The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-21
Members Careful In Talk of
Occupation Tax.
DEFICIT OF $4,000.
That Is the Estimate of Chair.
man Green.
Whole Question Will Be Sub
mitted to Council.

mlLCeO TO council.
VIM. Green, chairman of the ways
and means committee of the city coun-
Gil. stated at the meeting of the COM
mittee Monday night that according to
his estimates. the city would have a de-
dcit Of $4,000 in current expenses by
the end of the present fiscal year.
1t is therefore apparent that the city
must either cut down its expenses or
Increase its income. The committee
seemed to regard it as impossible to cut
down expenses, and the only way of
increasing revenue considered was by
obtaining legislative permission to in
crease the tax levy, or by the passage
Of an occupation tax law.
Instead of holding a secret session to
discuss the proposed occupation tax or
dinance. the ways and means commit
tee talked the matter over in open ses-
sion, and came to the conclusion that
It would be a waste of time to go into
the matter very deep until the whole
council had been given an opportunity
to express itself on the general desira-
bility of an occupation tax.
Acting upon this theory, Councilman
VIM Green will at the next council
meeting introduce a resolution setting
forth the desirability of an occupation
tax, which resolution, if passed, will
practically commit the council to the
passage of such an ordinance.
Samuel r. Kutz, councilman from the
First ward, expressed himself as being
opposed to an occupation tax.
It would not cause nearly as much
complaint" he said, Ito get the Iegis-
lature to pass a. law enabling us to
levy more than II mills for our gen
eral expenses"
There's no doubt that our levy for
current nXnRnEaG
Councilman Howe.
Il don't like the idea of an occupa-
ton tax unless it catches everybody"
said Councilman Ryder. This occu-
patton tax as drawn up does not cover
all professions and trades-it simply
covers a few of them. Take it in my
profession, for instance, no occupa-
ton tax is provided on professional
nurses, midwives, or these doctors
who give electrical treatment. If We
have an occupation tax at all, am in
favor of making it hit everybody.
There are hundreds of men in Topeka
who use our schools, receive the bene-
fits of our municipal protection and
advantages, and never pay a cent for
1t in the way of taxes. They rent their
property, and contribute nothing to-
ward the general expenses of the city
government. I am in favor of some
law which will reach these men. If
we can have an occupation tax which
Will not only hit those who already
pay heavy taxes. but some of those
who don't pay any tax at all, 1 will
be for it."
Those are my sentiments" said
Councilman Nellis.
Councilmen Green and Howe did
not express themselves fully, but they
are probably in favor of the proposed
occupation tax. Councilmen Hughes
and Griley, who are also members of
the committee were not present. Girl
ley is probably against the occupation
tax Hughes will likely be- This
IL
the council will pass such a law as
proposed.
The committee started in to go
through the proposed new occupation
tax ordinance, which is a copy of the
Kansas City law, and make certain
changes TO make it correspond with the
present city license law. In some re-
spects the present license law is better
suited to the needs of Topeka When
the committee had spent an hour at
this, and had only gotten half way
through the BIS in the alphabetical list,
At was discovered that the Job would
probably last all night, and rather than
put in so much time unnecessarily, it
was decided to get the council on rec
ord as to its desires in the matter.
The city charter act gives the city al
most unlimited power to impose an oc-
cupation tax. Section 1874 contains the
following sweeping provisions: THE
mayor and city council may levy and
collect a license tax upon and regulate
any and all trades, callings, professions
and occupations conducted, pursued
carried on or operated within the linn
its OF such city, including" (and here
follows a list of over 100 trades. calling
professions and Occupations). This list
concludes with the following drag net
provision: - and any and all other
business, trades, avocations or profess
sions not above mentioned
In connection with its efforts to in
crease the revenues of the city, the
ways and means committee is trying
- TraTa nil
take to run the city during the cur
rent fiscal year Estimates on the
probable expense have been received
from all departments of the city gov
eminent, except the police depart
ment and it is the plan to tabulate
these findings and make sort of ar
appropriation to each department
within which it must keep its ex
penses. When this system gets t.
working smoothly, and the city makes
some provision for increasing its in,
come, the city can appropriate to the
different departments only so much
money as it will receive during the