The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-07
Members of State Tax Commits
sion Expect No Trouble.
Think New Tax Law Will Be
Easily Enforced.
NOT AN EXTRA BURDEN
People Would Not Stand for an
Excessive Levy.
Statement Given Out to Define
Position of Board.


sion do not agree with Representative
H. w. DISTANT of Ellis county in his
prediction that there will be serious
trouble encountered in the operation
of the new assess ment and taxation
law on account of excessive amounts
which may be raised by taxation In
case the property of the state is as
sessed at its full value. and the limit
of levies left as it is at present.
I'm my opinion" said Samuel t.
Howe, one of the members of .he
board. there will be very little danger
of any local officials taking advantage
of the situation to impose an unneces-
sarily heavy tax. There is nothing in
the law, of course. which would pre-
vent a board of county commissioners.
a city council or a board of education.
from making a levy which would
raise four or five times as much money
as is raised now. but I do not believe
that public opinion would tolerate
such an action. The people of this
state expect their officials to treat
them fairly in this matter. 1t may be
that at a few isolated points, the levy
would be put too high. but even this
condition would prevail for only one
year for the next session of the legis-
lature will undoubtedly pass law
limiting the levies to correspond with
the new plan of assessment"
s c. drummer. one of the other
members of the tax commission, said:
Il agree with what Mr.. Howe has
said. I don't believe there will be any
difficulty about too high levies. Before
making the levy, the officers know ex-
actly the amount of the assessed valu-
alton. They can figure exactly how
much of a reduction to make in the old
levy in order to raise the same amount
!, 4oE, han rails In Il
past. There is no guess work about 1t.
and the local officials should be held
strictly responsible for their acts by
the people of the community they rep
resent. The tax commission has Moth
ing to do with it. except to see that
property is assessed at its full cash
value"
Statement Given Out.
To publicly define the position of the
board on some of these matters. the fol-
lowing statement was given out Friday
afternoon by the commissioners:
Lest the opinion should obtain in
some quarters that the tax commission
IS only giving its attention to the low
values of land in the state. the commits
sion deems it proper to say that, in It's
Judgment, all kinds of property have
been under valued in the assessments
heretofore made, and the fact is indis-
putable that a great deal of property
has entirely escaped assessment.
In 1904 the census bureau made
careful and scientific estimate of the
wealth of Kansas and arrived at a total
of s., 253. 224. 243. That the wealth of the
state has increased materially since 1904
no one can safely question
The assessment for the whole state in
1907 amounted to $425, 4S1, PA. This
amount is only 1918 per cent of the
census bureaus estimate of 1904. and the
ratio of assessed to actual value in 1907
IS undoubtedly less than the 1918 per
cent as above shown.
Ia
the whole state was 41z per cent which
raised 81. $50. 379.67 as the total of all
taxes in the state, including state, coun-
ty city school district, etc, for that
year. To raise this amount on the CEN
Gus bureaus estimate of 1904. 1t would
have required a levy of only 10 mills on
the dollar. or less than / per cent.
Assessment of all property at it's act
ual value in money will tend to reduce
the present burdens of taxation.
1T has occasionally been suggest
ed that the new tax law Is objection
able in that all property is to be rails
ed from the low assessment hereto
fore prevailing to actual value in mon
ey, while no provision Is made for de-
creasing levies in the same proportion.
thus leaving the way open for taxing
bodies to greatly augment the burden
of taxation within their respective
taxing districts.
THE commission believes that fears
OF action of this kind are not well
sentiment, which always favors econ
omy in public expenditures, will exert
q restraining influence upon boards of
levy so that but little, If any, more tax
will be raised upon full assessment
than has been raised in the past upon
partial valuation and assessment.
Should an occasional taxing body go
against public sentiment and increase
the local tax burden unduly they
could so act for only the year 1908,
for the legislature of 1909 will un-
doubtedly Iegislate so as to decrease
all levies in proportion as values are
increased.
$50 far as authority is given to the
tax commission. that body intends to
see that all property, real or personal.
whether owned by individuals, part
nerships. companies, associations,
is hereafter assessed at its actual
value in money. and to that end the
com mission will not hesitate to in
woke the penalties of the law upon
taxing officers who may prove derelict
in dfscharging their duties, or upon
persons. partnerships or corporations, |
who fail to list their property for as
sessment in strict conformity, with the |
present statutes of the state upon the |
subject.
THE commission has entered upon |
various lines of Investigations which |
1t is expected will result in it's becom- |
ing advised as to the actual value in !
money of all property in the state.
"In due time blanks for use of tax
ing officers will have been prepared
and supplied covering all phases of
the question of properly assessing |
lions to assessing officers covering all
questions of assessment arising under
the statutes will have been published |
and distributed"