The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-23
FARMER BETWEEN TWO FORCES
Organized Labor on One Side
Nand Capital on Other.
Ralph SearIe Says He Cannot
Talk of Taxes Calmly. !

The present Kansas tax laws were
assailed from two different angles at
today's annual farmer luncheon OF
the Topeka Rotary club. when every
member of the club had as his guest
at the luncheon a dirt farmer
kansas must wake up to the fact
that her method of raising public rev.
enue is badly out OF date" Norton A.
Turner, state auditor, declared. when
we used to collect only s2O.OO0,o0O in
Kansas for state county. city scnoo4
and township taxes. as We did In 1S1Os
we could get the money oy placing a
small levy on visible properly ana
without burden to any one. but when
the citizens of Kansas are called upon
to dig up Approximately $1S,OOO;OOOs
as they were last year, to smoothing
of the federal taxes. we must begin to
adopt new methods OF raising the
money.
'The federal tax, from incomes and
special taxes upon the citizens OF this
state last year amounted to approx
mately $32,000,00O.
I'VE can no longer successfully levy
tribute upon the farms, homes and
personal property of the people to pay
the freight"
The remedies which Turner sug-
gested were: ID The amendment of
the constitution of the state so that
property may be classified for taxa
ton, according to its productive value.
Including the property which is called
Intangible, because it is not visible
to the eye of the assessor; CD the
raising of every dollar OF revenue for
the support of the state government
from an income tax. leaving all direct
property taxes to the local communi-
ties. as is now done in many states
Turner advanced as arguments in
favor of the income tax. that it would
equalize the burden of taxation, per-
init the levying of a very small sum
upon the individual tax payer, since
"a IL N 81 xrsA
state, and would catch the heavy in
vestors in tax free securities
In closing, Turner said that while |
last year Shawnee county paid $751;
57O.9S in state tax. this year the |
county will pay but $1S7,779IS.
Howl Over Taxes.
Turner was followed by Ralph |
Searle, farmer member OF the Rotary /
club. who declared that tire farmer |
can't discuss taxes in an even and /
well modulated tone of voice. When 1
the subject is brought up he must /
howl. The farmer has established /
reputation as a calamity bowler, and /
I can't do anything today but maintain l
that reputation
Tho farmer is finding himself a
buffer between organized labor and
organized capital" Searle declared
And let me digress right here to say
farmers can never be hitched up to-
gether in a team because their inter-
ests are too widely divergent.
THE laborer in the city often times
earns as much with his two hands as
the farmer with 16O acres of Shawnee
county land. can earn. The working
man pays no taxes whatever, and
every asset of the farmer is open and
visible and subject to taxation Or
ganized labor stands practically tax
free.
'aThe farmers life is not On independ-
ent life He is the most dependent
business man there is He is depend
erlt upon fate for the production of
his goods, and he has absolutely moth
ing to say as to the price he shall re-
ceive for them There is no one to
whom the farmer can pass on his
taxes, either as a producer or as
consumer II
Taxes Greater Than Income.
''The farmer IS taxed on a purely
fictitious basis of valuation I agree
with Mr.. Turner that there should be
gible and intangible, should be assessed
in accordance with the profit which
il returns
There are farmers right here in
Shawnee county who are finding their I
taxes greater than the net income OF j
their farms. IL
II don't think that the sTs.OO0.OOo .
tax bill which Mr.. Turner has de-
scribed is due to extravaganza We
must continue to support our state in 6
we must continue to edu-
cate our children, but the burden of 7
taxation must be more equally d. j
vfded. E" Ii
Three new members were elected to :
in the Topeka Rotary
club at the regular meeting at noon {
today. They were: Hugh Duff, state {
oil inspector; T. C.-Gibbs. of the Gibbs
Clothing company. and Clifford STRAIT '
ton, managing editor of the Topeka !
Daily Capital.
Twenty members of the Topeka !
high school orchestra, under the d. !
! ection of Miss Grace v. Wilson. fur !
nished music for the program. In the !
absence OF T. w. Williamson. presi- :
dent of the Topeka Rotary club. Fred !
A. Bonebrake, vice president of the
club, presided. The program commit .
tee was represented by z. c. Paxton. :