The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-31
1T STARTS THE TALK.
Strange Action Of State Board
of Equalization.

The charges made by Chairman Al
baugh, of the Republican state central
committee, against State Treasurer
Kelly, that Mr. Kelly has raised the
state tax levy and assessed valuations
: in order to proviGe a half million dol
lars more funds than the state needs.
has created a great deal of comment.
4 1t is a matter of statewide interest,
as practically every taxpayer in the
state is more or less affected by it.
| Mr.. Kelly's defense to the charges
I is virtually that Albaughs figures are
not correct. He says:
THE session laws of 1901 and 1908 and
! the appropriation ledgers in the state
auditors office and the state treas
appropriated by each legislature.
They show that the 1901 session ap-
lpropriated for all purposes $4, 701, 557 81.
They show that the 1903 session APP
propriated $5.197 ,236.20, or S495,6IS.2 ~
more than the session of 1901 appro-
priated.
Il still insist that the state board of
equalization had no discretion but to
provide for the raising of this addition
al amount of money.
Chapter 49O page 739, session laws
of 1903, provide for the tax levy Of S4,-
500, 900 for this biennial period. This,
with the estimated amount of fees that
will be collected of $4,000 and assum-
ing that there will be some unexpended
balances, will be ample to pay all
claims against the state for that
period
There ought to be no room for dis
pute as to the amount of the appro-
Driations made, as it is simply mat
ter of hunting them up in the session
laws and adding the amounts together.
Mr. Kelly misquOtes the session laws
of 1903, however. with reference to the
tax levy for this biennial period. The
law which Mr.. Kelly refers to says that
the tax levy shall be made to raise a
sum mot exceeding" two and half
million dollars for each year, 1904 and
1905 There is vast difference be-
tween a law providing for raising a
definite amount and one which provides
sum mot exceeding" that amount
The full section reads as follows:
THAT for the purpose of raising rev.
enue to meet appropriations made Dy
the legislature of the state of Kansas,
Including those made for all current ex-
penses and for interest on bonds of the
state. there is hereby levied, and the
proper officers shall apportion and col
lect tax upon all the property in the
state of Kansas subject to taxation in
the amounts following: For the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1904, not exceeding
the sum of two million five hundred
thousand dollars; and for the fiscal
wear ending June go. 1905. not exceeding
the sum of two million dollars"
Mr. Kelly says above that the recent
legislature made appropriations amount
ing to $519T, ,236-20, which by the way, IS
81, 900 less than his statement of August
/. But taking these latter figures to be
correct. Mr.. Kelly fails to say that s602,
9O9. "a of this was appropriated to be
expended prior to Iune 80 last, which
would leave $4, ,595. .326 56 as the appropria-
tions for 1904 and 1905.
r. ]. Brock, county attorney of Riley
county, who is in Topeka today, says
that the people of his county are con-
siderably worked uD over the taxation
matter Riley county was hit about the
worst of any county in the state in the
matter of raising the assessed valuation
as returned by the county clerk to the
state board of equalization. The board
raised the valuation of Riley county
about million and a quarter dollars
s. l. Hale, the fusion representative
from Rush county, says that the action
of the board of equalization makes
things easy for the fusionists in his
county.
Our assessed valuation is about the
same as it was when Leedy was COVER
nor" he said today. yet our state taxes
have increased from $4,000 to S13, ,000.'