believe
that the returns are underestimated,
and the parties concerned then have the
privilege of coming in and giving tes-
timony why they should not be taxed
so much. He has the power to issue
summons and instruct to have brought
into evidence any books or papers Of
the parties concerned.
II think that the board will within
a week take some action along this
line, at which time we may look for
developments"
The plan for a municipal ice plant is
meeting with some favor. although Mr.
the stock of the company, treats the
project in an icy manner. In an in
terview he says that the city would
lose money by atten pting to build an
ice plant
The project OF a municipal ice plant
dates back about a year. AS a way
OUT the State Journal suggested such
a venture last Saturday. Councilman
Snattinger has become enthused over
the project and is working for plant
along these lines
At the same time the fight instituted
waged- The members of the committee
will not be lax in their duties, and some
startling developments may be looked
for after the meeting Friday night.