The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-12
OCTOPUS Is HERE.
Just a TentacIe of the Standard
Oil Company.
His Name IsAtwOOd Cady, Tax
Adjuster.
OTHERS ARE RAISED.
Telephone and Telegraph Com
panies' Assessment Fixed.
Will BE Considerably More Than
Last Year.
OTHERS ARE RAISED.

Atwood Cady, representing the Prai-
RE Oil & Gas company, otherwise
known as the Standard, and B. E. Cliff
ford, county attorney of Neosho coun-
ty, will come before the state board of
assessors and appraisers this after
noon to argue the question Of whether
or not the board should assess the COM
pany on 900 worth of material in
Humboldt township which it is claim
ed the Prairie failed to return in its
1905 property statement.
Indications are that this will be
about the biggest fight which the state
board will have to settle at its present
session. The meeting is being held at
the Office of State Auditor Seth Wells,
and those present are Secretary of
State J. R. Burrow. State Auditor
Seth Wells, State Treasurer T. T. KEEL
" and Lieutenant Governor D. A.
Hanna Attorney General Coleman is
in Kansas City taking testimony in
the Gibson custer suit.
The Humboldt township people claim
that the $50 900 worth of Standard Oil
property was in their township at the
time of the 1905 property statement.
and that the company was not assess
ed a cent on it. County Attorney Gilt
ford, who will represent the company,
claims that the property statement of
the company should be increased by
$500 this year to make up the short
age.
The Standard Oil people say that the
material did not belong to them in 1905
They say that $65. 600 out of the total
amount was material for the erection
! of tanks, and that all the tanks are
erected by a Pennsylvania concern
which does the work under contract or
/ the Standard. The Standard does not
/ become owner of the tanks until they
! are completed and ready for use.
1t is also contended by the Standard
that the Humboldt township assessors
thought they were authorized to assess
the company's property in that county,
| and returned its value at $4,000, while
| the company itself made a voluntary
return of $132, 000
If the state board uphOlds the Stan
dard's contention, it will have to hunt
up the Pennsylvania tank-building COM
pany, and try to collect the unpaid tax
from that concern
Telephone and Telegraph Assessment
It was decided by the board this
morning that all the telegraph and tele-
phone companies of the state shall be
assessed on the same basis of valuation
that was adopted in the 1905 meeting,
The total valuation last year was
SIT, 567.
| This year there will be consider
etDiS 4iACA Ss1oC II eiAS e-57A So - -
ton, as there have been some extern
sions and improvements in the tele-
graph and telephone lines of the state
The telephone toll line property
from Kansas City to Topeka will be
assessed on the basis of $40 for the
first wire, and $40 for each additional
wire. In the city of Topeka, each
telephone is assessed at So, and ex-
change wires at 81 per mile. Tele-
graph lines of the Burlington & Mis-
souri, River railway will go in at $50
per mile for the first wire and $40 for
each additional wire.
On telegraph lines, the basis will be
$40 per mile for the wire. and $40 for
each additional wire.
All the other telephone property not
mentioned above is divided into three
classes, according to the condition and
character of the property. The basis
for each class will be as follows:
TOLL LINES