The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-17
OUT OF The DARK
Tax Assessors Bring Much Pro-
perty Into Light.
Many Thousands of Dollars
Worth Which Was Hidden.
OFFICIALS SURPRISED
Topeka Fortunes Undergo a
Startling Increase.
Will Probably Mean a Much
Lower Rate.

The old Arabian fairy tales of sud-
denly acquired riches are not in it as
compared to the personal property
which one of the personal property as
SCISSORS is discovering up and down the
principal business street of Topeka,
Kansas avenue.
The genii whom Aladdin used to call
up simply by taking down brass lamp
from the pantry shelf and shining it
up have their deeds ecipsed by the
work of this genii of a tax assessor
who uncovered s1,050,O00 of personal
property belonging to twenty-three
different people who last year confess
ed to the ownership Of only $3.50, 900
worth.
These instances were picked at ran
dom from the number the tax assessor
has already visited and leaves out of
consideration the wealthiest merchants
and business men of the city who have
not been visited.
If this average of personal property
| assessable is maintained all through
the rate of taxation in Shawnee is go
ing to be materially reduced. The tax
of $50 of last year will be scaled down
from one-half to three-fifths and prob
ably will not reach 2.5.
The man who owns real estate is 60
ing to profit immensely by the read
justment Of the burden of taxation.
The man with real property could not
tuck away his holding in the pockets
of his coat or put it away in a tin box
and bury it in the back yard, or posi-
bly, in a stocking.
The lever that is prying out all of
this information is section 81 Of the
new state tax law passed in 1907. The
tfo q nv
person or corporation shall knowing
ly give false or fraudulent list,
schedule or statement required by this
act, or shall fail or refuse to deliver
| to the assessor, when called upon for
| that purpose, list of the taxable prop
| erty, which under this act, is required
! to be listed, or shall temporarily con-
vert any part of such property into
property not taxable, for the fraudu-
| lent purpose of preventing such prop
erty from being listed, or of evading
the payment of taxes thereon, or shall
transfer or transmit any property 10
any person with such intent, he or it
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
subject to a fine. of not less than $50
nor more than $1,000. Prosecutions I'M
der this act shall be brought by the
county attorney in the district court
of the proper county, upon complaint
made by any tax commissioner, county
|
"a fee Of twenty-five dollars shall be
taxed as costs in each case in which a
conviction is had, and said fee shall be
paid to the county attorney for his SER
vices, to be taxed as costs in the case
but in no case shall the county be liable
therefor Executions may be issued
for the collection of all fines and costs
imposed under the provisions of this
act"
| Section 20 says: "In every case where
any person shall refuse to make out
and deliver to the proper deputy asses
sor the statement required under this
act, or shall refuse to take and sub
scribe to any of the oaths or affirma-
tons required, the deputy assessor
shall proceed to ascertain the number
of each description of the several
enumerated articles of property and
value thereof, and for this purpose he
may examine on oath any person or
persons whom he may suppose to have
knowledge thereof; and such deputy
assessor shall make a note of such re-
fusal in a column opposite the persons