The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-05
GnlltU VII als6 euss
New Tax Measure the Cause OF
Much Uneasiness.
Legislators Think 1t viii Prove
Failure.
HEAVY TAX ON FARMS.
This Is What Is Expected to
Result.
Governor Hoch and the Kansas
City Bond Broker.

There Is considerable energetic
knocking being done on the new tax
law, and if the necessary sentiment can
be stirred un against it, there Is no
doubt that an effort will be made at
the next session of the legislature TO
repeal the law.
1t is claimed that the law will prove
TO be so unpopular that the farmers Oh
the state will demand it's repeal Ihls
is on the theory that farm LANDS nave
in the past been assessed lower imam
any other class of property in propor-
ton to their real value, and that WneH
the actual value" provision is applied
farmers will have to pay more TAX
than they have paid in the past III
spite of the law enacted at the speclal
session limiting the amount OF money
to be raised in 1908 to the same tnat
was raised in 1907.
Senator B. P. Waggener. of Atchlson'
attorney for the Missouri Pacif1c, Is OPP
posed to the law because he claims II
will raise the taxes of the farmers
and at the same time reduce the taxes
of the railroads. Mr.. Waggener says:
1T turns out that the amendment to
the tax law is really more disastrous
TO the farmers than the act of I9OI:
attempted to amend the law SO lnat
while all property should go on the tax
roll at its actual value, the levy snould
be made against 20 per cent of that
value. This was voted down. Under
the new law, the value of all railroad
property can scarcely be more than
three times the present valuation, Whlle
every farm in Kansas will be valued at
from eight to ten times its value IN
1907.
"The amendment to the law is far
more burdensome to the farmers than II
no amendment had been made. Under
the amendment which I proposed. the
levy could only be made against 20 per
cent of the actual value while under
the new law, the levy must be made
against the actual value of all 1andS,
and the farmers from this time on, VIII
pay 100 per cent more tax than in the
past"
Members of the state tax commits
sion. do not admit any Of the allega-
tions which are being made about the
heavier tax on farms than in the past,
but they say that whatever may be the
result the proposition that all property
should be assessed at its actual cash
value is one which is absolutely just,
and that if this is done, there should
be no cause for complaint.
81 don't know what authority any
body has, said s. t. Howe, one of the
members of the commission, for say
fr1ga that we will assess railroads at two
or three times their present value, and
farm lands at ten times their present
value. We are going to arrive at just
as close an estimate as possible of the
actual value of the railroads, telegraph
and telephone lines, and pipe lines, and
we are also going to insist upon the
county assessors throughout the state
doing the same thing for all other pro-
perty."
1t is expected that William F. Sapp
of Galena will soon make formal an
nouncement of his candidacy for the
Job of national committeeman of the
Democratic party from the state of
Kansas, to succeed ]. B. Johnson.
There are three candidates for the
place-Johnson, John Atwood of Leay-
enworth and w. F. Sapp. All of them
claim to be for Bryan.
The fight will be settled at the con-
vention to be held by the Democrats at
Hutchinson on February 81.
Governor Hoch said today: 81 was
called up from Kansas City a few days
ago by very much excited bond
broker who wanted me to veto the bill
removing the fiscal agency of the state
from New York to Topeka. He said
to me. Don't you know that if this
body in New York be willing to buy
your bonds? You won't have any
market 1 said to him, My dear sir,
we don't need anybody to buy our
bonds. If New York doesn't want to
buy our bonds, we will buy them our
selves. There is a bigger demand for
Kansas bonds right here at home than
we can supply And so I signed the
BILL
The new law does not operate in any