The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-19
O'NEIL WAS CALM
Did Not Reply When SWayze
Raped Auditors.
No Explanation of Delay in the
Reports.
Dixie TAX HIT HARD.
Tax League Worries About Cost
of Big Wall.
Ike Gilberg Spreads Sunny So
cialism.
Dixie TAX HIT HARD.

Without a response from Edwin l.
O'Neil, who was present at the Mon
day night meeting of the Tax league,
Oscar Swayze raped the county board
for their action in the present county
audit and demanded to know why local
accountants were not given chance
at the work and asked the necessity of
the high prices which are called for in
the present contracts. AS he walked
on the record of the court house crowd
swayze looked squarely at O'Neil, but
the commissioner did not respond
No attempt was made by Swayze to
question the good results or stfalsnt-
forward, open and aboVeboard auuiI'
but he questioned the methods used in
the work as it is now conducted he
was anxious to know if local men
would not have handled the work for
less money, if there was reason Tor the
long delays in reports; and again, why
the occasion for Hobbies for all county
officials except the district Judges. In
a list of 40 reasons why the league was
a good thing, Swayze pointed to the
unfair assessments, to generous, high
handed methods of the legislatures, to
the indiscretion of public officials in
spending the peoples money.
Probably so people were at the meet
ing, which was held in the first dIV1-
sion district court room. The high
taxes. the alleged unjust assessments
and large appropriations for public
work, ranked in the minds of those
at the meeting. Few Topeka ministers
ever conducted an experience meeting
at which their flock talked more d.
rect from the heart than did the hand
full of taxpayers at the Monday night
meeting. They wanted relief and were
not particular as to whose scalp was
moved in finding where the money
goes. A half dozen women at the
h.
score of grayhaired veterans who
grumbled and groaned under the bur
den of a public debt
Gilberg Has a Say.
Ike Gilberg tried to relive the minds
of people in the crowd and he offered
a collection of glittering Socialistic
views. Gilberg was willing to shove
the entire tax burden on the shoulders
of the corporations. Just at the pres
ent time, he urged. the man with the
ems pays the big taxes and the or
ganization with the heavy financial
backing sidesteps it's share of the OBJ
legations.
But Gilberg was not the only exhibit
at the meeting. Samuel G.. thinner
man, county clerk, was brought for
ward as exhibit and he told about
the tax 1evies in the dixie district. Zim-
norman made desperate effort to
explain how the county engineer es-
timated the work at $127, 900, how the
contractors bid-on unit basis
was for $4,000 and how when the
work was completed, it was necessary
to pay $40, 600 for the work and raise
SIS, 900 deficiency levy. Everyone
seemed anxious to ask a few strange
questions about the job and finally the
county clerk explained that he was not
responsible for the manner in which
the contract was let and someone
would have to talk to the county
board about the trouble.
AS chairman of committee to in
Vestigate special attorneys fees in city
planned that tho work was not COM
pleted- He said that at this time no
special attorneys were in the employ
OF the county in district court cases,
but that the final report in the matter
could not be made until a later meet !
ing.
To Study Valuations.
w. H. Kemper. as president of the
club, urged the early appointment of
special investigating committees, the
necessity Of taking a hand in the ap-
pointment of assessors and the neces- |
sity of tax reforms. Among other !
things the league will demand the ap-
pointment of a building contractor on
the new assessors board and Will study
valuations as are returned by the
workers in the various townships.
Miss Maude May Kline, a mem Der
of the Good Government club, attend
ed the meeting and read a paper in
which she explained the method of
figuring tax receipts without causing
undue trouble in the individual mind.
OHIO M Hkgn NnMAH0T