The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-24
IT WON'T DO.
Senate Tax Bill Doesn't Satisfy
the House.
The Breach Between the Two
Branches Becomes Wider.
SLASHED TO PIECES.
Members Say There Is Little
Hope of Agreement.
Negotiable Instrument Bill Read
at Supper Hour.

On the general proposition of assess
ment through a state assessor or
through county assessors, the house on
Thursday afternoon voted in favor of
the county assessor plan.
This was an informal expression of
opinion, calculated to determine wheth-
er The senate or the house BIN on as
sessment and taxation would be taken
up for detailed consideration. This
house bill is the one providing for
county assessors.
Hence it has come about that there
IS another split between the house and
the senate, which will doubtless result
IN the passage of an entirely different
tax bill by each body, and small posi-
bility of a satisfactory settlement be-
fore adjournment.
The house put in nearly all Thursday
afternoon, and all of Thursday evening"
trying to find out where it was at on
the assessment and taxation PROPOSE
ton. 1t was a new subject to most of
the members and they had to have
thing explained from the ground up.
This took a good deal of time. 1t also
developed that there is a radical diff
ference of opinion among the members
of the house on the subject.
Mighty small chance for US to get
together" remarked one of the old and
battle SCARED veterans of previous leg
lslat1Ve contests about assessment and
taxation Some of the members were
of the opinion that it would be a futile
| task to try to assess property at its
full cash value. They said the state
had grown so accustomed to having
property assessed at a small part of its
real value that they would not trust
themselves to give a full valuation. And
It is doubtless a fact that efforts to
change the system will bring about a
great deal of grief and dissatisfaction
until it has been allowed to stay in
service for some time and get the sharp
edges rubbed off.
At the night session the discussion
was taken UP again, and it was decided
to refer the bill back to the committee
on assessment and taxation for certain
amendments, after which it will again
be taken up, and probably passed.
Five bills were under consideration.
The first was the assessment and tax
alton bill passed by the senate. The
secretary of the senate sent three copies
of the bill to the house, each different
from the other. There was a lot of con-
fusion in trying to straighten the thing
out, but the reading clerk finally sue
ceeded in finding a printed copy which
corresponded with the printed bill.
Whats the difference?'' inquired
Robert Stone of Shawnee We'll have
to kill this bill anyway"
After the house had gone through the
first two sections and SlaShed them to
pieces, ALBANIAN of Atchison moved that
the house strike out everything in the
bill after the words Section II No
body seconded the motion. Mr. ALA
man had lost his interest in the bill
when the house struck out the para
graph exempting all lodge buildings
from taxation. This exemption provis-
ion was the same that was carried in
a special bill introduced by Mr.. Ala
man, and which was beaten by the
house.
Judge Clark moved that, in order to
get the sense Of the house, that the
house declare itself in favor of the SEN
ate bill This motion was argued by a
dozen different speakers, and then de-
feated.
c. B. Kirkland then moved that the
house agree to the county assessor. plan.
There was more debate, and this mo-
ton carried. Then the reading of the
Mead bill providing for county asses
sors was taken up section by section
In the course of the debate w. P.
Hackney and Robert Stone had a
sharp spat. Stone said that Hackney
was playing to the galleries
I am not playing to the galleries >"
said Hackney land I do not go to the
railroads for my Instructions
How about the school book com
panies -. retorted Stone.
7 don't get my instructions from
you, that's sure" replied Hackney.
Read During Supper.
In order to save time. the house did
not adjourn during the supper hour
from to 1880. 1t merely quit busi-