The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-27
AUDITORIUM AND TAXES.

Whenever an essential improve
ment is suggested for Topeka, even
when it is of such Importance to the
progress and future of the city as the
reconstruction and enlargement of the
auditorium, there is always the sug-
gestion in many quarters that taxes
are already too high here; that it
would be better for the city to wal
low in the slough of standing-still
rather than that anything should be
undertaken to keep the city on the
map or enhance its position there
which would add in. the slightest de-
gree to the tax charges.
! Possibly it is true that taxes in To-
peka are of considerable proportions
But it is more likely to be truer that
not few Topeka people think their
taxes are excessively high because
they have never possessed property
elsewhere or paid taxes where they are
higher. And perhaps they think that
taxes are high here because they have
been climbing up a little from year to
year or every other year or so.
The facts of the matter are that
taxes are not as high in Topeka as
they are in many, probably most of
the other cities of the size through
out the country.
They are not as high as they are in
many of the larger cities of the
country.
They are not as high, to come near
er home as they are in the two larger
cities of and some of the smaller ones
in Kansas.
Moreover the taxes in Topeka are
not as high as they are in some of the
communities of the state that might be
described as almost exclusively rural.
The tax rate in Topeka last year was
1904. that is $1.90 on a hundred dol
lars of valuation or s1s.04 on the
thousand dollars of valuation.
| In many of the townships or dis
tlnctlveiy rural communities in Kan
sas the tax rate ran over 200; in many
others it was over $50 and from that
on up to few instances where it was
even higher than 800 or $50 on every
$1,000 of assessed valuation.
All of these statements about taxes
in other localities in Kansas being
higher than is the case in Topeka are
general
But they can be readily confirmed
on inquiry at the offices of the state
tax commission.
! And if the people of Topeka think
their taxes IRE particularly burden
some, how would they classify those
that are paid by other Kansans
where the tax rate runs ar,und 200
or ESQ and even more than 500.
Confiscatory, probably.
But the Kansas people who paw
such taxes year after year seem t. be
able to worry along under them verv
nicely; and the automobile license rec
ords of the state indicate that they are
able to buy their share of automobiles
on the side.
So the high taxes in Topeka may
possibly be something of a condition
of mind with Topekans
Because the tax rate of a city is a
little higher than it was the year be-
fore, or the highest in the history of
the city. it does not necessarily follow
that the taxes of that city are alb
normally high, and especially when
compared with the taxes that are col
lected in other places, and where the
taxpayers do not get nearly so much
for their money as do those in the
capital city of Kansas.
And as far rs the additional tax that
the auditorium reconstruction plans
would entail it is so infinitesimal as
to be almost inconsequential.
1t means an increase in taxes of ten
cents, ten whole cents on every thou
sand dollars of valuation that is
placed on Topeka property for the
purposes of taxation.
Few of the many Topekans who do