Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-10-18
THE REPUBLICAN TAX BILL.
A Measure Which John Thomas WIFE
Support if Elected

Instead of providing relief for the
people in the matter OF taxation, the
Republican party proposes to enact
into law the tax law prepared by the
commission created by the laSa legis-
lature.
The following facts concerning the
commission, its report, and the pro-
posed law ought to challenge the at
tention of every vot9r:
/. II Is A PARTISAN MEASURE No
member Of the legislature other than
a Cy Leland Republican was allowed
place on the commission.
T 2. -Four thousand dollars was APP
propriated to pay the commission to
prepare partisan bill, TO keep in
touch with Copeland County," and
to take junketing trip TO the Buff
falO Exposition.
3. Two State offices are created,
each with a salary of $500 year.
4. One county Office is created.
3. The State tax. missioners
are elected by the executive council
and yet THEY ARE GIVEN POWER TO
sUAIMARILY REMOVE A COUNTY
ASSESSOR ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
6. And when the county assessor
is so removed the governor may APP
point any person, whether-a resident
of the county or not, TO fill the vacancy
and the person appointed shall hold
the office for the uneXpired term,
EVEN THOUGH GENERAL ELECTION
MIGHT BE HELD IN THE MEANTIME.
I. The men who do the actual
work of assessing are NOT TO BE
ELECTED, BUT MUST BE APPOINTED.
s. No assessor is permitted to work
in his own community. Every tax
payer is TO be assessed by stranger
8. All county assessors are required
to meet at Topeka-at the expense of
their counties-and then learn what
the state tax commissioners want
them to do, and incidentally to be
threatened with removal if they
should obey the people who elected
them rather than the tax commission.
10 The report attacks the conSti-
tutional exemption Of 5000, but says
that under the proposed law it TWILL
NOT BE roo LARGE"
IL. Railroad assessments are not
changed by the new law. a railroad
is kindly permitted to be assessed by
its ''neighbor.
Il. Kansas corporations are re-
quired to report their franchises
obtained from the state or city for
taxation, while a foreign corporation
must report only those granted it by
any city. This is kind to New Jersey
1.-THE great cow pasture for New
York"
Is. No rule is given TO determine
the value of franchise.
IA. A merchant is no longer per-
mitted to Offset his debts against his
credits.
10. A manufacturer does not have
to pay tax on finished articles, even
| though his warehouse may be full.
This is to encourage manufacturing, y
but agriculture is not "encouraged'
by exempting grain.
Is. Kansas money loanerS must
pay tax on real-estate mortgages, even
though the real estate has been
assessed at its full value. while a
foreign money lOaner pays no tax on
his mortgage. This is done to compel
the young man who is buying farm
to pay tax on the full value of the land
while he only owns one-half of it and
then pay enough more interest to en-
able his MORTGAGE to pay taxes on the
.mortgage-in other words pays taxes
on three times his investment.
II. The rule for assessing telegraphs
telephones and other corporate prop
erty depends entirely upon informa-
ton that is 10 be and can be fur
nished only by the corporations them
selves.
TO sun UP. THE LAW DISTRUSTS
THE PEOPLE AND SETS INQUIsIToRS
UPON THEM, AND PROTECTS THE COR
PoRATIoNs AND ASSESSES THEM BY
THEIR OWN STANDARD OF VALUE.