The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-10
WAYS OF The
TAX D0DCER
Stories of Experiences Told by
the Assessors.
The Woman Who Gave Her
Goods In at Cost.
FORGOTTEN So, 600 MORTGAGE
One Who Begrudged Payment
of 81 a Year.
Occupant of a ROOming House
Pays on $4,000.

1 occupant Oh a hOOHIIuS 1OuSC
Pays on $4,000.
The experiences of the deputy as
| SCISSOR as he plodS around the city,
| taking your statement of your tax
able property, make the subjects or
a lot of interesting yarns that are
spun around the court house, In the
intervals between trips or AFTER the
| closed. Most of the assessment work
| for the present year is ended. NOW
| the deputies are picking up loose enos,
hunting up folks who were away from
home when they first called, run
ming down orphan" mortgages and
Strengthening. up their reports ready
for the final job of tabulation.
The assessor is father confesSor to
lot of unwilling communicates When
he tells his stories he leaves out names
and dates. The sorrows of the house
holder who reluctantly comes
through" are safe in his bosom, Tor
the deputy assessor is usually an ell
derby man and wise in the ways of his
fellow citizens He has long since
learned not to grin when you tell MIN
your Steinway grand is nearly ready
for the junk pile and that the second
hand man would weep If you asked
emption for your entire stock OF
household goods.
On the other hand the deputy as
SCISSOR is one of the kindest men on
earth if you put your burdens d.
rectly on him. Many an honest citi-
zen is paying less taxes on his per-
sonal estate just because the assessor
whitfield down the valuation volun-
teered by the owner. The elderly
lady who said her household furnish
ings were worth $500 because she had
paid that much for them will find,
when she goes to the court house to
settle taxes next fall that she owes
nothing. The assessor cut her state
ment to 5000, and the exemption
reaches that far. But the next door
neighbor with the two grown daugh-
tiers who Indignantly asserted that the
piano didn't belong to them and that
wasn't worth over SIS, if it was worth
that, will find himself charged up
with tax on $50 valuation as agent
for the owner of the piano Their
furniture was about the same as that
which was handed in at $500 and it
was put down, over their protest, at
the same final figures.
Forgot the Mortgage.
The fact that mortgages are record
ed in every county and that this in
formation is available to all assessors,
is sometimes overlooked by pious souls
who like to forget when the assessor
comes around that they have any
money out at interest.
II went into one house where the
atmosphere of piety was thick I
could feel it when / entered the door,"
said the deputy, who happened to be
loafing at headquarters this morning
There were framed mottos every
where 1 looked on the walls. The
man who let me in wore that particu-
lar cut of chin whiskers that you I'M
consciously sense as the property of a
deacon. When he sat down to give
me his statement he rested his elbow
the family Bible which occupied
the center table and his hand was
upon it when he took the oath to give
me full statement of his wealth.
I'VE ran through the list pretty
quickly. He didn't have much prop
erty and it wasn't worth much. 1t
came inside the exemption. We got
as far as mortgages and other evil
dences of Indebtedness, and he an
swered mo- when 1 asked him if he
had any.
rs there anybody else in town with
your name?' I inquired in a casual
way as began to pick up my papers.
Not that 1 know Of
WELL said I, I have an entry of
a mortgage of $4,000, of which some
body with a name just like yours is
deeds you know.
His fingers drummed pretty hard
on the cover of the good book and he
fidgeted considerably before he an
swered 1T isn't in this county. 1t
isn't taxable here
% oh, yes, it is said I. It's tax
able wherever you live. I'll just put
it down here with the rest of the
things And 1 did"
So one venerable citizen of religious
leanings and a careful turn in finan-
cial matters will come to the court
house next fall and pay SCI of taxes
which he had forgotten all about.
City's Benefits Worth Dollar?
There is one Topeka woman, wife |
of railroad man who keeps his fam |
lily in a comfortable home and his |
children in good schools, whose taxes, |
above the constitutional exemption |
cost him just 81 year. But his wife
used to hate to pay it. She gave in |
the family assessment under protest |
and fused at the assessor. That dol |
lar looked bigger to her than any |
other money she ever spent. She had |
never stopped to think what it was for |
and regarded it as an imposition laid |
upon her by an Ubiquitous and Oppres- |
sive government.
II didn't say anything while she |
scolded,'' said the old assessor "A |
couple of her children were sitting in |
the room getting their lessons and |
when she got through 1 turned to |
them.
do you have a pretty good time at |
1 asked them.
They said they did and went on to |
tell me they were in high school and |
liked it.
You have it pretty nice beside |
what 1 did, 1 said. used to have
to help cut the wood for the fireplace |
in the school house and / sat on
long bench without any desk We
didn't have any grades and were all
mixed up together. Things are differ
ent now" Then ] turned to their |
mother in a sympathetic sort of way /
and said:
TT does seem pretty hard to have
to pay a dollar taxes when all you get
for it is your children's schooling and |,