The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-05
AT STATE HOUSE.
Judge Glass of Tax Commission
on War PATH.
Says Many LeavenwOrth People
Are Dodging Taxes.
DIDN'T TAX DEPOSITS,
Large Proportion Of Money in
Banks Escapes Taxation.
Cream Rate Transportation May
Be Slightly Increased.

1t is the opinion of Judge Glass OF
the state tax commission that there Is
a lot Of personal property in the city
of Leavenworth that has long been
escaping taxation. During the recent
trim of the commission over the state
for the purpose of inspecting the rail-
roads two of the members made
special trip to Leavenworth in order
to find out what the trouble was IN
the soldier city that tax lodging hao
become so common there. During ms
visit there Judge Glass gave out the
following interview to local paper:
There is a lot of hidden properly
here that will have to be dug up" said
Mr.. Glass. why, look at the assess
ments of last year. Atchison returned
$11.0OO,000 in persona. properly,
while Leavenworth came in with
$S,0OO,0OO. Yet it is plain that Leav-
enworth has more personal properly
by far than Atchison-
eLeavenworth is about second. L
think, in the amount of bank deposits
vet but a small amount of these de-
posts have been taxed.
How do you account for the 1act
that under the old assessment LeaVen-
worth paid about $4,000 in state tax
vet under the new assessment last year
the state tax was but $4,000, a saw
ing of about $25,O00-doesn't this snow
that this county had been carrying the
burden for some of the other coun-
ties?" he was asked.
mo" was the reply. 1T shows that
now the other counties are sharing
what should be Leavenworth's part IN
the state tax. Why, with the raise that
we put this county's valuation last
year the figure was still far too low
Yves but some of the short grass
counties valuation was increased ten
times by the new assessment" was
suggested to the tax commissioner,
while the valuation in this county
was increased by a much less amount,
indicating more honest valuation
here under the old law than had been
elsewhere-now might not that show
that in the past while Leavenworth
was paying more than her share of the
state tax other counties were escap-
ing?''
mo, that is not the situation an
swered Glass. sit means that while
those counties have been raised to a
just figure, Leavenworth is still escap-
ing
They Must Dig Up.
Speaking generally, 1t seems that
the assessment is better in this county
this time. The country people are
coming in pretty well. but still there is
much property yet to be covered. But
that city personal must be dug up
The interstate commerce commission
press companies can slightly increase
the rates on milk and cream in the case
brought before that body by a creamer
asking to have the higher rates put in
effect by the roads cancelled. The in
crease is 5 cents on 20 mile haul for
q ten gallon can; 3 cents on 100 miles
and 1 cent on 200 miles.
In July, 1906, the railroads and ex-
press companies asked permission to
increase the rates on milk and cream
During the pendancy of the application
the creamery companies brought action
before the interstate commerce COM
mission asking that the increased rates
be cancelled and that the commission
establish reasonable rate. The COM
mission in it's decision established a
schedule OF rates which provides for a
slight increase up to a 235-mile haul
and decrease over that distance. Also
that the railroads and express COM
panleS give receipts for milk cans and
return them with the same care and
diligence that they were shipped in the
first place. OF course most of the milk
shipped is for a distance of less than
235 miles. so that the increase applies
more generally than the decrease but
the prompt return of cans by receipts
instead Of the old haphazard way will
be an advantage for the shippers. The
commission did not increase the rate
in the proportion asked for by the rail-
roads and express companies.
consider whether or not to permit this
increase to go into effect in the state
and place the rates in line with inter-
state rates, or leave conditions as they
are now. The date for this hearing will
be set for some time in the near flu
ture.
An appeal was filed in the supreme
court today from the district court Of
Edwards county in which that state
asks for a reversal of the decision oil
the lower courts i'll the question of q
writ of mandar1us asked for against
the school board of district No. l com
posed of the town of Kinsley in Ed
wards county, from buying a certain
site for a school house. The state il
ats petition alleges that the schoo
board is about to pay $4,000 for an I'M
desirable site for a school house neal
the Santa Fe tracks when better and
cheaper site can be secured for $4,000
also that a majority of the citizens o.
the district favor the last named site