The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-16

n a - y
40 RI which 18j8) occurred the highest Slate
nv ever levied in Wisconsin--and on actual
r.;urns from so nearly the entire number Ol
q, mites in the State is certainly broad enough
To assume that county taxes hold the same "a
tn; to State taxes through the whole State'ahd
taking one year with another.
Il is not easy to obtain reliable statistics OF
local taxation below counties. A calculation
upon returns OF taxes levied for town purposes
fox 1857, 1858, 1859 aud 1860, as before, gath
cred from large number OF towns, would moi
cate 2.20* as the ratio OF excess OF town over
State taxes, averaging for four years
The amount Of school taxes voted directly ny
The people at their district meetings, the past
year, is stated in the Annual Report OF the State
Superintendent of Public Isiruction, from actual
returns made to his Office, at $33l, AZ 70
The statutes provide that Il highway tax oil
not less than three nor more than seven mills o'
tie dollar, shall be assessed On ali the real ana
personal property in each road district OF the
State 1t will be fair to assume i've mills to be
the average of the assessments imposed.
| shall venture no calculation upon the taxes
imposed in the cities, since from the look OF the
statements obtained the most favorable estimate
the figures will bear, would stagger probability.
The statements from one of our inland cities,
reputed, and no doubt justly so, to be one Of the
most economically governed in the State, shows
the following footings
Aggregate of taxes levied for city pur-
poses from 1857 to 1860, inclusive $lll ,469 "a
Aggregate Of all State and County tax
es for the same period .-.---.------ H,53 10
From the data thus obtained, let US venture
an estimate of the taxes annuvily evIed upon
he property Of this State-which by the last
assessment, as equalized by the State Board,
amounts to Sl80984 asa IS. I'm this estimate
40 allowance will be claimed for the higher tax
alton on city property, than that ituated III the
iural towns, the ratio being obtained by calcu-
ation upon statements of taxes levied Tor town
purposes The difference may offset the amount
of delinquent road taxes, etc probably included
in the returns of town taxes.
State tax average of years iS59-60
inclusive $500 ,OO3 0S
County taxes [ratio to State Tax y - ..
1SJ .-.----.---.-.---.- b33,21S II
Town Taxes do do do 2,29 G93,S8I Is
school district taxes as returned for
1861 Dol ,422 90
Road tax 3 mills ON the dollar 904, 1872 y
Total. --.-----.--.--$3, llG,5l0 uS
Startling az this showing appears, it presents
no adequate conceptions of the condition OF at
fairs in some OF the cities and newer counties
of the State. La one of the newer counties,
whose entire population, by the census of 1860.
-
taxes in 1855, amounted to S43,760. 90; of
which it is stated on authority of one OF the
county officers, $4,000 WIS consumed in fees and
other expenses attending the sale of delinquent
lands The levy of 1861 in the same county Is
stated at s 8 }95 II, OF which $4,000 was esti-
mated by tho County Board TO be required for
the expenses ot tax sales, and the further sum
of S2U0O for advertising uuredeemed lands The
entire vote OF his county at the last election
was ninety. The instance of this county is but
an extreme example of practices in very many
especially OF the newer counties.
II is attempted to excuse the policy of cOnHs-
cation by installments of taxation on the plea
that non-resi,!euts have no rights which resi-
dents are bound to respect The injustice of
this policy is avenged IN the forfeiture TO the
State of immense quantities OF lands heretofore
sold on account OF The truss funds OF the State
whose owners have been compelled to forfeit
them by excessive local taxation Instances
can he cited from the books 9th School Land
Office where the taxes due upon tracts OF fer
feited lands equal thirty per cent. OF their APP
praised value Also. where the taxes OF sim
ole wear equal about seven per cent. of the val
uation of the land, reckoning by the average of
the assessed valuation OF laud il the county
where situated.
| This injustice is, moreover feartully retalla-
ted upon the permanent interests of the coun-
ties themselves. The basis Of taxation is con-
stantly reduced-emIgration Is discouraged and
population expelled from their limits. Indeed,
no public interest is promoted; only the few
who live in local offices and their favorites who
speculate in tax titles, and deprecated orders,
are benefited. Even their profits have upon
them the curse of vagrancy, which profits Ill-got,
ten of the public always bear. They are gone
in the very cffJrts to secure them.
bo nod FIR tir,p ntf hn
publicly, to these abuses, under the misconcep-
ton that my so doing will injure the reputation
OF our State, and thus discourage immigration.
The facts themselves constitute the real him
ORANGES to settlement and prosperity. These
will never be changed while declining to notice
their existence. This State has large tracts Of
unoccuped land to dispose OF. She has meal
culable resources waiting labor and capital for
their develGpement. These abuses are constant
ly advertisil4 against Immigration. Their cor
rection should not be postponed for a single
year.
Apprehensions have been expressed Of the
effect upon public sentiment regarding the ad
ministIation and the war OF an attempt TO col
lect the Real Estate and Incpme taxes--togeth-
ar amount; to possibly $500, 000-for which
fhe General Government, in its need, calls upon
mis- State All such apprehensions are unjust.
The loyal people of Wisconsin do not value
property OF even life itself weighed against the
existence OF the Government which has 50 long
blessed and protected them in both. 1t may,
hanover, serve good purpose to show that the
calls of the government will not add twenty
five per cent. to our accustomed bu' dcns Of
taxation. 1t is surely wise and prudent to ex-
anime all the ordinary courses of expense for
opportunities to save she means Of meeting this
levy of PATRIOTIC TAX.
The first efurm recommended is the positive
Prohibition Of The future circulation, sale or
transfer of county, town. city, or school district
orders.
With the statements OF county taxes before
referred to, were also obtained from the clerks
of superv isols i statement OF the average value
of county orders in their respective counties for
the last four years. The range of value was
from sixty-two and half cents on the dollar to
par. The average for forty-six counties was
eighty-one and two thirds cents on the dollar,
Admitting this to hold true of town, city and
county orders, (Which is pr obably too favorable
an estimate Tor these) the conclusion is una
voidabe that the taxpayers of the State suffer
from discount upon warrants, or orders for the
payment of money at their local treasures, equal
to eighteen and one.third per cent. of all their
taxes, excluding State tax, and such part of she
road taxes as are paid in labor. And this dis
count does not measure the loss. The credit
system IN managing public expenses, with its
incident confusion of accounts almost invara-
bly, serves as a cover to indefinite speculationS
and populations in pnblic funds.
On this point, the experience OF the State is
instructive. Prior to 1855, the expenses of the
State year, at least, in advance ofits rev
euues-and certificates of appropriations by the
Legislature and Secretarys warrants upon the
Treasury, ruled, customarily, at about eighty
per cent, of their par value The Legislature
of 1858, by resolution, directed that all such
certificates and warrants be passed directly to
the pos ,ession Of the State Treasurer, and that
they should be paid IN the order Of dates, the
voucher for payment in each instance, being
the receipt Of the identical person in whose ia
vor the warrant or appropriation was made, Ell
Their endorsed thereon or attached thereto. Such
is now the practice at the State Treasury. Its
introduction dates she last discount upon an ev-
ldeace of Indebtedness against the General
Fund of the State, and is the starting point of
all subsequent retrenchment in State expenses.
1t is simple and practicable in transactions with
public treasures of every grade.
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