The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-05
Tax Commission Shows Indica-
tiOns of Breaking Away.
Politics Forgotten for a Moment
in Deliberations.
THE MORTGAGE CLAUSE
Bale Waggener Has 1t Changed
in Single Handed Fight.
As 1t Stands Now These Securi-
ties Won't Be Taxed.

Single handed. in a committee on
which the political complexion of his
Few partisans made no perceptible dis
coloration. Bale Waggener last night
won fight for an important amend
ment to the tax bill now under consid-
Grafton. Under his persuasion the mem
bers Of the tax committee thought less
about the making of a law that would
Withstand the pulling and hauling OF
campaign discussion, and more of turn
ing out one that would sooner or later
be appreciated as a protection for com
mercial progress in the state.
Let us go at this in the spirit of busi-
ness men," was Waggener's frequent
objurgation and before long the COM
mittee was doing so. His amendment
passed by a safe majority which could
not have been altered by Senator Hur-
refs tardy protest if he had been able
90 secure a reconsideration, as he de-
aired
In the section defining personal prop
erty an exception from that term was
made to include, notes mortgages and
evidences of indebtedness" This makes
mortgages exempt from taxation The
proposition came up for discussion at
the first meeting of the committee Tues
day night but when it threatened to be-
come a bar to progress upon eonsidera-
ton of other sections of the bill it was
laid over Last night it occupied almost
an hour Of the committees time. That
fits importance justified the time was
not questioned. Senator Smith, who
contended on the previous evening that
notes and mortgages ought to be taxed
came over to the other view and voted
for the amendment.
As set forth in previous reports of this
discussion Waggener contenGed, IN Ia
VOr of his amendment, that where a tax
H-. I'm
property is mortgaged eventually pays
the tax and the money lender goes free
He argued that resident money would
be placed in the hands of nonresident
trust companies to be loaned. as a sub
terfuge to escape taxation He further
held that the removal of tax upon
notes and mortgages would eventually
bring a chea per money into the state for
the man who had to borrow.
The argument that the exemption
would remove a source of revenue now
accruin= to the state was answered by
q showing Of statistics that at the pres
ent time the total valuation of this class
of property in Kansas was but little
over three million dollars out of a total
taxable valuation OF something like 1863
million dollars. There was no evidence
of craftsmanship IN the deliberations Of
the committee last night Fusion mem
bers dipped into the discussion and ad-
duced arguments not tainted with po-
Htical prejudice The Republican band
the mangled remains OF the minority
So far the tax bill has ridden in pri-
vate car
The word tax" when found in con-
nection with the opening paragraph Of
any article is usually a discOuragemenv
to the reader. A full report of the fur.
Their proceedings of last nights com
mittee meeting would probably be =
death blow to the interest Of the re-
inainder of this one. Until 10 O'Clock the
committee read and talked about fol,
lowing sections down to the bottom OF
article Z and then adjourned until this
evening. There were a few changes.
important only in q technical or legal
way and many returns to earlier sec
tons of the bill which had been pre-
viously flashed" over. After consid-
cradle discussion of exemptions that
section was left unamended.
In the section providing penalties for
the filing of fraudulent statements of
property Waggener secured an amend
ment laying the penalty of the forfeiture
of the charter or license Of any company
resident or nonresident which willfulIy
understated it's property holdings
Tonight Senator Hurrei will try to
bring UP for reconsideration Waggener's
amendment eNempting mortgages. H.
was absent during the earlier part OF
the evening and missed the discussion in
which he would have opposed the
amendment