The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-21
MUST QUIT JULY |.
Old State Board of Equalization
Then Expires.
New Commission Won't Take
Charge for Ten Days.
TAKE UP THE WORK.
Tax Commissioners Must EQUAL,
ize This Years Taxes.
Will Find the Task Only Half
Completed.

1t has been discovered that the new
assessment and taxation law puts the
old state board of equalization out OF
business on July 1, which is 10 days
before the law authorizes the old
board to meet and equalize assess
ments.
1t will therefore be necessary for
| the new state board of assessment and
taxation to take up the work of equal
izing this years assessments, which
everybody had supposed would all be
finished before the new law went into
effect.
The old state board of equalization
is composed of the state auditor, state
treasurer and secretary or state The
law specifies that they shall meet to
equalize assessments on the second
Wednesday in July, which falls on
July 10 this year. When July 10 ar
rives, there will be no state board of
equalization, as at present constitu-
ted. 1t ceases to exist on July l, and
the state board of assessment and tax
alton, composed of Samuel T. Howe,
S. c. drummer and James Humphrey
takes its place.
1t will be a difficult job for the new
board to take up the half-completed
work of the old board and finish it,
but that is what it will have to do
The new law further complicates the
situation by providing a lot of pre-
1m1nary steps which the board of as
sessment and taxation must take be-
fore making the equalization. 1t will
probably be utterly impo ossible for all
these provisions of the new law to be
compiled with. The tangle is almost
as bad as that which confronted the
state officers when they set about put
ting the state depository law into op-
Grafton, two years ago.
Looking for Quarters.
A difficult task will be presented to
the executive council of the state in
finding suitable quarters for the new
board of assessment and taxation. This
board will need a spacious suite of
offices, and it should also be located
in close proximity to the offices of the
state auditor and state treasurer. with
which the board of assessment and
taxation will be closely allied.
1t is possible that the board may be
given the rooms now occupied by the
state insurance department, and the
insurance department be changed to
some other part of the state house. 1t
will be necessary to find quarters for
the insurance department where there
will will be a f1reproof vault accessible.
There would not be so much difficulty
in finding rooms for the insurance
commissioner ii. it were not for this
requisite.
The time seems to be rapidly ap-
prOachlng WnerS the OVercrOWQeQ con-
dition of the state house will make it
necessary for the state to buy land
and erect a suitable building adjacent
to capitol square for the accommoda-
tion of the state historical society,
state agricultural society. state horti-
cultural society. academy of science
and Goss ornithological collection:
Such a building has been talked of
of late years. and it is
cnly a question of time until it will
have to be built All the available
offices in the state house proper are
being utilized by the rapidly growing
business of the administrative offices
of the state.
Railroad Assessors to Meet Soon.
The state board of railroad assessors
will be called together about April
to make their regular assessment of
the railroad property of the state. The
reports from the various railroads are
now coming in to the office of the
state auditor.
This will be the last meeting of the
state board of railrad assessors. 1t
will go out of business for keeps when
the new assessment and taxation law
goes into effect on July 1.