Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-01-12
HOCES MESSAGE,
CONCLUDED from ist page,I


the year at $685., 1901 900, and there are
not Included in these figures. Not only
does this assessment make our aggre-
gate statistics look insignificant abroad,
but II makes our rate Of taxation appear
10 enormously high as to fTighten home
seekers, and TO deter Investments by those
unfamiliar with the facts. think IL no
exaggeratlOn to say that the real value
OF the personal property Of the state Is
Mt least six times Its assessed value.
Such statistics do the state great inJus,,
tice abroad and give the outside world
no proper conception OF financial condl.
lions here. In addition to these absurd
valuations, purposely made by the va
rious assessors which belittle the state,
many millions OF dollars worth OF per-
sonal property escapes taxation niio,
some method by which to accomplish
two results, namely; The honest listing
OF personal property for. the purpose OF
taxation, and the taxation OF II az us
real value when listed. 1t VIII nave d9nse
that which Its predecessors have tried
in vain to do and which viii be OF In
calculable benefit to the state, But, Whlle
doing this, one danger should be hverlGn
the danger Of cxtravagant etpend,-
lures which this largely increased vol
ume Of taxable property would make pos
sible unless the power Of levy IL re-
duced In proportion to the Increase OF
assessed values, for public officers usu-
aIiy And some way to expend all the
money the law allows them TO levy IN
the form Of taxes think rev Simple
changes In the present laws VIII greatly
improve them along, the lines discussed ecu, 20
attempt to do these things than to lmi-
tate the last Legislature In an attempt
TO pass so vollmlnOus law as was SUD-
mitted to that body. For Instance; !
present law fixing n severe penalty, Ior
failure to assess at full value should ne
adopted. ! have given the subject much
thought and believe that county as
SCISSOR with deputies In each township
would be great Improvement over the
present method. Then, provision should
be made for the taxation or franchises'
including car line, telegraph, telephone
pipe line, express and other similar com
panies, at their full value. / think these
improvements can he more easily agreed
upon than can n more elaborate attempt
at legislation along these lines, and ,atter
all. they affect the vital defects IN our
present system.
LABOR
There are few, II any, better indlces to
the progress of the people IN CIVILIZATION
and good government than the esteem
In which labor Is held and the code or
laws enacted for It's protection After al.
in the last analysis, nenrly al values
resolve themselves Into the value OF Ia,
Dor, Kansas has taken an advanced
position In the statutory interest 1t mas
exhibited in behalf of its tollers Few,
IL any, states In the union have thrown
80 many safeguards around them n,,o r ri1s
in the Interest Of our laborers. II com
piled, would make quite a large book.
In 1893 the legislature. added TO these
enactments a law creating STATE soc,e,
report from the officers Of u FOR we
Years 1901 and 1902 has Just been Is
sued 1t will be found volume OF great
interest and profit The labor commits
sIoner makes some recommendations 10
which call your attention.
FOR THE BOYS.
The last legislature reauthorlzed the
expenditure, under the auspices of the
Womans Social Science Federation. OF
81 200 in the purchase Of books ana pic.
lures for the girls industrial school az
Belolt II was wise sxpenGfitIGTe ~ a'
similar sum for the boys Industrial
school at Topeka.
GAS AND OIL.
The marvellous development Of the gas
and oil resources OF the state, placing
this commonwealth In the front rank OF
those endowed by tho Creator with this
kind OF wealth. imposed a duty upon
this legislature which no former legisla-
fure has had to meet Monopoly threa'
ems to rob our people Of the chief bene'
fits Of this great endowment ana appro-
DTIHTe tne DEOHlB W ltbNlh' AlVW w
this wealth to the state and Its people
and secure them Its greatest benefits Is
a serious problem. One phase OF the SUP.
ject Ia OF vast immediate Importance, ana
that Is how to save tme gSs n 6Tr K Ene
soil Schemes are already on foot to pipe
Ii out Of the state for the development
OF manufacturing industries elsewhere
The desire to keep this wealth at home
to furnish fuel for manufactures that
shall pay taxes Into our own treasures,
give employment to our own laborers
and enrich our own commonwealth IS q
natural and laudable one, and II this
legislature can lind some legal method
to eroo,t h " .ae VI Win have
performed q great duty and Will receive
from the people the plaudit well done,
4 Whatever may be the limitations OF pow
er Of the state In reference 70 piping
the gas beyond its borders, one. duty
clearly within Its power demands imme-
dlhte performance. Vast amounts OF gas
are constantly going to waste IN AL me
gas fields OF the state--a condition which
Indiana and other states have learned
to their sorrow, should not be permitted
to continue. Stringent laws to prevent
this waste should be Immediately enacted,
Our oil interests are also In jeopardy.
am a firm believer In the competitive
system and entertain with caution any
proposition tending to the contradiction
of governmental power over c0mmerclai
enterprises which should, as tar as pos
sible, be left to Individual ownership and
control. have been a student Of these
> subjects for years and as grounded In
the philosophy of the competitive system
in contradlstlnction to the s0clalistic
idea Of governmental absorption OF busi-
ness enterprises. The competitive sys-
TEN Is essential In my judgment, TO
healthy Industrial growth, while social
ism is a soporinc which would put the
industrial world to sleep. But, while
] refuse to be blinded by \ theory how
ever sound, or confused by misleading
terms. II an arrogant and almost Om-
nipotent monopoly is 10 control In any
business circle, the competitive system
is slaughtered In the house OF It's friends,
for monopoly Is but one form OF social
ism masqueradlng under the name OF
competition. Monopoly destroys cOmpeti-
ton and that Is all socialism does, con-
s sssiea fns as Ha~tbS sfS az at
monopolies TO rob us Of the benefits OF
the vast reservoirs OF oil which have
SOIL l am inclined to waive my objection
and recommend the establishment OF an
oil refinery of our own In our state for
tho preservation Of our wealth and the
protection OF our people. respected
correspondent Directing to this PROPOSE
ton says that every kansan has al
ways wished that our corn might be con-
verted into beef and pork before II was
shipped, but no one thinks II would be
good idea for the state to go Into the
business OF feeding corn in order TO bring
about that result This Is q plausible,