The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-17
WON'TDO, SAYSHE
Secretary COburn Refuses to
Accept Shawnee Returns.
Says That They Are Implete
and Faulty.
DONE BY ASSESSORS.
Many Are Careless and Work
Isn't Well Done.
Burden of the Expense Falls on
County.
DONE BY ASSESSORS.

Secretary Coburn. Of the state boarc
Of agriculture. County Clerk Newman
Of Shawnee county. S. H. Haynes anC
w. Z. Sterne, county commissioners
and IS assessors are in a wrangIe ovei
the vital statistics of Shawnee county
and Of Topeka.
Secretary Coburn is conducting tn,
biennial state census. The assessor.
are called upon to assist in the work
This means added Iabors for the asses
sors for the county clerk and his office
force and a very much increased ex-
pense to the county for having the work
done.
Secretary COburn has complained to
County Clerk Newman that the returns
sent to his office. for Shawnee county.
are not as complete and accurate as he
desires them. County Clerk Newman
has been hammering the assessors for
six weeks or more to have the work
done and to have it done better. The
assessors have been hunting people and
Facts and missing a good many of both
While Ihey 0feW 50 day hit or miss.
Its am endless and expensive chain of
trouble
Secretary Coburn has written to
County Clerk Newman and to Commits
siOner Sterne that he wishes more COM
e
that he viii do all he can to make the
returns as Mr.. Coburn wants them. Mr..
NeWman's troubles are in one county.
Secretary Coburn's Shawnee county
troubles are multiplied by the 105 coun-
ties Of the state
The fact is that the statistics collect
ed by the assessors this year and every
year, aie incomplete and inaccurate.
Never have the figures collected by the
assessors given q true statement of the
conditions and values in Shawnee eoun-
ty, although these statistics are given
out to show the conditions OF the
county.
assessors Did the Work.
The assessors. besides being required
TO assess property for taxation, this
year were required to carry with them
q census book in which to enumerate
Ghe population. For every person
found they had to secure the answers
% "a questions Then they had a
book i'm which to collect agricultural
statlStlcs in the country, and for each
farm and family they had to secure
the answers to IS separate questions.
In addition to this they carried a book
IN which to record horticultural sta
ustics and every farmer had to an
sWer OIL questions. This made, in the
country and suburban town property,
1913 questions to be answered by the
head Of every family, to say nothing
Of 2 questions to be answered by the
vie about herself and "a questions
al bout each one of the children. Be
sides this there were a few other
tables to be filled in concerning school
houses, cemeteries, churches Libraries.
public and private, deaf and dumb and
blind persons, deaths, births mar
rlages. statistics required by the state
BOARD Of health, etc, etc. Each asses
sor went forth with a pack OF books
larger than a book agents sample
case. In the city the statistics of the
merchants and manufa cturers had to
be secured and compiled. All this ac-
cord1ng to law, must be done between
March / and May 16. This same time
was allowed years ago for the asses
sors to work on the tax assessment
Since then these additional books
have been loaded onto the assessors
and they must do all this work. ac-
cording to law. in the time given, but
IKE a good many other provisions OF
law it cannot be complied with aD6
some assessors did not get through
until i'm June.
The taking of these statistics for the
board of agriculture for the census
Tor the state horticultural society, for
the state board of health, etc, is ex.
pensiVe and the county pays it. "The
bill paid by the county for this work
1or these state societies is very heavy. .
said Commissioner Sterne this morn
ing. say the % assessors avera geo
go days which is a low estimate fol
many found it impossible to ge
through in less than 80 days. and tn,
total was 1s120 days. Half of thi
time, or $50 days, was required in Sc.
curing these statistics for these stat,
societies, at 3 a day amounts to ovel
$1,000 to say nothing of the expens,
OF compiling them and of securing tn,
merchants and manufacturers stats
tics in the city. The total cost t,
EhaWnee county, for securing thesl
statistics in addition to what would b,
paid Tor the work of assessing is clos,
to 1000 We will do the best we car
to give Secretary Coburn the informa
ton he wants and in the manner il
which he desires it."
County Commissioner HAYNES. VIII,
was township trustee of Nenokel
township and exOfficiO assessor. ba
had considerable experience i'm dom,
the work. The state asks a GOO
deal of the assessors. said Mr.. HAYNES
"They have more work to do in Sc
curing these statistics than in maxim,
the assessment. The assessor is com
peued TO secure this information bu
tne people are not compelled to Civ
81 and therefore the statistics are al
ways incomplete"
1t Isn't Satisfactory.
Captain II. n. Philips, the city as
SCISSOR, who has held the position tw
years i'm charge of the work i'm til
city, said this morning: THE entir
results Of the assessment and collect
ing Of statistics are inaccurate so IA
as the Information is concerned TIL
assessm tents are made upon a per
centage of the valuation and the fu
value of the property is not given. Be
sides this the value of the county, cit
state and government BUILDINGS an
OF the churches and colleg an
schools are not footed in the total TIL
result is that the value of real an
personal property in Shawnee count
and in Topeka is not found. We sen
out the word that we are worth S
much The city and the county
vastly richer. The city falls millior
OF dollars short Of giving the re;
value OF property assessed and beside
that at least 100000 worth c
property is not listed even for staff,
teal purposes"
Secretary Coburn is not satis6e
with the returns from Shawnee cour
ty and well he shouldn't be The count
ty clerk and the board Of county con-
unissioners are not satisfied Thos