The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-14

With one big sweep, the county COM
missioners today added s1,o94,027 to the
real estate valuations in Shawnes
county as reported by the local asses
sors This makes a total gain for the
county-outside the city of 'Topeka-of
SIPS, 439. This means a gain on realty
values in the county of 1881, 224 over
the 1910 showing.
There was no uncertainty in the &C
ton of the board today. They took
their pencils and went to work with a
grim and decided determination to dc
something did it. In six town
ships they raised the valuations of the
local assessors although two of these
townships had shown slight gains ovel
former reports.
Figures Raised Over Half Million.
In Williamsport township, the board
exploded bomb under the work of
the local assessor. His returns this
spring showed that the townships real
estate values had fallen off $51S,4Ol
over his own figures of two years ago.
The thing that the board did was tC
raise Assessor Pratt's figures a neat
27.5 per cent. This makes an increase
of $59, So over the Pratt figures il
1910.
After this bit of manipulation with
the lead pencil, the board breathed
easier. But there was Auburn. 1t
showed a loss of S59,960 in realty
values. So Auburn was the next place
for use of the derrick. Six per cent
was the increase applied to Auburn
and its 1910 valuation of $1,256,0 900,
was thereby raised $71,762-or a gain
of $131,722 over the 1912 figures of
the local assessor.
Monmouth was the next place
where the figures were hoisted-to the
h n he il
ported falling off this year of $37,-
2S5 in realty prices. So Monmouth
was marked for a five per cent raise.
In cash value that means gain of
which were reported at S1,540.725. Or.
in other words, the 1912 figures from
Monmouth were lifted SIP, 400.
Good Work Kept Up.
Now that the work was fairly start
ed, there wasn't the slightest inclina-
ton on the part of the board to make
the job look natural. 1t was recalled
that Soldier township was suffering
from a slight palpitation of realty
rates. In fact it had come in $27,S9O
$S,1s7,O4O. So a little 2.5 raise was
nailed on the 1912 prices. That
meant a neat little gain of $7S,97S
over 1910, or a raise of s1O6,S6S.
Rossville had really shown a little
gain in values this year. But the in
crease didn't just suit the board. With
q brief manipulation of a sharp pen
ell. it was found that a 2 per cent
raise would bring the Rossvi1le values
up $SS,207 over 1910. So the board
voted for the raise.
Silver Lake was another township
that showed signs of increased values
this year. That gain, though, wasn't
all the board hoped for and expected. |
And Silver Lake was raised per
cent, which means $1,3O1 increase over /
the 1913 values.
Then the board smiled. It was big |
lift in the values. But the personal |
property returns are yet to be heard |
from. And some of the townships will |
suffer in the shakeup of personal prop |
erty assessments. Word came from the |
state commission that the Shawnee
board was making excellent progress. |
With this assurance, the pencils were
again sharpened. And this afternoon |
the board will try to make the person |
al property returns look more pros |
porous and encouraging than the origi- |
mai figures indicated.