Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-01-13
KENOSHA WIS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1852

county that their lands, including i'm
provements, are worth the sum of $50, 10
per acre, good, bad, and Indifferent
impossible, because above and beyond
the truth. 1t is seldom that our best
farms will sell for any such sum, even
on long time, and much less probability
is there that an average farm, or one of
inferior quality would sell for the price
named.
A part Of your committee have actu-
al knowledge in this matter, being in
the market, and consequently posted as
to the value of land in this county; and
all are conversant with the well known
fact that at no time during the years
gone by, which by contrast we may
call prosperous-when lands bore high
price-did lands in Kenosha county, as
a general thing, bring the price realized
in Walworth, Rock, Waukesha and
similar counties nor have they ever
attained the average value affixed to
them by the State Board of Equaliza-
ton. .. ra....r. .-
Your committee are at loss to &C.
count for the evident disposition which
has been manifest for the past three or
four years on the part of the Equali-
zng Board, to place an unreasonably
high valuation on lands in the south
eastern portion Of the State, and partic-
ularly on the couties bordering on the
lake shore, as compared with other por.
tons of the State. Somehow the i'm
preston seems to prevail that because
these counties were first thickly peopled
had three or four years the start of
some others-that their wealth has in
creased in proportion to the extrava-
gance and ever increasing expenditure
of the State; and that such is the fer
tility of the soil, the exuberancs Of the
crops, and the industry, skill and pa
thence of the inhabitants, that any ex-
action, no matter to what extent, will
be answered and submitted to, provided
onl y it has the sanction of law, and is
made through the regularly constituted
authority. 4
That this presumption prevails, and
that the deceptive appearance of wealth
actually present and existing in the
shape Of costly buildings, railroads,
structures, equipages, &C., in the thou
sand forms that everywhere meet the
eye, dazzling the senses, and creating
the impression of general prosperity,
has conspired to feed and nourish the
delusion, aud to lead our rulers to sup
pose that our, and consequently their
resources were inexhaustible, seems but
too apparent. The depression aud stag
nation now everywhere prevalent, the
fall of prices, and universal depreciation
of all kinds of property, furnish con-
vincing proof that the exaggerated |
and boasting in which
we are all to prone to indulge, is vain
and deluSlve, and is about to be thor
oughly chastened and corrected and |
must help US to see that if we would be |
rich and prosperous, we must at least be
the actual owners of the wealth to which
we lay claim, and which is apparently
ours.
While we thus freely comment upon
the causes which have led each success
sive Equalizing Board to raise the stan
dard of valuation upon lands in general
throughout the State, and particularly
in this region, until they are at this time
actually appraised alta higher value than
they will bring in the market;-we dis
claim entirely, and sincerely, the idea
of imputing improper motives to the
several State Boards of Equalization /;
we believe them to be mistaken in iudg-
ment simply, and not chargeable with
deliberate wrong, and that the action of
the Board of Supervisors in making this
Investigation of the subject will, in con-
nection with the existing state of things
tend to correct these errors and improve
their judgement.
We believe it right to preserve the
credit of the State, and take a Just pride
IN the fact that Kenosha county has
never refused or neglected to pay her
ust proportion of the sum necessary to
preserve it; but we cannot see the ne
,essity, propriety, or legality, particu-
arly at this time of peculiar financial
severity, Of imposing a greater tax upon
any portion of the people of the
State than they ought in justice to con-
tribute for the support of the govern
nent; and it would seem considerable if
more care had been taken to avoid it ,
ourdened as the citizens of this State ,
are everywhere by their local taxes, and :
crippled in their resources by the failure
Of the crops.
Agreeably to your instructions we
herewith report a memorial to the Leg i
stature, asking for relief from the I'M
equal and unjust apportionment of the ,
State Board of Equalization, containing
reference to our report formerly pre-
'ented, and that herewith made, for {
he substantial facts and reasons up |
IN which we are encouraged to believe 3
hat body will afford it. !;
The committee believe that the spirit
n which the request is made, will be
properly weighed, as well as the reasons '
or your concurrence in our former re- {
bort; and they would therefore recon- g
mend that the memorial, together with
copy of the report Of your committee, Z
md copy of the extended printed c
tatement herewith returned to the 9
3oard, and appended marked &C" I
moving the actual appraisement, per Z
Lcre, of all the lands in the State SO far :
IS returned, and as finally equalized and !,
.dopted by the State authorities, togeth-
r with the subsequent action of the C
5oard thereon, be delivered to the del k
cation from this county, to be by it {
PRESENTED for the early consideration :,
nd action of the Legislature.
SAMUEL Y. BRANDE, v
REUBEN L. BAssETT, Com. II
j. WHIPPLE, s
Dated Kenosha, Nov. 16, 1853.
&C." .