The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-13
Hutchinson and Wichita Bids
Are Given the sc. B."
ELECT THEIR OFFICERS TODAY
County Commissioners PlaT
Big Legislative Program.
Want Highway Engineer
Would Abolish Tax Rebate.
OFFICERS NAMED TODAY.


OFFICERS NAMED TODAY.
County Commissioners.
J. F. Swonger, Anderson county, president
Clarence Aten, Ford county, secretary ana
No vice president was elected.
County Clerks.
L. B. Burt, Wabaunsee county. president
C. A Young, Harvey county, vice president
A ]. Valentine, Montgomery county, sec
G. W. Lee. Reno county, treasurer, =,
Legislative committee Officers ana ana K
Swayze, Shawnee county
Registers of Deeds.
Ralph Squires, Shawnee county, president
Miss Nellie Evans, Lyon county, vice pres
Mrs. L. H. Pfeffer, Greenwood county, sec
retary and treasurer
Topeka was selected as the 1917
meeting place of the Big Four conVen-
ton today, almost unanimously, ana
with a cheer thrown in for good meas
ure by the county officials Hutchlh-
son and Wichita also ran. They were
voted for by the delegates wht pre-
sented these towns.
The Big Four convention adjourned
at 1880 O'Clock this morning, after a
two days session, with 234 county OF
ficers present, and large numDer OF
auxiliary representatives. With the
| exception of the district clerks, each
| organization held separate meetings
this morning, elected officers, listened
to addresses and passed resolutions
| as we'll as attending to other business.
The clerks of the district courts finish
| ed their business session Tuesday
night, and held no separate meeting
! today.
Shortly after II O'Clock the entire
convention met in Representative hall,
where the joint meeting which selected
the time of the next meeting was held.
Meet in December.
The date of the convention, which
will be some time in the early part of
December, 1917, will be fixed by the
executive committee. A rising vote of
! thanks to the city of Topeka, the
Chamber of Commerce and the AXE
Pot Ster Boos was the last item of
| business before the motion to adjourn.
The county commissioners, of
whom there were 119 in attendance,
plan to beat the legislature to any
new road legislation which will be
passed this winter. They also placed
| themselves on record as having GER
tain decided opinions on various other
Legislative matters, and their legisla-
tive committee, which is composed of
J. S. Slonger, president of the associa-
ton, Clarence Aten, of Ford county,
secretary treasurer, G. H. Bayles of
Pottawatomie, and D. S. Romine, of
Labette county, will bring the opin-
ions and the wishes of the commits
sioners before the legislature during
the winter.
Some of the resolutions passed by
| the commissioners include the ap-
| pointment of a state highway engineer,
who shall be employed by the state.
have his office at the state house. and
assist the county commissioners in
!
The commissioners reversed them
selves on the resolution. voting it down
the first time it was submitted, after
| which they were gently chldden by
Charles H. Sessions. who assured them
| that of the 125 representatives who
are coming to the capital this winter.
at least SO are going to come with road
| legislation in their pockets, and that
| the county commissioners, in whose
hands the administration of most of
| the road business is left. would, by
voting down the resolution, leave the
| legislature with no information as to
what the commissioners wanted. The
motion was reconsicered, and after
some discussion, passed. The ques-
ton of paying the engineer. which in
the first draft of the resolution was
| left to the counties using his services,
was left open, in the hope that the
| legislature would put the expense on
| the state.
| Abolish Tax Rebate.
Another more or less revolutionary
resolution passed by the commissioners
dealt with the 2 n per cent rebate al
lowed on the payment of taxes when
| the entire years taxes are paid in De-
cember. The commissioners wish the
rebate abolished, because "the county
general fund is compelled to pay all
other funds the 2 II per cent rebate
allowed taxpayers, thus forcing the
general fund to lose the rebate allow
| ed on special funds collected for paw
ing, sewer and levee districts, and
similar purposes
The commissioners also want an in
crease in the maximum tax levy for
the general fund, on account of the
fact that Mothers Pensions" and
other legislation have constantly in
creased the expenditures from the
general fund without increasing the
available revenue.
Deputies under the state accountant
who will put into force a uniform
system of bookkeeping in all county
offices except those of the county
clerks and the county treasurers, and
who will make regular inspections of
| the books, are asked for by the legis-
lative program of the committee.
Other Legislative Plans.
A change from the present system
of tax assessment which will give the
| appointment of the deputy assessors
into the hands of the county assessor,
subject to the approval of the county
! commissioners, is asked.
Other legislative matters of less i'm
portance will be brought up by the
legislative committee during the VIM
ter.
The other organizations, in the pass
ing of their resolutions. confined them
selves chiefly to minor matters. and
there will be little legislation inaugu-
! rated thru their efforts.
Many Clerks Here.
There were sixty-one county clerks
present at the convention, a much
larger number than is usually at the
conventions in even numbered years
The county clerks are required to