The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-18
THEY USED IT UP.
Tax Bill Has Stormy Passage in
the Senate.
Rip Saw Is Used on the First
Section.
SAVE THEIR FEELINGS.
TaxDOdgerS Are PrOtectedFrOm
the Public.
Can Not Examine the Books of a
Bank.
SAVE THEIR FEELINGS.

Friday afternoon it was so mangled
that it is doubtful if the author would
now recognize it.
The committee of the whole ran the
rip saw through the first section and
in the description of what shall con-
stitute property for taxation, indebt-
edness secured by mortgage or trust
deed on real estate was stricken out.
Then the senate struck out the pro-
vision that 1.-The term credit when
used in this act, shall mean and in
clude every demand for money. labor,
or other valuable thing. whether due
or to become due, but not secured by
lien on real estate"
During the session is was voted to
retain section 16 which provided that a
recording tax should be charged.
/ Then at the afternoon session the SEN
ate committee of the whole voted to
! knock out that section.
The section of the bill which
brought forth the greatest opposition
was the section providing: THAT be-
tween the 1st and 18th of July of each
year after this act shall take effect,
the county clerk shall prepare for
I publication in the official county paper
a list of personal property taxpayers
of the county, as shown on the last
assessment rolls, together with the
valuation of each property owner.
Said list shall be prepared by town
ships and cities, and shall be pub
lished, between July Is and September
Is of each year, and shall be paid for
at the rate fixed by law for official
county printing" Senator Dumont
Smith opposed the motion of Senator
Brewer that the section be stricken
out Senator Waggener opposed the
striking out of the section and said:
Publicity breeds honesty" Senator
DOlley said that just such a provision
is what is wanted but the senate
chopped the section out for fear that
some tax dodgers feelings might be
hurt.
Senator Griffin wished to amend the
section which provided that "All prop
erty, real or personal, shall be valued
at its actual value in money, and from
property there shall be deducted the
two hundred dollars exemption. as pro-
vided by the constitution of the state
of Kansas" Senator Griffin wished
property assessed at one fourth value
but the senate refused to accept this
amendment. This section is intended
to provide a uniformity of assessment
over the state. Senator Waggener Sc
cured the final adoption of his amend
ment providing that among the classes
of property to be exempt from taxa
ton should be included ANY note,
bond or other evidence of indebted
ness secured by trust deed or mort
gage"
The bill provided for two tax com
mission ers who with the state auditor
shall constitute the state tax commits
sion The tax commission shall have
supervision over all county assessors
and over the county boards of equali-
zation and the state board of railroad
assessors and telephone and telegraph
assessors. The tax commission is made
the state board of equalization.
The bill throws some safe guards
about the banks by providing that
mo tax commissioner. assessor or dep
compel the production of the books of
banks or to examine the same; nor
shall any officer of any panK be COM
PEELED to testify as to the contents of
any of the records of such book or
produce the same for the purpose of
examina alton in any matter relating
to assessment or taxation
Senator Getty amended the Robi- |
nette bill which had been before de- |
feated providing for separate high |
tion to read kansas City, Kansas |
and the senate at the close of the ses-
sion Friday afternoon passed the bill |
The senate Friday afternoon passed
Adams house bill which
provides when any instrument 1of |
writing shall have been on record in
the Office of the register of deeds in
the proper county for the period of
ten years and there is a defect in such
instrument, because it has not been
signed by the proper officer of any
corporation, or because the corporate
seal of the corporation has not been
on such instrument, or be-
cause of any defect in the execution,
ackn nowledgment, recording or certi-
hcate of recording the same, such in
strument shall, from and after the ex-
piration of ten years from filing thereof |
for record, be valid as though such
instrument had, in the first instance,
been In all respects duly executed, ac-
knowledged. and certified
At the close of the session Friday af-
ternoon Senator Fitzpatrick called up
the house bill by Representative Bran
don, known as the Brandon congress
stonal apportiOnment" and on motion
1t was placed on third reading for final
action.
Senator Fitzpatrick moved to amend
by putting Cowley county in the Third
district In the original bill as passed
by the house Cowley was in the Eighth
district The amendment was adopted.
The bill as it stands makes the eight
senatorial districts as follows:
First. The counties of Nemaha,
Brown. Doniphan, Jackson. Atchison.
Jefferson, Leavenworth and Shawnee
shall constitute the First district
Second. The counties of Wyandotte,
Johnson. Douglas, Miami, Franklin.
Anderson, Linn. Allen, Cowley and
Bourbon shall constitute the second dis
Third. The counties of Crawford.
Cherokee, Neosho, Labette, Wilson, Elk,
-hautauqua and Montgomery shall con-
stitute the Third district.
Fourth. The counties Of Pottawat-
,mie. Wabaunsee. Usage. Lyon, Coffey.
Voodson, Greenwood, Chase Marion
and Morris shall constitute the Fourth
district.
Riley. Ottawa Saline Dickinson and