The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-18
STAND BY HIS BILL
Senator Waggener Says It Is
Not Railroad Measure.
I'm Substance Was Recommended
by State Commissioners.
PASSED ONCE BEFORE.
Approved by the Senate I'm
1906.
PASSED ONCE BEFORE.
Railroads HadNOMOre to DoWith
1t Than Ten Commandments.

In view of the discussion in the pa
pers, growing out of the passage of
senate bill No.30, known as the Wag-
gener tax bill, and the resolution of
the senate excluding a newspaper cor
respondent, Senator Waggener was to-
day asked for his version of the affair,
to which he replied:
II regret exceedingly the controver-
sy which has resulted in excluding
from the floor of the senate the rep
reSentatiVeS of the Kansas City Star,
but the article in the Kansas City
Times was so inexcusably unjust l do
not see how the senate could permit it
to go by unnoticed. The only founda-
ton for the charge that the railroad
companies were back of senate bill No.
80 is the fact that I introduced it. The
substance of bill No. 80 was recon-
mended by the commissioners appoint
ed some six years ago by the COVER
nor, to revise the tax laws and report
a bill to the legislature of 1903. This
was done, but the bill was defeated. In
1905 Senator Smith and myself, as
members of the committee of the SEN
ate on taxation, were appointed
subcommittee to prepare a condensed
bill, retaining the features of the bill
which had been taken largely from
the Indiana law. This we did, and it
was reported to the senate of 1905,
and passed, but too late to be consid-
as introduced by me at this session. is
the Identical bill which passed the sem
ate of 1905. The railroad companies
had no more to do with the senate bill
No. 80, that with the preparation of
the ten commandments.
fSince the passage of house bill No.
55 I am reliably informed that the Of
ficers of at least two railroad compan-
les prefer that bill to senate bill No.
80. 1 think that any one who has Civ
az he hi not of av Ton, III
whatever, will by comparison of the
two bills, see at a glance that practi-
cally the only change in the present
law by house bill No. SIS, is to create
tax commission of three, to be ap-
pointed by the governor, who take the
place of the present board of railroad
assessors. So far as railroad property
is concerned, instead of being assessed
by the board Of railroad assessors,
now elected by the people, under
by a tax commission sof three, appoint
ed by the governor. The tax commits
sion under house bill No. SIS, would be
accountable only to the governor,
while the board of railroad assessors,
under, existing laws, are accountable to
the people s-,s.. ss~- ey
Under the provisions of senate bill
No. 80, which the Star says is backed
by the railroad companies. all railroad
property must be assessed at its ac-
SCISSORS. consisting of the attorney gen.
eral, secretary of state, lieutenant gov
ernor, treasurer of state, and auditor
of state, all elected by the people, and
the action of this board is not final or
conclusive as 1t is now, but on the
complaint of any county, city or per-
son, that the action of the board of
railroad assessors is not fair, the tax
commission may revise it, and if prop
er, make a new assessment and valua-
ton. In other words, under senate bill
No. 80 the action of the board of rail-
road assessors is not final. but open to
revision by the tax commission. Could
the people have any better check or
than this? Under house bill
No. 55 the state officers elected by the
people, have no voice in the matter,
but the tax commission appointed by
the governor, is the whole thing. It
a assesses the railroads and then reviews
its own action. and no court or other
tribunal has any power to review or
revise, or change the valuation it has
placed on railroad property.
Under senate bill No. 80 the state
tax commission can equalize between,
counties where so many inequalities
Wyandotte county can continue to pay
on $4,000 cash and Atchison county
$4,000 cash, While other counties pay
on many times more. although less in
and many times less in
wealth.
how adroit he may be-can point out
a single provision of senate bill No. 80,
as it passed the senate, that can pos
sibly be construed into any advantage
to the railroad companies, and chal-
lenge any one to point to a single pro-
vision of house bill No. 55 which in