The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-18
WILL
ASK BONDS
BE REDEEMED
Oklahoma Is Paying Too
Much Interest.
is OPINION OF AUDITOR
Legislature TO be Requested
to- Take Necessary Action.

Guthrie. o. T.. Jan. i5.-y.uditor Il W.
Baxter IN speaking OF the legislation
which the daily routine OF ousinesS IN
his Office shows 10 be necessary for fhe
good OF the territory. said:
There are $500 OF 1880 bonds whl&h
were issued by the territory for the buildS
ing or educational institutions in Iss.\
These bonds draw per cent interest.
There is now sl.s7S5o in the treasury
TO the credit of the bond interest fund,
the income for the current year will be
about S.. 0oe The board Of ecuaIiza-
ton win request the legislature 20 en-
act law enabling Governor Ferguson.
Treasurer Rsmho or the board. 20 taks
up these bonds at the earliest possible
moment and thus stop the payment OF IN
yterest and relieve the necessity Of a a
mill levy being made each year"
In his report TO the legislature the audi
tor has recommended many laws. on
census and othter statistics ne says:
The law requiring the taking % the
census and other statistics is very little
observed by the county assessors. Theirs
is no penalty attached 10 il. consequently
many assessors do not feel under ohliga-
tons 20 collect the necessary data Either
a penalty should be ttached 70 this law
and the law thus made operative. or the
law should be repealed II census and sta
tisticai information could be gathered il
would be source Of great benefit to the
territory.
Turning TO the tables the assessed val
uation OF the territory will be seen 20 be
very greatly interesting The assessed
valuation for 900 was $40 sSs. Gel. %. for 1871
So. fsi se6.oo. for 1872 s72s77 Geo. an In
crease Of ss3s.3Stse In the period The In
crease OF the year 1872 was due IN a meas
ure TO the opening OF the new country.
however much ia occasioned by the mar
velous growth In wealth OF our properly.
1T win be observed by turning TO the
tables that lard was assessed In 1899 afta
rate Of about SIS an acre lower than .m
1901. that horses. mules and asses. sheep
and goats. cattle and swine. were all as
sessed AT a lower rate than In 1901. TRere
were however. about l2.00 quarter sec-
lions OF Ind proved up IN the year 1910
Taking into confederation ali the facts.
conservative estimates OF the assessed
valuation for the coming biennial period
are: For 1907. ss0.o1o.voo: for 1894. sso.DO2.o0o
The minutes OF the proceedings OF the
board OF railroad assessors arc herewith
attached. II will b. observed that shc
board assessed telegraph. telephone. Pull
man and railroad property. The amount
OF telephone property for 1879 was e.
SOS: telegraph. s-4aS: Pullman. f2iT2i. Of
railroad property. - 80 sc.
There Is no provision IN the statutes
for the assessment OF express companies.
street railways. etc. a law authorizing
local assessors 10 ass~ss the local tcle-
phone lines. and the territory only the
toll Ines would give better results"
on the estimates ~ the expenditures
and receipts On the general revenue fund
hs says:
1T Is very difficult 90 approximate Win
any degree Of certainty the assesxei vaia-
alton and the income from assessment
for the coming biennial period. Taking
the foregoing estimates Of $4,000 90 for
ths following conclusions.
Estimated receipts into general fsEd.
IaH. $4,000. estimated expenditures for
the same period. tzls.ESo balance tse.il9
Estimated receipts into general fund. 1914
$40 90. estimated expenditures Tor SANE
period ;2l5 10. balance. sass. making a
total balance fer the two Years n 80 20
The deficiencies reported in the terrific
rial government amount ~ nearly szea11
for the past year The following tabis
distributes these defelencies: