The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-05
WUlV OIHVU ILL.,
Dodge City Bond Deal Becomes
Worse by Inspection.
Official Abstract of Assessment
Is Received.
HE WILL FIND OUT.
Assistant Auditor Nation to
Look Up Discrepancy.
Try to Ascertain Facts From
County Clerk.

The more there is known about
that attempted Dodge City bond deal
the worse il appears According tc
the official abstract of the assessed
valuation of Ford county, received
Monday by the state auditor from the
county clerk of Ford county, il looks
as though the certificates presented
TO the school fund commission and the
state auditor last week, purporting to
come from the city clerk of Dodge
City and the county clerk of Ford
county, were both false. They certi-
fed the assessed valuation of Dodge
City as far in excess of what it is
shown by the official abstract as certi-
ned by the county clerk.
Altogether it looks as though there
was d conspiracy somewhere to un-
load on the state school fund those
$4,000 of Dodge City bonds in order
that somebody might make about
$4,000 out of the deal.
According to the official abstract of
the assessed valuation of Ford county.
as received from the county clerk, the
valuation of the city of Dodge City is
only $34S,126, instead of over $685.
600, as certified to by the city clerk,
or over S3S4.0OO as appeared in the
alleged certificate of the county clerk
which was presented to the state au-
ditor last Thursday. The official alb
EIIdCL gives all the nRuTeS IN DETAIL,
so that is undoubtedly correct. 1t
gives the real estate valuation at
$249,296, personal property at $751;
973, and railroad property at $36, S57,
a total of S34S,126.
on this basis the state school fund
commission could not possibly legally
purchase the Dodge City bonds. even
If the total Indebtedness is only $55,-
900. The extreme limit of indebted
ness at which Dodge City bonds could
be purchased would be S52,21S.90. If
the 100000 of outstanding warrants
are held to be good the total indebt-
edness of Dodge City is at least $751;
600.
Il propose to write to the county
clerk of Dodge City and ask him what |
this means" said Assistant Auditor |
Nation. ION June % he made a GER
tificate that the assessed valuation of |
Dodge City was over 1894. 900. and on |
July 1, only three days later, he GER |
titles to this official abstract showing |
that the valuation is only $34S.126. /
That makes all the difference in the !
world We might have been led to
school fund according to that first GER
tificate. when it would have been
Illegal according to this abstract.
1T was represented that the reason
for the increase in the valuation was
caused because the city had taken in
the Santa Fe depot and some other
outside property within the last year.
Our records here show that the depot |
was assessed in the city last year. and
that there has been only a small in
crease in the value of railroad prop
erty within the city during the past
year That's another point I want to
ask the county clerk about.
still another thing 1 want to ask
MIN ABOUT is why he charged off that |
100000 of floating Indebtedness before
the courts pass on it. The legality of
these warrants are now pending in the
district court out there, and certainly
no city or county official has any right
TO charge them off as part of the city's