The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1909-01-02
DISTRICT OFFICERS LEVY TOO
MUCH TRIBUTE.
The Increase is Running From $4,000
to $4,000 Per county-Taxes
Should Have Been Lower.

Topeka-The state tax commission, |
in it's report to the legislature, will |
censure tax officers of the state for
levying more tribute from the tax
payers than they should during the /
past year. All told, the commissioners
believe that over S1,O00,000 more have
been raised by taxation than it was
contemplated should be raised. Most
of the excess tribute was levied by
school district officers. These officers
are not accused of wantonly doing it,
but OF carelessness. If they have not
dissipated the revenues, they should
be in position next year to get through
on an extremely small levy.
Didn't Figure Closely.
''The tax officers had no idea, it
seems, what an additional mill levy.
for instance, meant on the new assess
ment," said S. c. drummer, tax COM
missioner. ::eThep don't stop to figure
1t out closely. Very few of them
split their levies into a fraction of a
mill. Where one mill wouldn't raise
enough they simply added another
mill instead of a fraction of a mill
AS a result they have raised more
money than the purposes demanded
As near as / can figure with statistics
at hand the school districts alone
raised $1,OO0,OOO more this time than
they did the year before. The in
crease is running from $4,000 to
$4,000 per county"
Had the special session of the leg
islature last year followed the recon-
mendations of the tax commissioners
there would be no excessive tax
levies to report. The commissioners
urged the enactment of a law that
would prohibit taxing officers from
raising any more money during the
year than they did for the year be-
fore. That would have kept the reve-
nues about where they were before.
But the 165 members or the legisla-
ture thought their com ined wisdom
was greater than that of the tax com
missioners on this subject, so they
enacted law limiting the increase to
2 per cent above the maximum amount
that could be raised under the levies
of the old law.
Levied Per Cent More.
1t happens that most of the school
districts, esecially, had not levied up
to the maximum the year before. Two
per cent increase on what they levied
would have been all right. But they
did not do that. They levied per
cent more than the maximum fixed
by the old law, which in many in
stances was so per cent more than
the taxes Of the year before. That is
how it happens that he people are
called upon to pay $1,000,0O0 more for
maintaining their public institutions,
including schools, this year than they
paid last.
The state tax is 100000 less this
year than last and if the local taxing
officers had shown the same business
| judgment that the state taxing officers
| did the peoples taxes would be much
| lower this year. AS it is, the taxes on
individuals, as a rule, are not much
! higher. Perhaps they are less on half
the individuals on account of a read
justment of values and also owing to
the fact that the state tax commission
put about 100000, 900 of property on
the rolls that had escaped taxation be-
fore. However, had the tax business
worked out as it should everybody's
taxes, except the tax dodger, would
have been much lower.
Curb Tax Officers.
The tax commissioners are now try
Stubs Investigating School Situa-
ion.-Governor-elect w. R. Stubs is
sending out letters to county superin-
tendents all over the state asking for
information concerning the schools of
the different counties. Every county
superintendent either has or will re-
ceive a letter of this nature. 1t is Ell
dent from the letters that Mr.. Stubs
suspects that district teachers have
not gone far enough in school as he
says he is informed that of approx
mately 1000 teachers in the state, less
than ten per cent ever graduated from
a college, a normal school or univer
sity. He says that he regards the edu
cation of institutions of prime import
ance and desires to put forth an eff
fort to make the schools more prac
teal and helpful to those who attend
them. 1t is believed that he hopes tC
have the educational commission o.
the state or the legislature to make
more stringent requirements this win
ter touching upon the qualifications o.
teachers.
New Hotel for Wichita.-The JohI
P. Stewart estate, by E. A. Bowers
secretary and treasurer, has pur
"BiffaIo" Made Money.-Buffalc
Jones killed a number of buffaloes on
his ranch a few days ago. One OF
them, counting the financial returns
on meat, hide and horns, Melted him
5000.
Block Burns at MuIberry.-Fron
some unknown cause. fire started in