The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-11
NEED MORE CASH.
State Must Increase Valuation Of
All Property.
Over Two Million Dollars to Be
Raised.
ARE SLOW TO REPORT.
Mr.. Wells PrOds Delinquent
County Clerks.
Board of Equalization Awaits
Action of Auditor.
RE SLOW TO REPORT.

An increase in the assessed valuation
of all property will probably have to be
made by the state board of equalization
which meets at the Office of the state
auditor Wednesday, for the purpose of
raising additional money to meet the
bills incurred by the last legislature.
Last year the total state tax was ST.
96T, 346. This year the total amount to
be raised will be in excess of $1,000, 600.
It is also said that there is a decrease
in the amount of personal property
which the new assessors returns will
show, and that there will have to be an
increase in the valuations to offset this
decrease in quantity. The decrease in
quantity is due to the shortage of cattle
in the state. There has not been much
money in cattle of late years, and the
stock men have been going out of bust
ness. Consequently there are not as
many head of live stock in the state as
there used to be.
This necessary increase in the assess
ed valuation of property is equivalent to
an increase in the state tax levy, al
though the board does not, technically
speaking, fix any rate for the levy. the
amount of state tax to be raised is sim
ply apportioned among the various
counties, and the county commissioners
make the levy.
Had it not been for the decision of
the supreme court in the state oil refine
~ case, the state would have been I'M
der the necessity of raising about $780,
900 more this year than proves to be
required
The clerks in the state auditors office
are now at work footing up the alb
StractS Of assessments which are sent IN
by the county clerks. They have not
yet announced the exact amount which
must be raised TO pay off the approprl-
atoms made by the last session OF the
legislature.
There are still about fifteen counties
in the state which have failed to send
in their abstracts of assessment. the
abstracts were all supposed to be IN
some time ago, but as is usually the
case, there are a few country clerks
who lag behind. Yesterday State
Auditor Wells sent a telegram to each
county clerk who is delinquent IN
structing him to send in his abstract or
asSeSsm ent at once. If the abstracts
are not all in by the time the board
of equalization meets Wednesday. 1T
will cause the whole work of the board
to come to a stop. The board cannot
carry out it's work of equalization I'M
less returns are on hand. The law re-
quires that the county clerk must pre-
pare and send in his abstract before
July 1. It would doubtless serve to
increase their respect for the law IL
the state auditor should enforce the
following provision of the statute:
eff any county clerk shall refuse or
neglect to prepare an abstract OF the
assessment roll of his county, and for
ward the same to the state auditor, as
required by the preceding section, he
shall forfeit to the state the sum OF
S100, to be recovered in the name of
the county commissioners by civil &C
ton before any court of competent
Jurisdiction and the certificate of the
auditor of state, authenticated by the
seal of his office, setting forth the fail
ure of the clerk to comply with the
provisions of said section, shall be
prima facie evidence of such refusal
or neglect on the trial of said action"
After the abstracts from the county
clerks come in, the state auditor is
required to compile these statements
into tables, to be submitted 20 the
average on the valuation of the va
rious kinds of property throughout
the state, and then determines how
much above or below the average the
should be assessed. The aggregate
amount of the assessment, however,
must not be changed.
There is always more or less kick
ing by the county clerks over their
assessment, and usually lot of them
are on hand to plead with the board
for a decrea Sc in their assessment
This year the assessors worked on the
personal property. and therefore most
of the kicking will be for a reduction
III LIl1S CLASS OI property. Last ySfll
the real estate was assessed. There
IS usually more kicking about the
real estate assessments than about
personal property assessments.
1t is thought that the board will
finish it's work in about two days.
Nearly all the work of preparing
the tables has been completed, so far
as it is possible without q complete
set of the county abstracts. If the
board is unable to get all the personal
property abstracts here for the open
ing session. the work will begin on the
real estate assessments, which can be
ia ken from last years returns.