Abilene weekly reflector. [volume], July 21, 1910, Page 1, Image 1

About Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
Cist '-
1 '
. . . . ' A
a
'
I II ' fc MA I A A
VOL XXVII
official paper or Dickinson county-twelve pages
ABILENE, KANSAS, THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 21,1910
Inheritance Tax
Brings Big Burdens
A few days ago the Lawrence
Journal Bald: "About the moat fool
ish thing that has appeared In print
recently Is Tom Wagstaff's thrust at
the inheritance tax. The law Is mild,
but good. He figures that a $10,000
estate pays the state MOO. It pays
the state $50. One half Is exempt
and the other half pay's one per
cent." -
The Reflector disputed thla exemp
tion statement and declared that the
i'tiAAnn at 1 nar
estate wouia pay ou niv
cent If It went to the widow or a
child," or JlOOi to a -more distant
Ibeneflclary it would pay $500.-l-
The Journal somewhat sternly
chides us thus: "The Abilene Re
flector continues to argue falsely that
there' are no exemptions in the In
heritance law. The Reflector ought
to have respect enough for its read
ers to read the law before discussing
it. The law states plainly that wid
ows are exempt $5,000 and direct
heir $1,000.' The Inheritance-law is
along the righflfnes and the Jour
nal ee.not object .to its being die
cussed... Only it does believe the dis
cussion' should be intelligent."
' Of course, It does not become
plain ordinary citizen to dispute Sena
tor Brady, who was in the leeisla
....... it,. i!nntMl the ln'ior!tiK
tax, but still we think he afflcted
with error. He does not realize the
enormity of the law's unfairness be
cause he does not yet understano. Its
provisions. We submitted' these
questions to the state tax commlsslou
whloh decides the tax on estates:
"1. 'If a husband dies and leaves
an estate of $10,000 to his wife does
she pay orie per cent on $10,000 or
does she pay one per cent on $5,000,
having an exemption of $5,000 , on
which she pays nothing?, .,: -v
"z. similarly uu
ten nephew, 'alee-f-Mi,,,I,!
. . 19 Ann or
$2,000, pay a per T '" 1 ,
on $1,000, receiving an exemption of
$1 000 on which nothing Is paid?"
Here Is the reply to the state tax
commission:
July 16, 1910, Mr. C7 M. Harger,
Abilene, Kas., Dear Sir:
I am directed by the Tax Commls
son to say, for answer to the In
quiries contained in your favor of
July 16th, as follows:
1 In the case -where a husband
dies and leaves an estate of $10,000
to hs wife, the provisions of the law
require the widow to pay 1 per cent
on the $10,000.' Where a member of
class A has $5,000 or less, such
share does not come within the oper
ation of the law, but where the dis-x-it..,!
.h.ra amounts to over $5,-
EI 1 U U Ll I u " "
000 then the whole amount becomes
subject to a tax as per tne scneuu..
,hiii inclosed herewith.
UL ibwq "
2. In the case of a brother, sis-
lAp'nenhew or niece, the amount
must exceed $1,000 before It comes
within the operation of the law, ana
with the case cited by you, the dis
tributees would have to pay on in
entire amount of their shares, 'on
$2,000 at 8 per cent.,
9. Shares going to persons not
members of either class A or 'class b
are taxable upon the full amount at
tributed.' " '
CLARENCE SMim,
Secretary.
If Senator Brady Is not convinced
by this, we give him up.
. . " t. Qoturjlav Jillv 10.
At jjimyuri bmui-,i -
Tom Wagstaff spoke on the inheri
tance tax law as iouuw.
. i-t-A ruii vaUlns? vour
taxes while you are alive to suffer,
this governor has had a measure
passed which provides for taxing you
after you are dead. I refer to thla
. m M.M1s In
inheritance tax.. mw ui
this state do not know . this new law,
u bnnw little or noth-
Jng about It, I want to say a few
words. Two years ago --
dldate, the governor advocated this
..... . nA hn nreed
law from me pmiui"' ---
iU passage by the last legislature. It
, t dAATca in vnn that
was passeo, anii i uo""
it Is an obnoxue, uncalled for and
un-American law, ftr.lt places a ta
on the fidelity of the good wives of
ha nut if inn.
Kansas who, n
have had as much to do with saving
. . .. .. i....i.r,Aa madn as the hus-
wnat meir "
bands had In making It. This law In
a nutshell la simpiy m f
T ji n aitntn must be
II ft man uiw "
probated and appraised to ascertain
J..., - T tha annrllHA-
the extent tnereoi, u yu
. . nn AotolB of $5,000 oi
mem aioi;iu-- .
.t wMnv nnd children,
.more. " fc
and helrB ot that esww
inherltano. tax oi iron.
ner con. L '
as the rich man, ior .
v.,. tn sanertaln tne
now pruuni.c . -
extent of the descender's holdings.
The result is that should the ap
pralement Ulsclose that the descend
" ' ... . , ic oh thfc ooor
ent did not i -"- ",'..
widow and children are caught In the
-r tt.a low unvway, for tne
costs not only of probate must be
paid, but the attorney fees as well.
These fees average from $15 to $0.
..... it.i. J A tv r nn
We all realize tnat mm
widow With children at her knee is a
greater burden than that borne by
the rich widow who paye the Inherl
. tmn tn t1(100.
tance iax v- - . .
"Records of tne proim "- --
. i . .aman( nf talfl
jitate since iae ou.u" -
iifi lth cases showing,
"""" " . (hn 1W
extent and narsnnem
... .i. .ttituile towards the
ana iw u ---- 1 . .
. ., .if. nf the Kansas farmer and
worklngman in tne cuj.
1
!
' !
. ;
- - -iTfnr-,- , .
, : , , CONGRESSMAN OALDKRHEAD. ' ."
Clay Center, July 18. R. R. Rees
made a very poor impression in his
speech here. He commenced his ad
dress bv claiming to be a Republican
and a protectionist, and then pro
oMMtad to lambast the Republican
party and" the president, who Is
supported not only by a large major
ity of the members of his party In
both houses of congress, but by the
expressed vote of the people in the
last election.
It Is hard to account for some of
the errors he made, especially his
statement that the Payne dhi was
passed with no provision for a tariff
commission. Rees is evidently un
tie j
law,
the
and
Banking His M pey
The young man who spends all his increase is not
only facing the inevitable-poverty in old age
but he Is jn&sing the pleasure and satisfaction of
banking his own money-aome other man is do
ing it for him-iti bound to get into the bank.
He should eliminate useless expenditures and start
n Account with this bank TODAY, and he will
soon have a foundation laid for a future estate.
Tiia AbifofliT f latidnal Bank
Abilene, Kansas
fonsatlea.
"r.at of all. over In Dickinson
county, as an illustration, a farmer
who had been elck for. a year died
and in his last illness all hla property
was eaten up by the expenses atiena
ant thereon except a 160-acre farm.
the team and a cow. In order to
raiiie the inheritance tax the widow
had to sell the cow and mortgage the
farm. .
'in Marion county a German
farmer died and left a half section of
land. His wife paid the inheritance
tax on it of $260. She died thirty
days later and the children, her heirs,
..j . n the inheritance tax over
again on the same land left by their
father, , .. - :. -.
t - .wioii mvernor. in the
I Virst message to: the legislator I wl
recommend that this Inheritance tax
law be repealed.
"Governor STubbs claims tnai i am
-Kio in the sDecial .Interests.
ItttVLUiB -
Tet every dollar raised by the lnheri
i..,. tx reduces the taxes of the big
corporations of the state Just, that
much for the corporations nevor
a T,mnortT never has to be
UUU Wi. " r "
probated, and they do not have to
pay 'an inheritance tax. do iu.. .
another case ot where the governor,
in his reckless desire to squanae.
..Kilo fnnila has advocated a tax
raising measure favorable to the cor
porations and hostile to tne peopie.
..i .n,,in hit afraid to look a
i.Mw .nn in the face again with-
IT IUU n v
ont wearing goggles if I did not regis
ter my protest against the law In
some way." ,
- WOCIiD COST HER 600.
This Woman Consulted Lawyer
About fie Tax.
An ihiiona woman called on law
yer last evening. She had with her
copy of the Chronicle wnicn con
tained Probate Judge Anderson's ex
planation of the provisions of the In
heritance tax which th Chronioie
had heretofore failed to explain.
"I want to know what thte means
to me?" She said, and explained
how much property her husband
would leave her.
The lawver figured It up. "It will
cost you $600, with the probate court
fees and lawyers' fees added,"sald he.
"Well," she replied with emphasis,
'nir husband was for Stubbs, but
he will be for Wagstaff and I'll write
my two boys and have them vote
that way too."
INHERITANCE TAXIS
' SEVERE ON THE WIDOWS
Probate Judge Anderson Give Pro
visions as In Reflector.
Probate Judge Anderson furnishes
the Reflector a statement of the pro-
.anns nf ut lnaulilous lmeritan-"
tax which is so burdensome on wid
ows and orphans. He gives the fig
ures and provisions exactly as this
paper baa published them and as the
state tax commission gives tnem. m
The unjust and unfair provisions
nf the law are apparent. There Is
.porrelv a farmer In the county
whn farm Is not worth more than
$5,000. If he dies hit widow, simp
ly because her husband Is dead, must
.x- ..- . it. iroo.nror and nay a
WUUZ " L" - -
tax of one per cent on every dollar
hr tinaband leaves her. It win caicu
farmer's estate In the country
Already It has, though In operation
only a few months, taken thousands
nn11ar In death taxes out OI wid
ows and orphans who could 111 afford
. . it vhen the husband and
rihr was taken away.
u. Arirnn atitea that It Is
Rees Abuses Taft
in His Speeches
acquainted 'with most of the' provis
ions of'the Payne bill. ', ; .
It requires patient care and study
to become familiar with the provi
sions ot such an extensive measure
and few people have either the
time or Inclination to devote to such
a study and therefore but little won-.
der that the people are carried away
with the specious arguments ot its
opponents, which sound pleasant to
the ear, but have no foundalon In
fact. It Is by this means that dem
agogues frequently made hbadway
and gain attention when under ordi
nary circumstances they would be
turned down as unworthy of belief.
popular In Sallna because pt the
trickery in It but It lost Ottawa, his
"naid only once." This is In a sense
true, since persons die only once. But
if a husband dies and leaves $8,000
in property to' his wife she pays $80
as soon after the funeral as the tax
commission can get her. If she dies
and leaves it to a daughter, there Is
another $80 to pay. It the daughter
dies and leaves It to her husband,
another $80 alice comes off. You will
see many a widow and child In Dick
inson county come across with $zo
to IBOfl in the next few years If the
law Is not repealed.
w- sava that only one estaio ran
thus far been forced into probate
court. , The fact .that any can oe
forced thero when the owner does
not .Ics're is nnfsir. It la il:np
a means to get death taxes, lawyers'
fees and court fees.
TTnniirndR of nersons heard Gover
nor Stubbs advocate this law when
i, .nnVn hnra two years ago. It is
his favorite idea ot taxing people.
Rees is for It but he also wants to tax
I..I.THH which would take on an
other slice from the successful tarm-
er'a and business man' estate,
whv do these reformers (I) think
the chief object of government Is to
tax, tarlff,and burden the man wno is
...in. tn ma lra a livelihood? Gover
nor Stubbs and his papers are defend
ing the Iniquitous law and if ne con
tinues as governor the law will con
tinue on the statute books.
BEES' WEAKNESS AT HOME.
Reported HtrWIU Move to California
if Not Nominate"..
Minneapolis, Kan., July 14. It Is
generally conceded here that R. R.
Rena will not have as many votes In
hia tome county for congressman as
two years ago and that Calderheao
... . . Twn vaarH Afirn RfieS
win navw ujviv. . - " -
was Judge and It was a matter of
borne pride to support him. now tne
conditions are different. He lost the
Judgeship to this county by a politi
cal trade with Saline county in whlcl
he thought he was buying the vote of
that county. He resigned his
place and a Saline county man was
appointed. This was not only un-
hpme county the Judgeship which It
had held for many years. Republi
cans are esneclally bitter at such ac
tion and consiBer that it was a cheap
political .trick for a Judge on the
bench to be guilty of. . So apparent
was It and so unpopular that the
man named did not dare enter the
primaries and, withdraw from the
race. , ' , '.
Besides this it is currently report
ed that Rees expects to leave the
state Immediately after the prlmar-
les if he la not nominated. . Borne
time aao he sold his home and has .
cleaned up every piece of his real
estate in the county Investing it an
in Southrn California where he has
spent some time recently. He lives
with relatives temporarily ana an
his property here is some bank stock.
It is reported that If defeated he will
go to California to reside and look
after his land. The Republicans say
that this is not the kind of a repre-
sehtatlve they want. As one put it:
"If a man has no use for us except
to draw a' salary and If he can't do
that Is going to leave us, why should
w vote for him? We might as well
i elect an outsider and be done with It.
We want a representative whose in
terests are with ours and who makes
his home with us. Mr. Calderhead
has his property In a farm in this
district and this is his home. He Is
one of ns. Rees has no use for ,us
except to get a Job and If he does
nnt. t it we can go hang all he
cares. That Is not the kind of a rep
resentatlve we want and he will get
many less votes than he did before."
In addition to this the Republicans
do not like the attitude of opposition
tn th nriutdent Rees has taken. In
his speeches he criticises the admin
istration and says he does not en
nnrufi it. He called Taft a gold brick
In his announcement and seem to
stick to his position of opposition.
Th. Pnnuhllcans want a representa
tive who will work with the presi
dent and the Republican majority In
.nnrriua and not against them. They
are getting tired of knockers and
want men who are for progress ana
h.ino Rees has lost much up-
port on all these grounds and will
get a small vote compared witn tnai
of two years ago.
TAFT HAS A GOOD SIZED FAMHi FOR ONLY SIXTEEN MONTHS,