The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-20
City Is Running Behind in Its
Finances.
WOULD HIT EVERY ON
Proposed to Tax Street Railway
$50 Per Car.
Heavy Penalty to Be Placed on
Telephone Companies.


fession, craft and calling. Chairman
William Green, of the ways and means
committee of the city council, has sent
out notices to the members of his COM
mfttee for a special meeting of the
committee to be held this evening, at
which time the proposed new law will
be considered.
The city needs money; must have
money. Its revenue is insufficient, and
the members of the council realize that
some radical action must be taken. But
the proposed occupation tax will not
be adopted without bitter fight. Those
members OF the city council who believe
Topeka should get this needed revenue
by licensing the joints will in all prob
ability fight the proposed occupation
tax. One of these members said to-
day:
When Parker was mayor, the city
received $4,000 more revenue from the
police department than it did the year
following. If we make the Joints nav
for the privilege of running, there would
be no trouble about the city finances"
Ihe existing city license law was
drawn up about a year ago for the pur-
pose of providing more revenue 1t has
failed largely of its original intention.
The increase in revenue has not been
as great as was expected. The result
is the need of another revision, and this
time the work will be thoroughly done.
Everything in sight will be taxed, IN
less there is an oversight.
A rough draft of the proposed or
dinance has been made, and will be
submitted to the committee this even
ing. Until the committee has had an
opportunity to overhaul the document
the exact nature of the proposed or
dinance will not be made public It
can be stated in general, however, that
n 80 ~
on the model of the Kansas City Kan.
occupation tax ordinance. It is a modi-
heation of that ordinance in some par
ticulars, and is not quite so severe.
The proposed Topeka ordinance will
impose tax on street cars, 1t is said.
The Kansas City ordinance taxes every
street car $3.50 every six months or
$25 a year. The number of street cars
operated is ascertained by taking the
average of all the days of the six month
period.
It is also said that the new law will
put tax on vehicles of all descriptions
automobiles and bicycles being in
cluded.
If it were not contrary to the state
law, it is likely that the city would
put on a poll tax. but this little fresco
is out of the question.
Mayor Bergundthal has been in favor
of an occupation tax ever since he
went into the council. The new move
suits him. because it seems to be a vim
C1CaIlOn OF MS long SIanQ1nR IDEAS on
the subject. He has stated frequently
that the city would sooner or later have
to come around to an occupation tax.
| The theory of the occupation tax is
to make everybody doing business in the
city to pay something toward the spe-
cial finances of the city in addition to
his general taxes. 1t has been fought
out in the courts, and sustained. and
| if the council passes the ordinance, it
will no doubt be enforced.
| In order that some idea may be OBJ
tanned of the great scope of the pro-
posed ordinance, it may be stated that
there are 1876 different subjects for tax
mentioned in the Kansas City or
dinance. Among them are the follow
ing:
Insurance agency, each company
months .-...--. --.-.....- 1O.uU
Laundry agency, 6 months. SOC
Real estate agency 6 MONTHS. SOC
Architect, per year. -.----..-...-- 5.Oo
Artist, per year. ............... SOC
Auctioneer, 6 months. --.-........ 5000
Bank 6 months. Observation-Disclosures. 25.
Express wagon, 6 months ....... 300
/ Bakery, 6 months Observation-Disclosures. 1000
Baseball park, 6 months. ........ 25.0C
| Boarding house, months. 1900. 7.50
/ Boarding stable, 6 months. 1000
Cigar dealer, months. .......... SOC
/ ConfectiOner, s months. ........... soc
Contractor, months .............. 1000
! Dentist, per year. Observation-Disclosures. SOC
! Doctor, per year. SOC
Electric light plants. 6 months. 10000
Express companies, months. $500
Flour mill, months ........ 25.OC
Steam laundry, months. $1,000. 1000
Lawyer, per year ............... SOC
Meat dealer months .... 6.OC
| Merchant, 6 months. 10
| Newspaper, months. .......... 7.5(
Peddlers, 6 months, So to-. 5000
Photographer, months. .... SOC
Printing office, s months...... Isl
Street railway, months, each
car in use Observation-Disclosures. 125C
Street stand. 6 months. ........ 500
wagon ........... .............. 5o(
Telephone company, 6 months. 10000
Telegraph company, s months 2O0.GC
Theater, months. .......... 25.0(
Water plant, 6 months. ......... 100. OF
Occupations not mentioned. 5.0t