Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-07-11

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one million dollars is owned by
non-residents. Our railway com
missioners assessed them for
taxation at So million dollars.
In other words our people pay
the nonresident stock and bond
holders interest on six dollars
for each one dollar invested in
our state. Our officials assess
this nonresident for taxation,
10 cents on the dollar of the in
come value of the property, and
assess the home man for taxes
at 25 cents to so cents on the
dollar, of the value of his prop
erty.
The Kansas City Stock Yards
original investment was less
than $5OO,OOO. Out of their
profits they have many times
enlarged their plant, paid large
dividends, and are now paying
interest on 8 million dollars.
They are assessed for taxes at
less than one-half million dollars.
A telephone company pays
taxes on $4,000, and forces the
people to pay three million dol
lars to use the service.
One street car company pays
taxes on less than one million
dollars, and interest on twenty
one million dollars.
These instances are only few
of the many.
The record shows that the
people of Kansas pay interest on
public utilities capitalized for
about 600 million dollars, where
cost of construction did not eX-
ceed 100 million dollars, Ii the
people owned the utility the
charges for it's use would be
lessened SO the price paid would
be no more than legal interest
on cost of construction.
1t is for this reason the demo
cratic party has a plank in it's
platform advocating public
ownership OF public utilities.
My Neighbor, is 1T not COM
mon sense that no man, no city,
no state, can pay six times The
legal interest on any investment
and succeed? Public officials
could prevent this outrageous
abuse OF the people on the part
of the corporations. They could
make laws regulating charges,
SO that the price paid would not
be greater than a fair interest on
the investment. They could
make them pay taxes on the
value OF their property, and in
the same proportion as is paid
by the farmer and home owner
In knowing this you may under
stand why corporations are in
politics. You may know their
necessity in getting officials
elected who are subservient-to
their will. You may guess who
furnished 5000 passes and many
special trains to the last Michi-
ta republican convention. You
may now understand why there
is a difference OF over SO, 900 per
mile in the assessment OF the
same roads for taxes in the state
of Kansas, and in favor OF Mis-
souri,. You may be astonished
to learn that these same lines of
railway In Missouri Counting
Kansas mileage) would pay
taxes on more than 80 million
greater assessment than they do
in Kansas. Say your tax rate
is five per cent. This would
make a difference of four million
dollars against the taxpayer in
this state, and in favor OF the
railroads. Your population is
about one million five hundred
thousand. In this one item
every man, woman and child in
the state pays $2.66 to support
the poor railroads and the bosses
who make the iniquity possible.
ALI this may enlignten you as to
why the republican managers at
Wichita put out a platform deal
ing only with national issues in
a state campaign. l don't want
to impugn the honesty of any
official, but as your neighbor,
as a taxpayer, and a citizen OF
Kansas, l declare that no party
has a right to repeatedly elect
men to office, who, through ig-
norance orworse, cannot obtain
for my people all that other of
ficials in adjoining states pro.
icure for their constituents under
like conditions. No sane mar
employing a mechanic or pro
| fessional man, would continue
| 4I1 bo T-,,.d 4 h