The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-09
TO STATE
Railroads Unite in Request to
Legislature.
Say That They Are Taxed Too
High.
ONE POINT OVERLOOKED
Figures Do Not Show Watered
Stock.
Upon This the Companies Ex-
pect TO Pay Dividends.
NE POINT OVERLOOKED

on the desk of each member of the
legislature there was placed Saturday
a laFge-size, sixty-page pamphlet with
this title. Railroad Taxation. Issued
Under the Authority Of the Railroads
Of Kansas. 1903. Nearly all the mem
not return 10 their desks until today
as the legislature did not reconvene
until 4 O'Clock this atterroon-
The pamphlet has been prepared by
The railroads Of the state TO prove that
they are already paying more tnan
their proportion Of taxes in Kansas
and more than they pay in any Sther
western state 1t is the railroads side
OF the taxation question The opening
--The railroads Of Kansas have moth
ing TO conceal regarding their part in
the payment Of taxes They pay
higher Ea1e Of tax in the state Of kan
Els than IN any state west Of the Mis-
sissippi river. they pay f0rty-nine per
cent more tax in Kansas than t1e
average paid IN all the states in the
trausmississippi region taey pay nsar-
~ tea per cent mere than the average
tax paid BY All the railroads in the
United States lwheu three states with
special Contracts existing are excluded
from the averaged
Instead OF the railroads showing
disposition to sair1 the payment of just
taxes. they Fay. and pay promptly.
where frequently the stockholders of
the companies have failed for years TO
receive any return for their investment
These payments have been cheerful
" made because the stockholders Of the
railroad com panies are depending on
Kansas future for their returns. They
recognize that it is important that
county examinations should be sus
tanned. schools maintained. and those
things done that are necessary TO show
prosperity and induce others TO come
into the state and join in its future,
and they know that If these things ars
not attended TO Kansas VIII retr0gress,
and with the retrogression of the state
decline in railroad investments would
naturally ensue-
'.NQ interest IN the state has the
states success 50 near at heart q g those
of the railroads. They assist. guide and
direct every proposition presented fer
the natural advancement OF the COM
mouwealth. they foster schemes for
colonization they assist in the agitation
for irrigation. they make scientific i'm
yestIgatlon Of beet sugar culture. they
Assist IN opening up the mines and all
the other resources OF the state OF
course they dc This with a selfish mo-
tive in view. because the prosperity or
kansas means their own prosperity
Their interests are 50 linked with TN
other material industries OF the stats
that 1t IS business proposition with
them to help the progress Of everything
that tends TO advance the wealth ana
prosperity of the people"
~IdllEftlAFE contains page aELEr
page Of statistics regarding Kansas raIl-
roads and comparing them with those
IN OTaer states. with the idea Of showing
that Kansas taxes the railroads nuch
heavier than other states.
There ls one point. however, that is
not touched upon in the pamphlet
There are no figures TO show the wat
cred stock in the railroad companies MOI
the excess Of their bonds There IS a
desD-seare1 conviction among the pee
PIE that if the railroads insist uDon TIE
people pa Yiug freights sufficient to en-
able them TO pay the interest on a bond
ed Indebtedness equal to or larger than
the original cost Of the roads, and Ia
addition to that a dividend upon stock
which has been Watered and reWatered.
the railroads should be taxed upon the
same basis
Among the deductions which are
drawn from the statistics in the pam
phIet are the following;
That 20 per cent of the Kansas peo
pie I've on farms and ranches and 81
per cent IN towns
That railroads pay II per cent of the
Kansas taxes
That only 10 per cent. Of the real
wealth Of the state is returned for taxa
ton
That Kansas railroads pay IS. per cent
more taxes than the railroads Of neigh
boring states
That Kansas railroads pay g. per cent
more taxes than Iowa and IS more than
Missouri.
That the railroads pay 3 per cent or
over Of the taxes in eighteen Kansas
counties.
Tha1 only 10 per cent of personal prop
erry and $ per cent of moneys and cred
its are returned for taxation
That only Il per cent of national bank
capital is returned for taxation and only
: per cent OF the interest on government
bonds.
That the Union Pacific paid Is per
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