The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-12
SEVEN IN THE LIST
Counties Which Are Not Credit.
ed With 1903 Taxes.
Labette Is One That Had Been
Overlooked.
THEY DO NOT EXPLAIN
Treasurers Who Have Neglected
Should Tell Why.
Penalty for the Failure Is a
Severe One.

A complete examination of the reve-
nue. ledger in the state auditors office
shows total of seven counties which
nave not paid anything on their taxes
Tor 1903, or had not until a few days
ago. Saturday was the date specified
by law for the July payment, or the
last half of the 1908 taxes-the first half
was due last January-and it is said
that some of these counties have made
renittances which have not yet been
reported to the state auditor. The state
treasurer does not issue his receipt un-
til the drafts sent in by the county
treasurers are reported paid, and when
the receipt is issued he is required to
issue it in triplicate, one of which goes
to the state auditor.
In addition to the six counties named
in the State Journal Saturday, Labette
county is not credited with any pay
ments on its 1903 taxes. The other six
were Bourbon, Geary, Johnson, Lyon,
Miami and Smith.
The 1908 state tax charged to Labette
county is $35, ,222. The last of the 1902
taxes were paid by Labette county on
July %, 19c3 but no payments what
ever on the 1903 taxes appear on the
state auditors books. According TO the
quarterly statements of the county
treasurer of Labette county, however,
he had no state funds on hand either
at the time of his January statement
the one issued in April.
An examination of the quarterly state
nentS issued by the county treaSurerS
implicated in withholding state funds
after the date fixed by law shows that
five of the seven have had the funds on
hand and SO report.
The Miami county treasurer reported
S24, ,917.70 state taxes on hand in his
January statement, and the same
amount in his April statement. This
was, of course, largely collected during
the December payment of taxes and
should have been remitted during Jan
uary. The total amount of Miami
county's state taxes is $50, ,481.
The quarterly statements of the
county treasurer of Geary county show
that he had 81, ,924.01 of state taxes in
January and the same amount in April.
The total 1903 state tax of Geary coun-
ty is $17,954.
The county treasurer of Bourbon
county did notN make his quarterly
law. He made it on February 22when
he had $27, ,319.71 of state taxes on nand,
and on May 2 he had $27, ,966.S2. The
total amount of state taxes charged to
Bourbon county for 1908 was $3S, 1863.
The county treasurer of Johnson
county made his quarterly statements
a little ahead of the specified time. On
December 81 he certifies that he had
$40, S5S. 03 of state taxes on hand, and
on March 81 he mad $25, ,874S4. The total
state tax of Johnson county for 1903 is
$31, 1872.
The county treasurer of Lyon coun-
ty certif1es that he had generous
amount of state taxes on hand at the
time of his January statement, but he
shows none at all in April unless it is
in the unapportioned taxes. Accord
ing to his January statement he had
$3S, 53O.67 of state funds on hand His
April statement shows this item: Tax
roll, 1903 $13, ,245.85.'' 1t is probable that
this is una pportioned taxes which have
been collected but not apportioned to
the various funds. The large amount
of state taxes on hand in January, how
ever does not show, and the natural
inference would be that it had been re
rnitted to the state treasurer. The total
amount of state taxes charged to Lyon
county for 1908 was $50, ,2S6 The county
treasurer of Lyon made mis- July remit
tance to the state treasurer on Satur-
day as is shown by the following from
the Emporia Gazette:
County Treasurer Jeff East1n today
sent to the state treasurer $4,000 to can
eel the three Lyon county bonds held
there These are the last three bonds.
Mr.. Fastin also sent little wad to
the state treasurer for the July d1str1-
button of the state tax Lyon county
has paid about 50 per cent of her state
taxes The total state tax for TINS
county is $52 2S6. about a thousand
more than it was figured it would be"
The Emporia Republican contains the
1.-THE last payment on the county
taxes was sent to State Treasurer Kelly
this morning by County Treasurer Eas-
tin. The total amount of the state tax
for this county is $52.286.00, seventy
three per cent of which was paid in
January. and the other twenty-five per
cent this morning.
The county treasurer OF Smith coun- |
tv certiffes that he had state taxes
to $15S97.96 at the time of
his January statement, and S16,304 SO
at the time of his April statement. The
total amount of Smith countys state
tax is S19,715.
It is now up to these various county
treasurers to tell why they did not re-
NIT the state taxes they had on hand
i'm January as required by law, wnen
the law makes them guilty of embez- |
Element and says they shall forfeit their
offices if they fail to make the remit
tances within the time specified by law.
Perhaps the state accountant will be
the proper person to find out what be-
came of that $3S, 900 of state money
which the county treasurer of Lyon
county mad in January but had evil
dently paid over to somebody else in
April The state accountant should also
discover why the county treasurer of
I4abette county is not credited with
making any remittances to the state
treasurer for 1903 and yet did not have
any 1903 state taxes on hand in jan
uary.
No good motive is apparent why a
county treasurer should withhold this
money from the state treasury when tn
for so doing is SO severe. When
the state treasurer holds money for the
county it is always deposited in some
local bank In most counties the bank