The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-30
CITY HALL NEWS.
Most Valuable Book Becomes
Property of Topeka.
Contains Record of All Delin-
Quent Taxes Since 1889.
LIKEMR. ROGERS PLAN
Eastern Magazines Want to
Know About Street Signs.
Councilman Stanley's Name Will
Go on the Ticket.

The most valuable book in the city
hall today and for days and years to
come is the recent addition to the
vault OF the city clerk of a massive,
| twenty pound affair about two feet
square and a half foot thick. This
| book is the present of County Treas
urer Medlcott to the city of Topeka
| and in It are the fruits of months of
hard, tedious and nerve racking labor
"a complete record of the unredeem-
ed taxes of the city of Topeka since
the year 1889. Never before has the
city had such a complete record and
never has the city been able to pro-
cure such a record, although they have
tried for years to get at the heart of
the county treaSurerS who realize the
immense amount of work and the ap-
parent uselessness of attempting such
a task and finishing it during their adj
miniStration. But Mr.. Medlicott went
after the records with energy and the
result is the pride of the city clerk and
the city of Topeka at the present time.
1t has always been necessary for the
city to make inquiry at the office of
the county treasurer and after a few
seconds of tumbling hurriedly through
the records he would make his report
and the city had to take the whole
matter for granted. There was no way
in the world to prove all of the de-
manded taxes and the county treas
uurer did not seem to be in sympathy
with the inquiries of the city. 1t can
be readily seen that the city undoubt-
edly lost thousands of dollars in this
reckless manner and they had no way
to prove that they had lost cent.
For instance, suppose the city want
ed to make a levy. They would make
a levy on the valuation of the proper
ty. When the collections were made
the city had to face the dead" proper
ty and stand good for it just for the
simple reason that they had no record
to show for for the "deadn 3r;s or the
paid out thousands of dollars for
dead" property in the last twenty
years and all because they had no sign
Of a record to base their levies
But now when the city wishes to lay
some pavement and they receive the
petitions they can look over the record
of the lots in the big book presented
by the city treasurer and the history
born can be procured in few seconds.
Then the city can base their tax levy
on the worth of the property. When
the county turns over the collected
taxes to the city it can all be checked
UP on the books and verified at both
offices by the aid of this book. When
the transfer has been made and the
tax penalties paid the big book will
again take the place of a half days
work at the office of the county treas
urer. Every lot and piece of ground in
the city under taxation and under the
new ordinances and rules of the coun-
Gil are in this book and their records
up to the present time are in black and
white Of course this means the de-
linquent taxes and there are a good
many of them.
The school taxes are also mentioned
in this book to the advantage of the
schools Whenever a levy of this kind
is made it is also possible for the
school board to look over the list of
unredeemed taxes and base their levies
on the misfortunes of the taxpayers.
In looking over the book it is found
that for the time between the years
1887 and 1908 Topeka has $257,375:77
of unredeemed taxes with a penalty
of S5,724.04. Here is the list: