Barton County democrat., 1915-01-29

Dc lulcIColCu III lllO Poooo6O VI q
bill which Senator |. M. Mahan
of Smith county introduced. The
bill is aimed at the cupidity of
the Kansas City stockyards COM
pany, but incidentally will curb
the avarice of all Stockyards in
the state of Kansas.
Senator Mahin stated that the
Kansas City Stockyards usually
charge about 400 per cent above
wholesale prices for feed which
it sells to shippers, or which is
fed to cattle and hogs in the yards.
The Mahin bill prohibits any
stockyardS company from charg-
ing in excess of 50 per cent above
the prevailing wholesale price Of
feed.
If adopted, the Mahin bill will
save thousands of dollars to the
live stock interests of Kansas. A
similar bill is now before the Mis-
souri, Legislature. The Mahin bill
is aimed to supplement the Mis-
souri, bill, as the Kansas City
stock yards are situated partly in
both states.
We have with us, as usual,
many women lobbyists and among
them, of course, a good repreSen-
tilion of the Good Government
Club of Topeka, headed by Lila
Day Monroe.
Representative Mahurin of COf-
fey county, has introduced in the
House a bill providing for state
life insurance. The bill would put
insurance companies doing bust
ness in the state entirely Oul of
business if the dreams and hopes
of the Coffey county member are
realized. He asks for an appro-
priation of $4,000 to put in OPP
Grafton the provisions of The act.
Two years ago Mahurin came
to Topeka with a bill in many
ways similar to the one just in
lrOduced. He has made some
material changes in the measure,
however, and believes that his bill
has been materially strengthened.
The operation of The new law
would be placed in the hands of
The state executive council.
The COffey county man claims
for his bill a saving to Kansas life
insurance policy holders of from
six to eighl million dollars per
year. The bill provides that the
stale shall establish Il morluary
basis on which rates shall be eS-
tabliShed and that policies shall
be written for actual cost, based
on probable annual losses. The
money collected in premiums
would be available for loans on
Kansas real estate, such loans TO
be approved by The executive
council.
To gel at the 800 millions of
dollars of Kansas property which
is moi listed for taxation purposes,
according to claims made by the
state tax commission, Senator Jo-
Seph has presented to the IegiSIa-
ture a bill fixing almost confiSca-
tory forfeiture provisions and
penalties for the failure either of
property owners or assessors to
properly list taxable lands or
goods. His bill also provides that
the state lax commission shall
send experts to assist in the work
OF assessment of property where
the local deputy assessor is un-
able to inlelligently arrive at val
ueS to be put on the tax rolls.
This bill is supplementary to
another by The same author in re-
ference to mortgages. Where the
first mentioned bill provides the
forfeiture of one-lhird of any pro-
perry that shall be improperly |
omitted from the lax rolls, the
second bill provides for the grad
ual withdrawal of mortgages from
taxation. 1t is expected that as
the states income from taxes on
mortgages decreases, the income
from the workings of the other
bill will vastly over balance the
loss. Under the mortgage exemp-
lion bill it is provided that reg
iStry fees shall be assessed, in
lieu of other taxes on mortgages,
and that this registry fee shall
diminish in amount for The next
five years after which time it shall
automatically be abolished.
Mortgage taxation is poor pub
lie policy and should be abandon
ed" declared Senator Joseph.
But 68 millions of mortgages are