The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-29
WASTE OF MONEY
Judge Burnette of State Tax
Commission Makes Talk.
Kansas Squandering Too Much
on Education.
STATE NORMAL IS USELESS
Same Things Being Taught
at University.
State Asylums Too Widely
Scattered, He Says.

Judge J. a. Brunette of the Kansas
state tax commission, in an address
given by the Butler county kafr corn
carnival executive committee at Edo
RADIO Wednesday night, said he saw
no prospect for reducing taxation in
Kansas. Taxation he declared, els
the biggest question before the people
OF this government. There is no way
TO reduce our taxes until the people
are willing to live as they used to
live He also made an attack on the
state normal school and the wastefuI
ness in education.
IF the people knew more. Judge
Burnette continued, there would not
be quite so much iudiscriminate crit
lCism Of the mayor, council school
board. commissioners and state gov
eminent I will venture that not 10
men here know the assessed valuation
of the city. school district or county
Commence figuring taxes when the
grass starts Now is the time to look
out. to act and see that the estimates
are held down
Taxes Will stay up as long as the
people insist on good roads, better
bridges and more of them 1t costs
more People are insisting upon the
most up to date buildings and applf-
ances-and it costs you more to live
than it did last year 1t costs more
to run public institutions.
Railroads Pay Enough.
"A great many people jump at con-
illusions and say the railroads and
other public service corporations are
not paying as much tax as they ought
The railroads Of this state are paying
all the taxes they should on the pres
ent valuatf on-they are paying more
than you farmers in proportion. want
YOU to look it up Every mile of road
OF the santa F'e company in the state is
"a wing right now on $49.2S0 valuation.
That would not be much out of the
way for the main ine-but all who
have been on branches know you would |
not give a cent for them.
And besides you get your proper
fionate share out of the tax on every
locomotive. coach and car-and on the
money in the bank. Look these things
UP.
From the best information obtain
able. lands now are assessed at about
s. per cent of their selling value.
"On every $1,000 Of assessed value
you pay the state s1.20, While $14.70 is |
what vou pay for the support of your
own institutions. But if that is 20
cents more than should be spent it |
ought to be cut down.
state Normal Useless.
I'VE are wasting too much money in |
the name of education over in Err |
poria is q state normal school. What /
business have we with a normal school |
when the state university teaches the |
same things. At Manhattan We have /
school of engineering-a at Law |
renee a university school for the same /
purpose. What's the use2 Don't dup |
HCate That's where the money is go I
ing NOBODY would object to money /
spent leg1timately for education.
Another thing never have thought |
fair. Some officers are sent to Europe /
for special courses. Their salary goes
on Nobody does you that way. 1t /
is not toting fair with the state.
Our institutions are too widely |
scattered. Every mile they are moved I
apart makes it cost more-and we have /
the university, normal schools, school of |
correction. training school peniten- |
tiary. reform school and so forth. scat /
tered all around. And. yes. there's the I
asylums-I guess it's not polite to call |
them that now-theysre hospitals
Last year We had $50 015. 900 in prop |
erty on the tax rolls. Bank Commits I
sioner Dolley said the state banks had |
sg6. 0G0 600 on deposit: national banks /
$50. Oe0. 00o-about $500. 600, 600 in round I
numbers. while the tax rolls totaIed /
something less than $4,000. 600 1t looks
like there was something rotten, not in
Denmark. but here in Kansas.
See that your neighbor pays taxes
on what he has. If Brown has to sit on I
the same kind Of a blister as his neigh
Dor he viii stand it.
Found Girl CI-ucified in Ball Room.
Berlin Feb. 29.-At a masquerade ball
a. Hartford TEestnfaa Ia